A vacation in Maui makes you think of the sunny Hawaiian beaches, beautiful wildlife and romantic mountain backdrops, swimming, surfing, snorkelling, divine, sailing and the list goes on. But if you find yourself at the O’o Farm in Maui, you’ll be in for a surprise.
Away from the beaches and the excessive tourist, what you’ll find is a haven made for eco-tourists. Less popular than the usual yacht, scuba diving, or hiking activities, the O’o farm Tour incorporates a true learning experience about Hawaiian culture, its land and geography, vegetation, and the way many people live – a lifestyle completely unknown to many normal travellers.
O’o is located in Kula, a northern region of Maui that provides the perfect climate and growing conditions for over 100 types of fruits, vegetables, and spices. All the food at O’o Farm is organic and lessons in the latest organic food and produce growing methods are taught throughout the tour. From beans, to apples, basil, to avacados, tourists can go through the crops for a tour that is definitely out of the ordinary.
One co- owners of O’o Farm, Louis Coulombe, also owns the Pacific’O and I’O restaurants in Lahaina. These restaurants are supplied with organic produce from O’o Farm, a clear example of local communities supporting and sustaining local businesses and ecology.
Part of the tour allows tourists to go through sections of the crops to pick out their own produce. Once picked, the produce is brought back to the Farm’s on-site restaurant where the chef prepares lunch based on the produce chosen. Local butchers and fishermen provide meat and fish for the meals.
O’o unique tour allows tourists to experience and learn about what it takes to grow excellent quality organic foods and the process taken before the foods get to your plate. It gives the change for visitors to Hawaii to give conscious appreciation to the organic and ecological practices of Hawaii’s local communities, and gives them a new framework in which to view their eco and environmental practices at home.
For more information on tours, O’o Farm, or Pacific’O and I’O restaurants, please visit: www.oofarm.com
