We have moringa (kalamungay) trees growing everywhere in Hawaii. I had one that was so big that I cut it down to the ground over a year ago and it still produced stem shoots that I hacked off. And now I have another stem shoot working its way up and out. Filipinos use it in cooking and I have tried it in salads and soups but never really paid attention to it.
David Wong is the owner of Mountain View Farms in Waianae and pal Wandaful sent me a link to an interview that Anne Lee of the Star Advertiser’s Dining Out section did with him. Blew my socks off.
Imagine not using pesticides, herbicides or bringing in enhanced soil products to grow healthy vegetables by stimulating the natural microbiomes in the soil. I love his farm with his huge stumps of old moringa that produce useable shoots that are dried and encapsulated. I love how he takes care to produce oil from the seeds that can be used orally and/or topically. I am ordering a bottle for a dear friend who has cancer because it may work when conventional medicines will not. I will keep a bottle for myself because it may help my skin issues (dark sunspots, dry spots) and also arthritis in my hands. I will make a more concerted effort to incorporate the leaves into my diet. After all, it is free and nature’s gift to our well being.
As a side note, David was diagnosed with late stage lung cancer in 2014. Instead of doing the conventional cut/burn/poison treatments, he went to Korea instead. Diet was one of the key factors in him being cancer free to this day. He takes 2 capsules of moringa morning and evening, and a dropperful of the oil at night under his tongue.
I have tons of seeds from the poor hacked up never-say-die stump if anyone wants to start a plant. Moringa plants can grow super tall and now I am thinking to plant a row of them against my back fence to block out that terrible monster house apartment that totally took away my previously charming view with 120+ linear feet of roofline, windows, and walls.
I am knee deep in research to improve my soil using the Korean Natural Farming (KNF) protocols that David Wong adopted. I will be posting about that journey as time goes on. It starts with undercooked rice buried under leaves.
Wish me luck!
Wonderfully written post.
Thank you!
Interesting tree. I have heard of Eastern medicine being helpful, but am still skeptical. Don’t know why. Sometimes, I think it is a placebo effect. Too bad about the monster homes.
I have always been drawn to natural traditional methods of healing.
Gosh, I have never even heard of Moringa trees. I looked it up and wow! I’ve seen those trees in Waipahu and even my neighborhood. I never knew what people did with them. Thank you for telling us.
Ahhh… now I know why your were on TV protesting monster homes. We have some in our neighborhood too. I think some are sort of nursing home though.
It is a staple in Filipino foods. Even my Thai friend liked to use the flowers and leaves in cooking. They are almost indestructible.
Ah, monster houses. A blight in our neighborhood. They almost make me want to move but I our neighbors are really good to us.
I can’t say for certain I’ve eaten moringa but I’ve been in the Philippines often enough to say there is a pretty good chance I’ve had.
It is a staple for them. I am amazed at how great a plant it is. It can be messy but it is easily trimmed, and easy to use as a tea, in soups, salad, cooking.
How interesting! Good luck with your new project.
Thanks! I am diving in full speed ahead and have immersed myself in lessons for the last 2 weeks. Next posts will be about it.
What an educational & eye-opening post featuring the reporter’s interview with Mr. Wong, whose organic Moringa trees & products may be the answer to natural instead of chemical treatments for cancer as well as healthier meals for animals. When your border trees are tall, please send us a photo, you are quite the experimental gardener, a new title to add to web-journalist, environmentalist, altruistic advocate. & educator! So sorry to hear about the monster homes cropping up in your neighborhood, there should be a law about blocking someone’s visual view, maybe you have to go up another level. Lucky we live on a sloped road, but our Marina view disappeared with all those factory-like high rises that cropped up when we were complacent & let it happen.
Tutu
You are right, Tutu. There should be a law about blocking views. I’ll update this post with a picture of the monster behind me.