Bill Cascio, 20, a Masuk alum, has quite the green thumb. He grows tomatoes, peppers, onions, chives, cilantro, parsley, beats, thyme and cucumbers.
"I'm sick of supermarkets," Cascio said. "You don't know what you're getting. It looks good, but it's tasteless."
Cascio said he likes to know where his food comes from and watching it grow.
"I would love to be fully self sustainable one day," he said.
Cascio, who is studying horticulture at the University of Hawaii, started his own farm, Open Pollination Gardens, last year. All of his crops are naturally fertilized and grown pesticide free.
This year Cascio reaped a big enough harvest to allow him to participate in the Monroe Farmers' Market.
OP Gardens uses a Virma Composter. Worms break down materials such as egg shells and shredded paper and the rich soil collects down below.
"It's 10 times richer in nitrogen, five times in phosphorus and two times in calcium than regular soil," Cascio explained.
He uses about 2,000 red wiggler worms in the process.
Last Friday was Cascio's second appearance at the farmers' market.
"It's getting better," he said of the number of customers coming to his stand. "Not many people know the name yet. I don't have the size yet, but I hope people come for the quality."
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