Today we had two apiest (bee keepers) in the group and we sure learned a lot about that. The daughter (Horticulture major at Cal Poly S.L.O) was interested in composting and teas, so for the first time we brewed a batch with most of the group who stayed beyond lunch for the experience. One guest was an amateur coffee roaster and stayed late to review our roaster and try the finished product.

Our guests are very up-to-date with organic farming these days! Whew...one party challenged us with some very informed inquiries on biodynamics and farming in general. They were a group from Seattle and Vancouver that included doctors and tech heads. They brought along some good wines too, like Didier Dagneau Poully- Fume and Perrier Jouet, and lingered for a long time.

Today’s tour was a great success; Maui locals from the Lahainaluna high school. There were twenty-three students and two teachers. The students enjoyed themselves from start to finish, taking notes the entire time. Many of the students had never been on a farm before; however, one of them was raised on a coffee farm on the big island. This was an active group helping me harvest greens for lunch, and snacking on wild raspberries along the way. The activity continued after lunch when several of the students enjoyed a game of catch in the field. Chef Sean and myself were each given a lei as a sign of gratitude. Before leaving the group and farm staff all posed for several group photos.

There was a lot to be thankful for today. The senior group were back again with 14, all dressed in holiday regalia with ukulele and song that peppered the tour from start to finish. We heard all the songs from the Hawaiian Twelve Days of Christmas to Mele Kalikimaka- the atmospere thick with aloha and holiday cheer. This prompted “opera man” Norbert Benecke to respond in kind as he belted out an impressive opera entitled Solamente Una Vez. Then there was Gayle Wright and co. (4 pax) from San Diego County, who visited us last year and returned to let us know her and her husband have developed their 8 acres modeled after our farm, a property they are calling O’o East!!! No kidding!!! Today’s tour has been the most memorable ever!!

We had a mid sized tour of sixteen guests. All of our visitors were from off island; however, one of them had lived in Hawaii before. This was a friendly group of tourists, ranging from children to seniors. This group had several questions about our farming practices, and much interest in our coffee roasting. Four of our guests were vegan; furthermore, they thoroughly enjoyed our pristine farm environment. All of the guests stated that the lunch was excellent. Two of the parties sat at the picnic table conversing for some time. Before leaving they made plans to meet again before there vacations end. Each and every one of our guests thanked me for a wonderful experience before saying goodbye.

The organic farm tours that we offer have been a blast! Today we had 10 who started out on the quiet side with two deuce parties and a family from Cleveland Ohio. The two lovely ladies from San Francisco were pleasant, and knew the organic foods distributor mentioned in the famous “Omnivores Dilemma” book. The other deuce (from Sonoma) included a college bound girl who had just spent time in the jungles of Ecuador, and regailed the group with her stories of tarantulas and anacondas. This caught the attention of the 3 younger girls from Cleveland who took notice and decided they better come up with something that sounds cool too. Then we herd about one’s desire to be a chef. By tours end, all were boisterously engaging each other like kids in summer camp. Turns out mom and dad have several acres of their own and want to farm it to produce ice wine.