North Shore Oahu: Kahuku Farms Tour

On our honeymoon, we toured Kahuku Farms on Oahu. This was one of our pre-planned activities I was most excited about and it definitely lived up to my expectations in terms of providing knowledge, deliciousness and beauty.

Apple Banana Tree in Oahu
Apple bananas are available all over Oahu. They are sweet with a little bit of tartness.

My husband and I have always thought about how lucky people are to live in places like California and Hawaii with such fantastic weather and growing seasons, so I was shocked to learn how challenging it can be to grow plants in these areas. For example, they don’t have freezing temperatures that wipe out certain insects and pests like we do in North Texas, so getting rid of pests with organic practices can be a struggle.

Papaya Trees at Kahuku Farms
Papaya trees at Kahuku Farms.

Currently, the front part of the farm, that provides a great deal of food to their cafe, is all organic and they are taking different steps to transition the rest of the farm to being organic as well. As we toured the farm, our guide told us about some of the methods they are using to transition, such as planting perennial peanut as a cover crop and using larger trees where the trade winds blow to catch some of the pests before they get to the main crops.

I left the farm tour thinking about how lucky we are to live in Texas and how I need to make the most of each growing season. Stay tuned for some Oahu inspired gardening updates, and when you are on the North Shore (on a surf break), don’t forget to check out Kahuku Farms.

Dragon Fruit Trees in Oahu
Dragon fruit trees that aren’t bearing fruit yet.

 

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