Organic Farming Tours for Kids

Hi there,

I saw a recent thread that mentioned Organic Farming Tours for kids on Maui. Although it was mentioned, it didn%26#39;t say where you could visit these farms. We are going to be on the island for 2-weeks in the New Year and I think it would be fun.

Thanks,

AJ

Organic Farming Tours for Kids

Aloha bellie,

This tour isn%26#39;t specifically for children, but I think it is something that would appeal to all ages. It is ONO Organic Farms on the southeastern slopes of Haleakala. The tours are Mon %26amp; Thurs 2:30 by appt. (808) 248 7779. You can read more on the web site www.onofarm.com/tour.html Your children might especially enjoy the tasting of the fruits etc. after the tour.

Organic Farming Tours for Kids

Hey Beachgal!

Your link didn%26#39;t work for me. That is weird, since it is the correct address.

$35 seems really ridiculous for a tour of a farm. They must be going after the big money, which is kind of sad, since outreach should be available to everyone. The benefit of organic farming should be taught to all, not limited to the elite. I wrote them on this very issue. This must not be a former hippies farm.

I went to UC Davis, and you can take a free tour to some of the most extensive seed bank for tomatoes in the world for FREE. Have you ever seen a 40 foot tall tomato plant from Peru? It%26#39;s rather amazing, and the diversity in these natural sources is incredible.

In addition, I visited a hippie%26#39;s farm on Maui, when I was a teenager with my parents. He gave us a private tour and only charged us for the fruit. Of course, he had a small plot and was only growing 4 or 5 different fruits, but it was still cool. Of course, I%26#39;m biased, since I have a green thumb and a BS in plant genetics.

AJ, local farms could be open to the public for the selling of fruit. If it isn%26#39;t busy, they might just show you around. Brush up on your farming knowledge to reel%26#39;em in. I%26#39;m leaving in 5 days, so I%26#39;ll see about doing this and share any leads that I find.

Aloha bellie,

I SO agree with you! We were involved with ';Fairview Farms';, an organic farm here in the SB area in the middle of a neighborhood, that a group of us helped raise money and buy to help save it from development. It is not only a working farm, but gives ';free'; tours to the schools and groups to help educate and encourage the children and general public to grow and eat organic. It is such a cherished little farm in the community. Where can I get one of those 40%26#39; tomato plants?lol

I am going to do some more research on this question, because it is important and I think it would be a wonderful learning experience for visitors to the island. I do know that Kapalua has an organic farm, I will see if they give tours. I bet our Maui expert on this forum might have some info on this subject.

You might try contacting the Hawaii Organic Farmers Association...

They have ';field days';, set up tours on member farms, and stage events throughout the islands (it is centered in Hilo).

See:

http://www.hawaiiorganicfarmers.org/

Alternatively, you might try contacting an organic farm on Maui directly regarding tours via WWOOF at:

http://www.wwoofhawaii.org/listings/maui.htm

Aloha bellieflop %26amp; globaltreker,

Any luck with the organic farm tours from the links amberloo provided?

I did find out that the Ag Systems Modeler %26amp; Educator at Kapalua Organic Farm, Tova Callendar is working on offering tours within the next year, but not quite yet. The good news is they are supplying the Honolua Store in Kapalua with fresh organic produce daily. If you are in that area and want some wonderful locally grown organic produce, it is available! Hopefully next time you come to Maui the tour will be up and running, it should be great!

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