Meet Our Organic Growers and Producer
So, I was hiding under a rock and when I emerged out of this hard place I immediately had some questions. One was “what is GOAT?” when someone referred to surfer Kelly Slater as one. I thought maybe it was the way he could bully his way into his opponent’s mental space in a finals heat. But by the way everyone chuckled, I realized I was wrong. Being the Greatest of All Time sure seems like such a subjective title to throw out with several angles to consider or dispute.
I like grays because life is seldom just black or white, but sometimes I prefer a clear, irrefutable title, especially in the farming and food departments. Take “certified organic” for example. Certification sure is a lot of circus acts of jumping through hoops of paperwork, meetings, inspections, and use of very specific approved products to name a few, all of which mean time and money. That is not what our organic farms think about when they chose to certify their farms—These certified organic farms want to give us the option of enjoying doubt, chemical and pesticide-free, delicious and healthy food while honoring our land by keeping it healthy.
We are honored to have a few organic farms on our marketplace and it’s our goal to continue to grow this list of options for you. Please check out the organic farms and producer below and shop our marketplace for their products now and for the freshest inventory for Thursday and Friday deliveries.
Organic certification requires that farmers and handlers document their processes and get inspected every year. Organic on-site inspections account for every component of the operation, including, but not limited to, seed sources, soil conditions, crop health, weed and pest management, water systems, inputs, contamination and commingling risks and prevention, and record-keeping.
an excerpt and a quick glimpse of what the USDA says about organic certification:
COCA FARMS
Coca Farms started as a small farm about 18 years ago. Joel Gil Coca, is the farmer behind Coca Farms located in Kula, Maui. Joel, with some help from his wife and three kids, runs the farm which consists of working the fields, selling, and running farmer’s markets. I don’t know about you, but Coca Farms makes attending Zoom meetings, being walked by your dog, and working on those TPS reports all day seem pretty dreamy.
Coca Farms started as a small farm about 18 years ago. Joel Gil Coca, is the farmer behind Coca Farms located in Kula, Maui. Joel, with some help from his wife and three kids, runs the farm which consists of working the fields, selling, and running farmer’s markets. I don’t know about you, but Coca Farms makes attending Zoom meetings, being walked by your dog, and working on those TPS reports all day seem like a piece of cake.
Click here to read more about Coca Farms
and shop their products
COUNTER CULTURE ORGANIC FARM
Counter Culture Organic Farm is a USDA-certified organic farm growing on 40 acres on the North Shore of O‘ahu. The farm produces a diverse offering of staple vegetables, bananas, and papaya while constantly striving to improve the soil to grow delicious, nutrient-dense food for local consumers. These days, Counter Culture is managed and run by Gabe alongside kick-butt farmers Katie, Alice, Seren, and Kalyn.
Click here to read more about Counter Culture Organic Farm
and shop their products
HAWAI‘I BANANA SOURCE
Hawai‘i Banana Source is the all-things banana off-shoot (some pun intended) of Counter Culture Organic Farm. The farmer behind the bunches is Gabriel Sachter-Smith who grew up on the mountains of Colorado where he began studying bananas at age 13. Go ahead and slowly peel a banana while you chew on that…
Click here to read more about Hawai‘i Banana Source
KAHUMANA ORGANIC FARM
Kahumana Organic Farms is a 25-acre certified organic farm operating in the heart of Lualualei Valley on Oahuʻs beautiful west side since 1978. Their goal is to grow as much food as possible, in the most sustainable way. Kahumana Organic Farms is “a crew of 15 passionate farmers” led by Wai‘anae-raised, Farm Manager Christian Zuckerman.
Click here to read more about Kahumana Organic Farms
and shop their products
MOHALA FARMS
Mohala Farms is a 6-acre organic farm and non-profit organization located in Waialua on the North Shore of O’ahu. Since 2005, Mohala Farms has been building the farm’s infrastructure and revitalizing the soil. Between Farm Director Mark Hamamoto, Chef Kathy Maddux who also has 30+ years of organic farming experience under her belt, and a group of interns and World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF) participants, Mohala Farms strives to bring the land back to a state of healthy productivity and abundance.
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Click here to read more about Mohala Farms
PU‘U O HOKU RANCH
Pu’u O Hoku Ranch, a family-owned operation in Moloka’i, is surrounded by more than 14,000 acres of protected land. For nearly 30 years they have worked to conserve Molokai’s natural resources, with ecological farming practices and by protecting wild spaces. Not only is the ranch certified organic, it is also Demeter-certified biodynamic. Biodynamic farming is a higher level of organic farming that generates soil fertility through composting, integrating animals, cover cropping, and crop rotation to name a few practices.
.Click here to read more about Pu‘u O Hoku Ranch
and shop their products
SKY KOMBUCHA
Founded in 2013, SKY Kombucha, which is made in Waimānalo, was created by a hopeful couple with a vision to make kombucha available to everyone and anyone. Over the past several years, SKY Kombucha has proudly grown their brand, family, and their role in supporting the community.
Click here to read more about SKY Kombucha
and shop their products
SMALL KINE MUSHROOM
Small Kine Farm is the only USDA-certified organic portabella farm in Hawai‘i, but what sets it apart from other farms is the way it broke ground. Tucked in the back of Waimānalo, the operation stemmed from a recycling company founded by Fung Yang. He literally is the Fung guy. After seeing that the majority of trash being thrown away was organic waste, Yang decided to start a composting facility which eventually became the bed from which his mushroom operation grew. Using his own compost and a high-tech pasteurization and growing process, Yang and his crew monthly produce tons of safe, high-quality, delicious mushrooms every month.
Click here to read more about Small Kine Farm
and shop their mushrooms