THE 'ĀINA
The 'Āina (land in Hawaiian) on which Hāna Farms sits was purchased by our founders in 1999. Since then, our founders and farm residents have been stewarding this sacred land with respect and pride. Hawai’i's state motto is ‘Ua Mau ke Ea o ka ʻĀina i ka Pono,’ which means ‘The life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness,’ which we resonate with deeply here on the farm. We are thankful for the opportunity to work the land here in beautiful Hāna, which happens to mean ‘work’ or ‘craft’ in Hawaiian.
WHAT WE GROW
The volcanic soil of the Hawaiian islands is great for growing almost anything. Because the climate here in Hāna is so similar to that of South Asia, many of the crops that grow best here originated in Asia.
VEGETABLES &
LEAFY GREENS
We grow a wide variety of vegetables at the farm, including tomatoes, green beans, sweet peppers, squash, green onions, and the famous Hawaiian dryland Kalo (taro). Many of our crops are used in the dishes at our restaurant. For example, our Harvest Salad is full of nutrient-packed leafy greens from the farm, such as katuk, Okinawa Spinach, moringa, red zinger, arugula, kale, een choi (amaranth), and baby lettuce.
HERBS
Our herb harvest contains basil, cilantro, patchouli, lemongrass, cuban oregano, citronella, parsley, sage, and rosemary. The chefs at our restaurant often use farm harvest herbs to make the sauces on our famous wood-fired pizzas at The Bamboo Hale Restaurant. Bananas, actually the world’s largest herb also grows in plenty on our farm! We use the bananas in Hāna’s Farm’s Banana Bread and in our Banana Coconut Curry Hot Sauce.
We have several types of nuts and seeds on the farm, including cashew nuts, macadamia nuts, coconuts, and coffee and cacao. We also have cola nuts, which we sometimes make homemade coca-cola from!
SPICES
Our spice garden is one of the prettiest, serene, and unique places on our farm. It houses spices from all over the world, including all-spice, black peppercorn, nutmeg, pandan, turmeric, cinnamon, cardamom, galangal, ginger, curry leaf, achiote, and more. We love to use these exotic ingredients in our homemade recipes, bakery, and products, such as our hot sauce and bbq sauces.
FRUITS
Our land is home to many kinds of tropical fruit trees, such as Ulu (breadfruit), soursop, papaya, fig, and jaboticaba trees. The farm is also home to many citrus trees like lemon, lime, Buddha’s hand, orange, grapefruit, star fruit, blood orange, finger lime, bilimbi, lychee, rambutan, mangosteen, acerola cherry and surinam cherry trees. We have an abundance of bananas, which is actually an herb, and Lilikoi (passion fruit), which grows on a vine. We use these exotic fruits in many of our homemade desserts, hot sauces, and, of course, banana bread.
FARMING TECHNIQUES
Hāna Farms is located on a hillside in one of the most rainy parts of Maui, so we have our own unique challenges, advantages, and methods. We focus on growing healthy and happy crops using organic techniques and building healthy soil. Many of the methods we use are inspired by permaculture and regenerative agriculture techniques. When we can, we reduce our consumption of outside resources and use what we have around us. On our farm, we have no large equipment, so all our processes and harvesting is done by hand.
FLOWERS & DECORATIVE PLANTS
In addition to our crops, we have an abundance of flowers and decorative plants on our property. You can find over 50 types of ti plants, along with shower trees, many varieties of heliconia (bird of paradise), blue and red jade, begonia, ginger, decorative bananas, bromeliads, orchids, coleus, and more. Scroll through the slide show to get a glimpse of the beauty you can find here at Hāna Farms.