Makawao Paint Out

Tuesday July 30. Makawao Paint Out Invitational. 21 “plein air” artists converged on O’o Farm as part of Viewpoints Gallery summer festival, in which several venues were chosen for the artists to depict. This unique event was open to the public, who were invited to interact with the artists while enjoying the farm venue with concessions and a produce sale. There was a light public turnout, say around 30, from 9am to 3pm, but there seemed to be high interests in organic produce sales. The event especially gave us our first experience selling produce to the public. Judging even from this limited experience, it seems there is great potential for on site produce and retail sales, or perhaps establishing a local C.S.A.

Thursday June 25. Idyllic group of farm guests on a beautiful and calm upcountry day. There were 13 people total, all first timers. Leslie Gandy had a husband and two pre teen boys who begrudgingly came along, yet, after discovering a wild clutch of Francolin Quail eggs, along with some wild chicken eggs, and handling a Jackson chameleon or two, this family was in heaven. All the guests were very interested in our operation and we made an extra special effort to accommodate this sweet and lovely group, allowing them to pick and eat anything they like- and this time of the year that includes lemon cuxs, haricot verts, heirloom tomatoes, sorrel, leeks, Maui onion, and various fruits. There was a honeymoon couple (the Barretts) and an anniversary (John and Emily Davignon- who have a winery in Carlton, the Willamette, and grew up on an organic farm), as well as a pair of twins birthday (Gifford), so there was a celebratory mood amongst the group- and they all reveled in each others company at the absolute best table on Maui. Right after everyone left, it started raining, which was a blessing!

PESTS/DISEASE
Fortunately there is not much to report on this front- certainly nothing serious except for those wild chickens. Several clutches were found, including a 9 egg clutch, which was eaten with a pork butt and enjoyed immensely.

OTHER CHALLENGES
Keeping up with all the landscaping.

SUCCESSES
Production. We have been executing a string of record harvests all summer long.

It has always been taken for granted, but same day delivery. On Sunday June 21, a fire in Maalaea prevented immediate delivery, forcing the farm manager to stage the valuable harvest till 12:30 am the next day, when the roads cleared and delivery was made to the restaurant at 1:30am.

LABOR
Labor has been very consistent and is being taxed with seasonal chores that revolve around production and landscaping.

EQUIPMENT/SUPPLIES/INFRASTRUCTURE
Several projects that have been started but have yet to be completed are…
1. Citrus tree artificial mulching, irrigation, and fertilizer vents.
2. New coffee tree plantings with irrigation.
3. Farm Kiosk for retail and produce sales.
4. Retail shop and storage adjacent to picnic grounds.
5. Parking shed for tractors and diesel fuel adjacent to greenhouses.
6. Clearing of Wattle in strategic locations.
7. Farm product development.

While all are not critical, some are becoming so (#6) and many will eventually help to maximize the farm potential.

Wednesday June 24. Today’s rather large group of 27 was fun and included many repeat guests. Vicky and Mike Smith from Jersey were back for the 3rd time, and local girl Annaliese Webber was back with her parents from Seattle. After starting the tour and explaining our markets, up pulled Aina girls Kelly Sullivan and Jaime Olson with guests. They were introduced to the group and briefly spieled the Aina Gourmet. As is typical of larger groups, this one fragmented more and more as the tour progressed, with less than half the group finishing up the gathering tour. Chef Sean was entertaining many in the kitchen today- more than I have ever seen before. All were lively and content at the lunch table except for the few who elected to eat lunch on the picnic grass near the kitchen line.

Thursday June 18. A very peculiar tour in that all six parties (total of 10 people) showed up late and staggered in waves- so there were many interruptions. On top of that, it was an eccentric group, with repeaters from Ohio and two sets of local ladies. Pomai from the Lavender farm came with a friend and there was some who seemed to want to explore every nook and cranny of the farm. For such a small group it was pretty fragmented, with each sort of self touring and going about their own way. Interest seemed high amongst this very spirited group.

Wednesday June 17. It was Sunanda’s first tour so we all helped out, and as the tours have been progressing, everyone was involved and participating. Our tour guests get to meet the whole family and our combined synergistic input. Sunanda is perhaps the most experienced gardener/farmer in the group; having grown up on a farm in Fiji, plus she is dedicated to the craft and has a lot of information to share. It worked out great, but she was challenged. First, the tour swelled from 13 to 18 with two last minute reservations. Then there was a walk in who had dined at the restaurant and called for a reservation, but were not accommodated - so they just showed up. For Sunanda, this was a lot to keep track of, all the while organizing the parking situation, which can be nightmarish if the first couple of cars mess it up. Actually today a senior couple needed help with the rental car lights that would not turn off. Once the tour got under way she held her own quite handily. The group included our first three-peat party and were as a whole lively and inquisitive.

Thursday June 11. We had a large tour of 21, including return guests and two kamaina groups. One of the guests had a broken foot, so Sean escorted her to the picnic area as the tour made it’s way through the orchard. We had two young families as well as a retired group of nine. One of the families won a gift certificate at the Aina Gourmet grand opening. They stated the grand opening was excellent, and they were extremely excited when they won the raffle. The other kamaina group was a couple of local school teachers from Haliimaile. They are members of the Kula fields produce delivery service; therefore they are very interested in local agricultural practices. Overall this group was very active in asking questions and participated in harvesting salad greens for lunch. The meal was fabulous, and Chef Sean even tried out our newest product Sorrel.

Wednesday June 10 Today’s tour was very pleasant; with this small group we took an extensive look into the practices of O’O Farm. There were three couples and one local gentleman from Kula. All of the guests arrived on time and eager to see the farm. The group enjoyed the orchards, stopping to smell the flowers. The local gentleman had many questions, for he is attempting to start a large garden at his home. While enjoying cider the guests asked Sean many questions about his background and cooking style. In the gardens everyone was delighted by the variety of vegetables, eager to sample a few. One of the guests could not believe a staff of five produces so much. After the tour the group enjoyed an excellent lunch prepared by chef Sean. The guests lingered for a while after lunch just absorbing the pleasant environment.

Thursday June 4. Smallish but very sweet group if 12 with two families and a large Texas contingent. They were all happy to let the tour guide do the talking and mustered a few question by tours end. Today was special because Joe from Pacifico was our farm chef and put together quite a nice lunch menu under the guidelines given- a little more elaborate than need be but very much appreciated by our guests. Joe was also able to strike up a repertoire with the group and needed very little assistance from the tour guide. Altogether, a great first effort by Joe!

Wednesday June 3. Rather large and cumbersome group of 25 + 1 today, maybe because we tried a new tour format with pastries and cider in the parking area and a new (longer) tour route. Certainly the parking situation with 12 cars took some careful coordinating with everyone coming in at the same time. The crowd was nice: quiet at the outset, but as the tour progressed more engaging. We had VIPs (and former employees) Sara and Stevo- Sara now a Ritz concierge, and it was sure nice to have Aina Gourmet employees Ernie and newly promoted manager Shane. Everyone brought wine and the lunch table became very convivial for the duration of the meal with many lingering a long time. Also got some local inquiries for consultation, where a gentlemen asked if we were available to visit his property in Haiku and help him get started establishing a farm.