About Us:
We're Adam and Kendra, and our family has grown quite a bit over the years! We now have a growing family of seven children, so life on the farm is busy, full of laughter, and rarely quiet.
Adam is an engineer by trade who left a successful career to pursue farming full-time. He loves designing efficient systems, fixing equipment that breaks, building infrastructure, and dreaming up what's next for the farm.
Kendra homeschools the kids and also directs a local homeschool community in town. She jumps into farm life whenever she can, especially during busy seasons.
Our farm manager, Lindsey, keeps so many moving pieces running smoothly. She's always up for an adventure, loves animals, and you'll usually find her with her two sweet dogs nearby. She works alongside our WWOOFers every day and is a wealth of knowledge about the farm.
Speaking of animals...we have plenty! Besides Lindsey's dogs, you'll meet our farm dog, horse, goats, and chickens. They all add to the daily rhythm of life here and are part of what makes the farm feel like home.
You'll see all of us often! This isn't one of those farms where the hosts disappear after showing you where to work. Between our family, Lindsey, and the daily work of running the farm, there's almost always someone around. We enjoy getting to know our WWOOFers, sharing what we've learned, answering questions, and working right alongside you. We hope that by the time you leave, you'll feel less like you visited a farm and more like you became part of its story and legacy.
Why We Farm
Our farm was born from a simple mission that still guides everything we do today: "To feed the people."
When we first stepped onto this property, it was almost impossible to imagine what it could become. The land was covered in invasive trees and thick overgrowth of rat and fire-ant infested rotting Mac nut trees, hiding much of its beauty beneath. Little by little, we began clearing, restoring, planting, and building. We didnt just uncover a farm, but a place where healthy food could be grown while caring well for the land.
Today our 23-acre farm is tucked away on the slopes above Hilo in a quiet farming community that runs alongside the Wailuku River. Although we're only minutes from downtown, it often feels like another world. We wake to sunrises over the ocean, enjoy views of Mauna Kea, and spend our days surrounded by the peace and beauty that make this part of Hawaiʻi so special.
Over the years we've been blessed to grow into a diverse working farm. We currently care for seven greenhouses, two 100-foot market gardens, two developing orchards, a plant nursery, compost and biochar systems, and a continually expanding vegetable operation. We grow heirloom tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, eggplant, zucchini, onions, beets, basil, cilantro, okra, pineapple, and many other seasonal crops throughout the year.
Living on an island has changed the way we think about food. Hawaiʻi imports much of what we eat, and that has made us passionate about growing nutritious, local food for our community. We believe healthy soil grows healthy plants, healthy plants nourish healthy people, and local farms help build stronger, more resilient communities.
People often ask us what our long-term vision is. The truth is, we're simply trying to be faithful with what we've been given. Every year brings a new project, a new challenge, and another opportunity to improve the land a little more than it was before. Whether we're planting another orchard, expanding our nursery, building better compost, improving irrigation, or creating new growing spaces, our goal remains the same as it was on day one:
To feed the people.
If you come WWOOF with us, we hope you'll leave with more than dirt on your boots. We hope you'll gain practical skills, a deeper appreciation for where food comes from, and maybe even a little inspiration to care for the land wherever life takes you next.
Farm Life:
No two weeks look exactly alike around here, and that's part of what keeps farming interesting. Depending on the season, you might be planting, transplanting, harvesting, watering, weeding, pruning, trellising tomatoes, maintaining greenhouses, mixing compost and biochar, improving infrastructure, fencing, or helping us build the next project.
Some of the crops we grow include heirloom tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, eggplant, zucchini, beets, onions, basil, okra, cilantro, pineapple, and many other seasonal vegetables throughout the year.
Living on an Off-Grid Farm:
One of the biggest things to know before coming is that we're completely off-grid. Don't worry though it isn't 'roughing it'! Our accommodations are comfortable and have all the basics you'd expect, but they do rely on the sun.
That means we all work together to be mindful of our resources. Most days you'll hardly notice, but after several cloudy days we simply become a little more intentional with electricity.
A few things we ask of everyone:
Please be mindful of electricity use, especially after several cloudy days.
Enjoy showers, but keep them reasonably short. Our hot water is heated with propane.
Help keep your living space clean throughout your stay. We don't provide housekeeping, so we ask everyone to leave the accommodations as nice as they found them (or better!). We redid the entire downstairs around 3-4 years ago so everything down there is just as new. You will also see Hilo provides some wear and tear. Things rust, mold, and invite dust a little bit more than what most are used to.
Laundry days are Monday and Saturday. You're welcome to use our washer and dryer, but please help us conserve power and avoid overloading the dryer. It's only a couple of years old, but it's had a rough life from overloaded loads, and we'd love to keep it running for many more years!
Accommodations:
We can usually accommodate between one and four WWOOFers at a time.
Our main accommodations are located in the lower level of our home and include two private bedrooms with a shared bathroom.
You'll have access to:
A full-size refrigerator and freezer
Kitchenette
Sink
Toaster oven
Basic cooking supplies
Cell service is excellent here. Wi-Fi is available if you need it for short periods, but we encourage everyone to unplug a bit and enjoy Hawaiʻi. If you need longer internet sessions, downtown Hilo has a beautiful outdoor portico/library area with free Wi-Fi, along with several coffee shops and restaurants where many of our WWOOFers like to work or relax.
Meals:
As part of the WWOOF exchange, we provide groceries for your stay. We keep the kitchen stocked with staples like eggs, butter, milk, bread, rice, beans, cooking oil, meat, and other basics so you'll have what you need to prepare your own meals.
Over the years our family has grown quite a bit, so we no longer do shared family dinners each evening. Most WWOOFers really enjoy the flexibility of cooking when they're hungry and making meals that fit their own tastes and schedules.
If you're someone who likes lots of specialty snacks or favorite treats, we simply ask that you pick those up yourself. We'll go over all the food details during our phone call before your stay so everyone knows what to expect.
A Typical Day:
Our typical workday is 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., leaving your evenings free to relax or explore.
Weekends are completely yours, and once the workday is over you're free to head out as well. More often than not, our WWOOFers end up at one of the beaches after work to swim, snorkel, or simply unwind. Others explore waterfalls, hike, visit Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, wander through Hilo, or spend time with new friends they've met during their stay.
There is so much to experience on the Big Island, and we truly hope you'll take advantage of your time here.
Transportation:
While having a car isn't necessary, it definitely makes exploring the island easier. Many WWOOFers split the cost of a rental car for a weekend, use the free Hele-On bus system, or make friends with others in town who have transportation. There are lots of ways to get around if you're a little adventurous.
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Learning opportunities
Vegetable farming
Host type
Production farm
9.3
Hectares
|
23
Acres
Accommodation
