HONOLULU -- Almost every item in the supermarket seems to cost $1 or $2 more than last year, but some Oahu residents have slashed their supermarket bills by growing their own produce.

Many of those gardeners also happen to live in the heart of Honolulu.

Retiree May Hasegawa said she has been farming at Makiki, one of the city's 10 community gardens, for 15 years.

"Because I live in a condo, I am really glad they have these community gardens. We can have our own garden; otherwise, I would be forced to buy my food from the supermarket," said Hasegawa.

Gardeners pay $15 dollars a year for a 100-square-foot plot. For that small price, Hasegawa said she harvests bags of tomatoes, green beans, bitter melon, daikon and tarragon -- all kinds of crops.

"If you grow it yourself it is always fresh. And I don't use chemicals," said Hasegawa.

Nalani Boon, president of the Makiki Garden Association, said he grows everything from tomatoes to Chinese peas. Boon said gardening is good all around.

"It is not only fulfilling to the soul, it is also a means of putting cheap food on the table for you and your family," said Boon.

Hasegawa showed KITV exactly what she can do with her produce.

"This is my pasta with pesto basil -- the basil was grown in my garden -- and this is my sweet potato salad from sweet potatoes I grow in my garden," said Hasegawa.

A total of 160 people have city plots in Makiki, with 12 on the waiting list.

Boon said any residents who want one of the garden plots shouldn’t be discouraged by the waiting list. The average waiting time at almost all community gardens is three months.