Tucked away in the fertile hills of the Upcountry region of Maui, a few miles away from the barren landscapes of the Haleakala volcano, you’ll find several farms producing some of the freshest produce on the island.
This week, I had the chance to visit Oo farms, a 8.5 acre private culinary farm that has been growing since 20o3 an impressive 60 different biodynamically cultivated crops. It is mostly an artisanal producer growing food for local chefs. Among its crops, you’ll find many tree fruits and citrus such as loquat, cherimoya and lychee, vegetables such as beets, chayote squash, fava beans and tomatillos, as well as aromatic herbs such as fennel, bunching scallions and shiso.
The farm is also home to pastured hens and a coffee processing and roasting facility. At an elevation of 3,500 feet with warm air and above trade winds, the farm boasts ideal conditions for coffee growing, where the key to produce top quality coffee cherries and beans is to have the highest elevation without freezing temperature, similar to the world-reknowned Blue Mountains in Jamaica at 7,500 feet.
A daily tour allows visitors to see the farm, learn about how it works and handpick ingredients to compose a meal. While the farm’s main purpose is to grow fresh produce for local chefs (farm to table), it’s also great to be able to harvest food on the farm and eat directly on the farm (farm and table). This experience reminded me of some recent experiences in Italy staying in agriturismos, where farmers offer room and board to tourists seeking to get closer to the farm. It also reminded me of two local farms in Quebec, Gaspésie Sauvage and Cabane Pied de Cochon, which both also welcome visitors to experience the farm and/or eat on the farm. In all, I think this is a fun and valuable experience to deepen our connection to the food we eat.
Here are few photos of the farm tour, harvesting and meal:
Photos: All photos by LP Maurice.