Meet Your Producers: Kulaniapia Farms

Kulaniapia Farms is located just north of downtown Hilo near the Waiau Stream at about 1300 feet. The farm is located on a 20-acre piece of land and boasts beautiful gardens, off grid accommodations and experiences including farm-to-table plant-based classes and adventures on the property.

Adjacent to the Kulaniapia Farms, lies another 20-acre property, the Inn at Kulaniapia Falls, which hosts Hawaii’s largest privately accessible waterfall.

Kulaniapia Farms currently grows a variety of vegetables and hosts many fruit trees including Rollinia which is currently in season. The trees are fed with chopped banana trunks made into mulch, which release nitrogen slowly over time and are also a source of carbon.

Vegetable garden crops are rotated, and each row hosts a variety of plants. Organic farming methods include planting a large variety of vegetables purposefully to reduce the number of pests, increase the crop yield, and increase soil health.

The popular farm-to-table cooking classes revolve around seasonal crops available on the farm. Crops are harvested the day of the class and then made into delicious, plant-based meals.

Some popular dishes include plant-based ‘queso’ which main ingredient is cassava, nutritional yeast, olive oil and lemon juice, collard green tortillas, and quinoa salad made with chopped cranberry hibiscus, poha berries, and fresh citrus. Future plans for the farm include community outreach, a farming program for children and an apprenticeship model. To learn more about what the Kulaniapia community offers you can check out their website: waterfall.net.

Currently the farm accommodates work traders who assist with the day-to-day operations of the farm and cabin rentals.

The DA BOX CSA is looking forward to working with the amazing team at Kulaniapia Farms in the coming year and making their wonderful produce available to DA BOX members.