Thursday May 28. Always bring your “A” game, no matter what. Today looked to be very quiet with only 6 reservations, but included a site inspection with our own Marilyn hosting Trafalgar Tours who are considering regularly scheduled specialty tours of the farm beginning April 2010. As has been the case for the past week, the weather was foggy, misty, and soggy. We were carrying on as usual when two unexpected guests showed up right before11:00 am (when everyone was converging in the kitchen area for pastries and cider). Turns out it was the State Health Department and U.H. Manoa Department of Human Nutrition, Food and Animal Sciences. They injected themselves right into the middle of the tour- talking with the chef and the tour guide out in the field, even our harvest workers and were accommodated by all. The two ladies addressed many topics and expressed many concerns- mainly about washing and prepping garden produce as it relates to Noro Virus and Rat Lung Worm. The Chef did a great job detailing the farm lunch operation to them. As for the rest of the group, it was a lively pair of couples who really got into the tour and elevated the discussion to include topics like the soil food web, health and nutrition, composting, vegan and vegetarianism. Super nice local couple (young empty-nesters); along with preppy West Coast visitors, and Keith from Trafalgar tours were in the gathering group. It was pure money when Brad Dranka from yesterday’s tour stopped by to recoup some lost keys and mid way through butted in to say what a great time he had yesterday and that “it was the highlight of our vacation”. Everyone in the group heard that!!! Thanks Brad- will meet you later at Pacifico for sunset cocktails and dinner- drinks are on me!

Wednesday May 27. A small, sweet, and sophisticated group of 8 today that included repeat guests Brad and Donna Dranka (who stay at Lahaina Shores). Brad shared stories about growing up in an orphanage that had a vegetable garden. He likes his wines too, bringing along a Grenache Blanc that was superb. There were two lovely ladies from San Francisco, a couple from Connecticut who are C.S.A members, along with a young couple from Alameda who seemed very interested in the farm operation. All were politely soft spoken and seemed to bond together as lunch progressed. For Sean and myself it was a pretty “hands off” tour. The weather was foggy, misty, and rainy with that light, soft, gentle type rain that caresses, but also soaks everything enough to make it difficult to work in.

Thursday May 21. We dodged the weather bullet today with a big group of 24. Fog and mist set in and even light rain. The Julie Thorsen family from San Francisco had to be relocated into the kitchen area. Fortunately it backed off to more mist and fog. There were several return guests again today like Bob and Kathleen McLean who brought along a son with girlfriend. Gay Lee Niven works for Starbucks and had a lot to share regarding coffee roasting. We all checked out the new beehive down in D block.

Wednesday May 20. Maxed out tour that included a mixed group of 16 and Seabury Hall’s advanced placement science class of 12, which included teacher Kate Ireland. This was a last minute add on so we split the group up and essential gave two concurrent but separate tours with Sunanda taking the Seabury Hall group. It all worked out quite well. There were two repeat tour guests from last year. The high school group was very reserved and well behaved. All guests and tour were pretty easy going.

Thursday May 14. Today we had a very interesting group of 21 that started out on the gregarious side and only got more uninhibited as the afternoon progressed. There were several eccentric, but well- informed guests that got deep into farm related matters that are rarely explored or addressed. The big group of the day was a party of return guests who got things rolling right of the bat in the parking area as the tour began. Everyone pretty much self- toured splitting up into factions and went about at their own pace. A group of 4 ladies were homeopathic specialist from the Gary Young “Company of Angels”- a private group that sources natural cures (mostly aromatic and medicinal oils) from the jungles of Ecuador. They later shared some oils with the chef and tour guide- which was quite an experience. One guest said he was a “scientist” and later confided to chef about being involved in the human genome project and doing research and development in the field to find a cure for cancer, which he indicated is imminent. Both these parties understood with precision all the science talk I could muster in describing soil microbes, pathogens, “super foods”, and nutrition. They even elevated the discussion to the benefit of all of how their fields relate to what we are doing (whole raw foods and nutrition, natural cures) Adding nicely to the mix was our only kamaaina: private chef/spa manager mother/daughter pair who brought a bottle of Dom…but it was oxidized. Other couples in the group seemed to be quite open to this very insightful “alternative” type group and many lingered to see and hear more. A very memorable “top 10” tour here at the farm.

Wednesday May 13. Pretty fun group of 21. Employee Dana Mathhauser was in attendance with family and her new son Cyrus, who kept very quiet. All others were visitors from all around (Texas, Georgia, Oregon, California) with only a passing interest in organic farm practices so we had pretty much a standard tour with no breakthrough moments. The couple from Texas were keen on composting and have plenty of raw materials to work with owning their own ranch and all. Lots of wine today- Mr. Garcia was generous with his Duckhorn Sauvignon Blanc.

Thursday May 7. Today’s group of 17 were entirely mature couples except for one, who was a single and conducted himself as a reporter scribbling notes and taking pictures with a large camera. Most were amateur gardeners without much experience to share and content on taking in the atmosphere and relaxing.

Wednesday, May 6. Pretty awesome group of 15 visitors from all over: Florida, Virginia, Connecticut, Oregon, and Washington who all brought something special to the tour. For Marie it was the story of her dollar dance on her 70th – she threatened to dance on the table top for us but…One thing that did catch on was the “mint roll”- a new tradition at O’o. Now that the mint patch is big enough down in the lower gardens, the young at heart and free spirited can plop down on it and take a roll. There were numerous takers today- including Marie. Two parties from Oregon today, both in related industries: Liz and Jerry Nakagaki work in the organic tomato industry and the Beauchamps are proprietors of a lunch bistro in Eugene. Nick and Laura, the young foodie couple from Virginia, stayed to enjoy an espresso before buying a 1/2 lb. Lovely group.

Production rose to an all time high this month and surpassed the restaurants needs in many categories. Should this trend continue, it might be necessary to find outside markets or scale down production? Thanks to the Earth Day event, the farm manager met many locals who expressed interest in subscribing for a periodic take of the farm’s harvest with the understanding that they share the farms risks and take what they can get.

Mung Bean sprout production has begun and is adjusting to the restaurants needs.Celeriac (celery root) has been germinated and looks to be a promising new item. Parsnips have also been planted and we are anxiously awaiting the results.

New products that actually came to the markets this month include Huazontle or red Aztec spinach, baby spinach and beet greens, shiso, “Maxibel” haricot verts, and Romanesco “lime green” cauliflower.

LETTUCE: We have re-established our original method of production and are back up to par.

CABBAGE: The markets could not absorb all the tat soi we produced this month. There was some loss due to delivery issues and storage and rotation at the restaurants.

SPINACH: Doing well.

ARUGULA: A sequence in the new “G” block did not perform so we were just a bit light for a couple weeks.

CHARD: Fine.

ONIONS: Production is creeping upwards with the return of bunching onions, elephant garlic, leeks, and yellow granex (sweet Maui onions).

FENNEL: Just fine. Looks to be a surplus coming.

BEETS: Doing well. Trying some new varieties: a red “Merlin” and new golden variety.

RADISH: Sean wants the watermelon variety. Going for parsnips now too.

KALE: We are expanding our repertoire of this “super food” adding the purple flowering to the blue and red already in production. Kale has become a major new crop.

CARROTS: Fine.

CHAYOTE: Waiting for the squash to form on the vines.

CILANTRO: Just fine.

BASIL: Moving into the next generation with a new super sweet “chen” variety.

ALL HERBS: Here is an area, much like ornamentals (flowers), that is rightly being expanded upon at O’o. Permanent beds of Italian flat leaf parsley, thyme, chervil, and mint have been established out in the fields. Ample amounts of the less used herbs have also been established- along with the kitchen culinary and medicinal herb garden that is snugged up to the picnic and kitchen area. Herbs remain an un- tapped potential at O’o Farm.

CITRUS: Remain consistent.

STONEFRUIT: Like the winter fruiting Surinam Cherry, Chermoya, and to a lesser degree Loquats, the stone fruits are having an unusual season in that there is very little flowering and fruiting. This is puzzling and could be related to the preceding very brief summer season, or god forbid, beehive colony collapse.
COFFEE TREES: Greenhouse seedlings are being potted and staged.

PEAS: Fine.

EGGPLANT: Sticking with the Italian heirloom “Rosa Bianca” variety.

TOMATO: Staging out in the field now for summertime. Look for production to increase.

Inherent to the paradigm of organic and biodynamic farm production is the concept of appropriate production. This is very strategic and Intuitive. That “sense of place” concept really comes into play. Every location has its very own exposure, terroir, microclimate, and native flora and fauna interactions. Together, in a holistic manner, all these constitute a local ecosystem with a unique and peculiar “carrying capacity” based on how the native local resources are managed. Management approaches run the gamut from passive coexistence to unrestricted intervention depending on the objectives. O’o’s objective is to express and facilitate, not control or manipulate, that “sense of place” perpetually, and in doing so has chosen to reign in production when necessary (and let loose when not) to preserve the well being of the farm organism so that we may always live in and for the seasons and for the days treasures.