3-acre start-up aquaculture/Aquaponics operation set where the mountains meet the ocean

Hawaii

18 reviews • Updated 1 year ago

ALOHA! ***Currently accepting volunteers.*** We are a 3-acre family run aquaculture/aquaponics farm set below the beautiful mountain range in Waimanalo. Our climate is warm and relatively dry with periodic downpours which keep the landscape green year-round. These are some of the most beautiful lands in all of Hawaii, with dramatic cliffs behind and miles of white sand beach with gentle surf nearby. Waimanalo beach is within walking distance, with Waikiki and Kailuha a local bus journey away. The property contains across our aquaponics tanks which raise catfish, alongside our enclosures for pigs, sheep, chickens and ducks which we raise for food. Our soil gardens across the property grow everything from bananas and papayas to local herbs, chillies and root vegetables. Bounty from our farm together with the food supplied by regular shops and additional foraging allows for 3 nutritious meals a day. We love to cook and make the most of our communal kitchen equipped with professional equipment. WWOOFers and our family share meals most days, with Thursdays reserved for our community dinners where friends join for a meal cooked by our farm owner, Elko. We accommodate all dietary restrictions. Our working hours are straightforward: 5 hours a day, 5 days a week. Work starts promptly at 8AM. This allows for hiking and beach trips in the afternoon, with trips around Oahu within reach on weekends. A bike on the farm and rides into town, together with a reliable bus network helps WWOOFers get around. It’s straightforward to rent a car for longer trips to North Shore and beyond on days off. Accommodation is rustic (tents), with a shared WWOOFer indoor area with shelves and couches. We have both indoor and outdoor toilets and hot water showers. Cloth washing facilities available on-site. We're looking for passionate, honest, fit, hard-working, sociable & adventurous types who are willing to stay 1 month and longer with a 1 week trial period. We keep the day to day work diverse, and in turn we expect a desire to learn with an honorable work ethic, completing tasks efficiently and with quality. Specific skilsl such as cooking, carpentry, bookkeeping, tech support, or an agriculture/science background are very welcome. Couples are welcome but we cannot accommodate children or pets. 21 and over. Most of all, we welcome those who are committed to taking part and learning about organic farming methods. We also love to have fun, sharing food and free time as a Farmily! However, when we work, we work hard. If you've never farmed before you may be surprised at just how much hard labor is involved. We expect WWOOFers to work as they would at any job: an honest day's work for an honest day's pay. It is very IMPORTANT to know that this is not a farm for those seeking a cheap way to vacation or move to Hawaii. We love having fun and island adventuring is a big part of our lifestyle but it is all predicated on the willingness and ability to get the work done well and efficiently! Positive attitudes, enthusiasm, and curiosity go a long way. Please feel free to contact us through the WWOOF website with any additional questions not covered in our description above. Please feel free to contact us with any additional questions not covered in our description above. Preferably through "WWOOF Visits"** Organic methods: We have multiple aquaponics systems used on the farm. Our mulching regime is backed by wood chip drops from local arborists that we use to subdue weeds that would otherwise choke out our crops. We compost all food that that farm cannot handle and let the wild chickens have their way with it. Certifications: Organic methods. Market does not demand we do so. Customers trust us. Current projects: Building fish tanks Building a tiny greenhouse Constructing pen for ducks Constructing new tent spaces Harvesting banana racks, cassava, and taro Moving pigs Moving sheep to a new area Moving fish to different tanks Planting taro, cassava, and bamboo Plumbing new fish tanks Wiring electrical lines for water pumping

Learning opportunities

Vegetable farming

Poultry farming

Pig farming

Cattle farming

Sheep or goat farming

Aquaculture

Seed saving or production

Meat processing

Vegetable or fruit preservation

Mechanics / tools / technology

Methods or systems

Aquaponics

Biodynamic agriculture

Permaculture

Host type

Self-sufficiency property

1.2 Hectares | 3 Acres

Accommodation

4+ WWOOFers

Campsite

Children not accepted

Pets not accepted

Meals

Omnivore

Vegetarian

Vegan

Length of stay

Over a month

Elko

Member since 2014

Languages spoken: English Response rate: 58% Response time: typically within 8 days

November 2025

Open

Planned visit

Closed

MapLibre | Protomaps | © OpenStreetMap

Hawaii

Reviews

Greyson

United States • January 2025

The best first experience I could have ever had. I have made friends and family that will last a lifetime. This place makes you feel like family no matter your background. Be ready to work hard, learn new things, and have fun. You will have lots of free time in the afternoons. Truly, No better place to be! Ps Bring your appetite, you are beyond well feed ; )

Leiana

United States • October 2023

I stayed here for the first week of September and realize now that I am too sensitive to stay on a pig farm after hearing that 8 pigs were killed with a no mercy last kill. I couldn’t even look at the pigs but the tiny tent that Elko provides with no bedding at all on a wooden platform is right across from the pen. I wondered why a couple Wwoofers would sleep on the two couches in the break room but realized that they didnt have bedding. Spent $100 for futon mattress from Walmart (took on bus), a sleeping bag, sheets,pillow. Foolishly felt compelled to prepare my family’s ceviche recipe for the Thankful Thursday Dinner, after loosing my family to cancer, as a gift. After getting Ono, Swordfish and Mahi Mahi ($70) , Elko didn’t look happy with me using non farm foods saying that I should have used their frozen fish instead. FYI ceviche is not made from frozen fish In Hawai’i unless in tourist traps cuz Frozen looses flavor. Sat down for dinner, all Wwoofers told me they were uncomfortable and Elko’s friend took my seat when I got up briefly. I couldnt find another seat. I’ve gone to many dinners in Hawai’i for 20 yrs. No one does that. I got sad and Elko said I was done there. 😔 At least I got to learn how to use a weed wacker 🙂 Miss The Puppies too.

Reply from Elko

If you have hosted over 2,000 woofer you are bound to get some negative feedback. Not everyone is a good fit for our farm and I take no offense to that. I just want to clarify a few things. We have pigs but are not a “pig farm” we largely do aquaculture. Our pigs are raised using Korean natural farming techniques. We harvest them with a single shot while they are eating and have no idea what is coming. Not mercilessly. We also request in our profile that you bring your own tent and bedding. If you do not have one we have some that previous woofers have left behind that may or may not fit your needs. That was the case here. As far as getting sad someone took her seat, that is an understatement that I cannot go into here. We have weekly potlucks here on Thursdays and it’s a great time with the community invited. It’s a dinner party and people definitely make rounds to talk to different people. It’s not assigned seating, it’s a potluck! Leiana is not a bad person, it was just not a good fit. I wish her well!

Ariel

United States • September 2023

We (Ariel and Aaden) LOVED our experience and are already wanting to go back. EVERYONE on the farm is SO nice, welcoming, caring, and fun to be around. This really is SUCH a special place. We hiked, went to the beach, rode bikes, explored the town, and traveled to different parts of the island during our time on the farm. I recommend this farm to everyone. There is definitely an initial shock of driving up to the farm and realizing that you will be sleeping in a tent for the next few weeks/months, but you quickly become acclimated to the living environment and actually start to love it. The farm work can range from feeding the catfish, sorting through produce (slop), gardening, mulching the pigpens, watering and tending to the plants, and more. Every day on the farm is something different and new. We learned so much about farming (and ourselves) during our weeks at the farm. If you found this wwoof page, consider yourself lucky because you just found the best farm. Thank you Elko and Grandma Byrd!!!!

Matthew

United States • July 2023

I can't recommend Honest Greens enough. Upon my arrival, Elko and his family warmly welcomed me into their community. The sense of respect that everyone had for the farm, for the animals, and for each other, is difficult to describe. The farm is surrounded by beautiful mountains and beaches. It's also near a bus stop from which you can easily travel around the island. The work was often fun, sometimes surprising, and always satisfying. When you know you're contributing to a beautiful place, even chores become pleasures. New projects continuously appeared and pushed me to grow; I rarely felt that I'd passed a day without learning something valuable. Elko never hesitated to answer our questions about farming, repairing, cooking, the history of Hawaii, the geography of Oahu, you name it. He often went out of his way to teach us useful skills. He also encouraged us to suggest our own improvements for the farm. I've never eaten as well as I did during my stay. I can't decide whether we farmed or feasted more intensely. The memories of mountain hikes and beach barbecues may fade with time, but the impression of family which I found at Honest Greens is a permanent possession. In return for my work, I received something priceless. I only regret that I couldn't stay longer. Mahalo Elko!

Jeanne

France • July 2023

I (Clara) went to this farm with my best friend and my cousin for mainly to months. We are 20/21 years old. What can I say about this experience ? It was INCREDIBLE !! The farm is beautiful, everybody is so nice and the food is amazing. Elko, the owner of the farm is a funny man and a good worker. Grandma Burd, her mother, is the kindness person I’ve ever met. Elko has two boys : 14 years old and 20. We hang out a lot all together on the island it was such a great time! I met a lot of woofers on the farm (especially Bobby, a woofer who comes a lot at the farm, we love him so much!). During our time there was 6 beautiful puppies, some baby pigs and a lot of chicks ! The garden is beautiful with a lot of flowers, fruits (passion fruit, papaya, mango), vegetables (kalo, bread fruit, kasava). The « thankful Thursday » are the best! Elko cooks with her mother for everybody and some friends of them can come if they bring something, an another great experience for sharing ! You need to have in mind that if you come it’s for working and do your best like if the farm was yours. Even with the works you can explore the island I promesse! We did everything that we want to do on the island! We rent some cars during the weekend and for the week you can take the bus it’s easy. If you hesitate to experience woofing you have to come to this farm! It was my first experience and when we left we all cries because we didn’t want to left paradise!

Daria

United States • July 2023

I just CANNOT say enough good things about this place that will even come close to describing what an incredible experience it offers. From Elko, the owner who is just one of the smartest, coolest, most knowledgeable, understanding and loving people you will ever meet, to his amazing amazing mom who plays a huge role in running the farm and will love you like her own, to the rest of his awesome family who also contribute to making this place as wonderful as it is, to the animals, to the work, to the food... I could go on forever. The work is really diverse (and so amazing) and by the end of your stay, you will have acquired a lot of new knowledge and skills. Work is usually from 8-1 which is EXTREMELY reasonable considering the incredible quality of life you get in return. There are usually several other wwoofers there and you'll quickly feel like family, which will make the days go by SO fast so make sure you treasure every moment! As much as you feel like you're living in a total dream, you also have to be ready to work hard. The farm is an extremely special place so it deserves to receive the kind of care and attention that you will also get in return. But trust me, even if you're legs deep in the mud, or working in the rain, or summer heat, you won't wish you were doing anything else! It was a truly unforgettable experience and I loved every second of it!!! The only thing I'd have done differently is stay longer... which is why I'm coming back :) !!!