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2 June, ’11 - The Amazing Organic Farms of Kula |
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2 June, ’11 - The Amazing Organic Farms of Kula After sampling Maui’s wonderfully fresh produce over two days, Peter and I were eager to check out their source, the organic farms of Kula. A longtime farming community, Kula, only a 30-minute drive from Paia, has become over the years somewhat of a mecca for lovers of all things organic and rural. Because we had only one day allocated to exploring this amazing region, we planned on visiting 3 of the organic farms of Kula: Ali’i Kula Lavender farm, O’o Farm, and the Surfing Goat Dairy, via the pianolo town of Makawao. Makawao, a “Pianolo” Town Our drive to Kula took us to the paniolo upcountry town of Makawao. The paniolos were the first cowboys in the United States. Long before there were cowboys in the Old West, paniolos came to Hawaii in the early 1800's from Mexico to teach the Hawaiians how to herd cattle. Once a typical, rough and tumble, cowboy town, Makawao still retains much of that cowboy flavor in the facades of its buildings, and boutiques that stock everything “cowboy”, from saddles, boots, belts, hats, to bandannas, cowboy themed Tees, jeans, and the “must have” Western shirt. And each year, on the weekend of the 4 July, Makawao’s population swells as the island comes together for the Makawao Rodeo. Over that weekend, activities such as bull riding, calf roping, barrel racing, and a community parade, bring visitors from far and wide to this little town. However, Makawao is not just about all things pianolo. Sitting side-by-side the pianolo retailers are art galleries, boutiques, craft stores, cafes and eateries. Makawao’s Art Scene The art scene in Makawao is impressive for such a small town, so much so that it is said to be on its way to rivaling Lahaina and Wailea, two of Maui’s larger and more commercial towns. But apart from the various art galleries that dot the town of Makawao, a visit to Hui No’eau Visual Arts Centre is a must. Located on the outskirts of the main town of Makawao, Hui No‘eau occupies the historic Upcountry estate, Kaluanui, a spacious Mediterranean style home designed in 1917 by distinguished architect C.W. Dickey for Harry Baldwin and his wife, Ethel, who founded Hui No‘eau in 1934. In 1976, the late Colin Cameron, grandson of the Baldwins and former president of Maui Land & Pineapple Co., generously granted Hui No‘eau the use of Kaluanui as a visual arts centre. In that time, Hui No‘eau have converted the main house to gallery and classroom spaces, studios, offices and a historical exhibition space. The in-house dairy now serves as Maui’s only public photography darkroom space. The stables and tack rooms are now a ceramics and jewelry studio and the large carriage house has been renovated to house printmaking and multi-use studios. Hui No’eau Visual Arts Centre, 2841 Baldwin Ave., Makawao. www.huinoeau.com
Ali’i Kula Lavender Farm
After a quick but delicious bite of a baguette with salad and soft brie at the Makawao Garden Cafe, it was a short drive along the slopes of Haleakala, where we found Ali’i Kula Lavender Farm.
Owned by Ali’i Chang, the Ali’i Kula Lavender Farm occupies a 13.5 acre estate with over 45 different varieties of lavender flourishing, some of them all-year round. Peter and I took ourselves on a self-guided tour of the farm, and the views from the estate are breathtaking, with the musky scent of lavender permeating the atmosphere. The mood at the Ali’i Kula Lavender Farm is definitely chilled-out, tranquil, and serene.
Lavender pot pourri, soaps, potions, and lotions are not all that are available for sale at Ali’i Kula Lavender Farm. Ali’i Chang’s creative streak has led him to collaborate with local growers and businesses to produce unique products, such as Lavender Coffee, Lavender Chocolate Truffles, Lavender Chocolate Gelato, Lavender Tropical Sunscreen, etc. The list goes on and on. For the guided Walking Tour times, and products available online, go to www.aklmaui.com
O’o Farm Relaxed and recharged after a walk through lavender haven, it was time to get down to earth, literally, at O’o Farm.
Owned and operated by Pacific’O and I’O restaurants in Lahaina, O’o Farm’s impressive bio-dynamic practices and farming techniques focuses on emulating nature’s virtue of balance, harmony, and self-regulation in growing produce. This pioneering project, that of bringing the gardens and farm into harmony with nature’s cyclical rhythms, views the land as a living force, with us, as humans, an extension of it. The result of bio-dynamic farming is not only lower impact on the farm environment, higher soil fertility, biological pest control, but an increased flavour in the produce and higher levels of nutritional benefits for the end consumer.
As foodies and fans of Pacific'O in Lahaina, Peter and I were keen to attend one of O’o Farm’s Gourmet Organic Tours, where the group is given a mini-lesson on bio-dynamic farming and a gourmet lunch is prepared with the fresh and natural produce which the group harvests on site. However, due to our late start in the day, Peter and I arrived just after the last tour finished. Sigh! If only life had a rewind button.... Thankfully for us, Farm Manager Richard Clark and new farm-chef Caroline Schaub were generous enough to If you are curious about the simple perfection of bio-dynamic farming, and would like to be reminded of what vegetables should REALLY taste like, do book into O’o Farm’s Gourmet Organic Tour. It costs $50 per person and runs every Wednesday and Thursday, from 10:30 am to 1:00 pm. Hot apple cider and pastries are served before a gathering and discussion of O’o Farm’s ecologically sound biodynamic practices, after which the group returns to the picnic grounds, where you can view lunch being made before savouring the fruits of their pickings over a glass of wine. Guests are welcome to bring a bottle of their favourite wine to enjoy with lunch. Reservations for O’o Farm’s Gourmet Organic Tours are essential and numbers are limited, so do call ahead on 808.667.4341. www.oofarm.com The Surfing Goat Dairy Showing up without calling ahead (which in retrospect didn’t make sense based on how much there was to see in this dairy), we were not able to milk the goats or go on any of the tours. The goats are milked at specific times, and the farm, naturally, revolves around the goats, not around unorganized tourists like us. However, we did taste the goat cheese, which is absolutely heavenly if you’re a fan of goats cheese. But apart from the cheese, the setting is absolutely beautiful, and the Surfing Goat staff are knowledgable and friendly. The walking tour is a “must” if you are traveling with children. It goes for 20 minutes, costs about $7-$12, and gives you the opportunity to feed and pet the goats. The hour-long milking tour at 3:30 pm gives you the chance to go out to the pasture, learn about the breeding process, watch the dogs do a bit of herding, and milk the goats. Both tours give you a good background on the cheese making process, with cheese tasting included. If you have the opportunity, try the cheese wrapped in grape leaves, called the Napa Wrap. Divine! www.surfinggoatdairy.com
Travel Tip for Touring Farms: The farms in Kula are exactly that.... farms! Don’t show up in slippers, sandals, or flip-flops. Wear your sneakers instead, or risk getting your toes covered in, ummm, mud. Word of Warning From The Locals on Security: The locals in Paia warned us not to leave any valuables in our cars when visiting any of the beaches, national parks, walking treks, or the farms upcountry. We took the warning seriously as driving a rental car pretty much advertises the fact that we weren’t locals. As a result, we were never broken into, although we heard of other tourists that had. Victoria Ugarte is the Founder and Director of Postcards From Millie, a womens travel website. Based in Sydney, Australia, she draws inspiration from the courage of mind and spirit of her muse, Amelia “Millie” Earhart. Victoria spends 3 months out of every year traveling the world and writing about her adventure vacations on her website, keeping her readers posted on exciting destinations, itineraries, travel tips and resources, and challenging women to go beyond their current boundaries so that they may come home to themselves. Join Victoria and Postcards From Millie’s women travel community on http://www.postcardsfrommillie.com/ |
discuss with us at length O’o Farm’s back-to-nature/ farm-to-table philosophy, after which Richard gave us a personal tour of this 8-acre nature wonderland, which was teeming with life. Never were we so grateful for our walking shoes!
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