Take A Culinary Adventure Through Oʻahu’s Native Crops

Standing in a circle of native Hawaiian crops, I extend my hand as Ramsey Brown pours a handful of small, dried brown flowers into my palm. “This is our ʻilima,” he says. “A single ʻilima lei is made with 500 to 1,000 of these flowers.” I clasp the seeds just as a tropical breeze sweeps through. It’s a warm summer day in Kahuku, and our tour of Kuilima Farm, across from Turtle Bay Resort, is underway.

We’re on a scavenger hunt to find the native plants that grow in the piko, or center, of Kuilima Farm’s circular garden, inspired by the ʻilima flower’s five petals. The farm, owned by Turtle Bay Resort and managed by Pono Pacific, is pioneering regenerative tourism and farm-to-resort operations in Hawaiʻi. 

Brown, my tour guide, leads me to a bed of crawling plants adorned with tiny yellow blossoms. He gestures, urging me to make a wish or offer a prayer as I scatter my handful of seed pods. This thriving bed, rooted at the piko of the farm and propagated by past tour guests, is a living connection to the farm’s heritage.

Some of the veggies grown at Kuilima Farm.
Photo: Haley Greene

Visitors can book a guided walking tour to learn about the traditional Hawaiian ahupuaʻa land division system and farming practices. During the tour, they can explore the native plant garden, embark on a scavenger hunt, and participate in planting ʻilima, kalo, or tī leaf. “You want to be respectful of the land when you go to a place like Hawaiʻi,” says Caroline Wright of Turtle Bay Resort. “The tour gives guests an opportunity to learn about it and how to give back.”

As we move through the crops, we reach a field of leafy greens destined for Alaia, the resort’s signature restaurant. I spot a row of red boar kale and collard greens just behind it. “Most of these are going to make it into Alaia’s fall dishes, along with the squashes we’re growing,” Brown says. Currently, Kuilima Farm produces 2,000 pounds of produce weekly. Altogether, chefs at the five restaurants on the resort rely on 800 pounds of that harvest each week, infusing their menus with farm-fresh salad greens, vegetables, herbs, and fruits. The remaining produce is sold to wholesalers and retailers. Kuilima Farm also partners with Turtle Bay Resort’s Nalu Spa, providing ingredients like māmaki tea, rosemary, and lavender for spa treatments.

Lilikoʻi (passion fruit) from Kuilima Farms.
Photo: Haley Greene

Moving on, we arrive at a bed of herbs and crouch down to pluck some chives. A mild hint of onion registers as I sink my teeth into a fresh tubular chive. Brown then offers me a flat garlic chive, which delivers a burst of flavor with each bite. Our next stop is the basil patch, featuring a unique bush of small, bright green leaves. I lean in for a taste, the spiciness taking me by surprise. “It’s similar to Thai basil,” Brown explains. He then spots a papaya ripening on the tree and directs me to grab it, twist it, and yank it down. I can hardly wait to taste that papaya later. Kuilima Farm, as I’m finding out, is a gold mine of flavors ready to be explored.

Passing rows of avocado, ʻulu (breadfruit), jabong (pomelo), and corn, we venture into the solar-powered hydroponic garden, where eight varieties of lettuce grow 25% faster and use 90% less water than conventionally grown lettuce. The farm produces more than 1,200 pounds of it per month.

Brown leads me through the bright rows of green and red lettuce at various stages of growth, highlighting the differences in varieties. “We have butter lettuce, oak leaf lettuce, and incise lettuce,” he says. “Every week, we can harvest over 350 pounds of lettuce. The chef at Turtle Bay will take the head and put it right on the plate for you with some dressing and toppings on it—and that’s your Salonova.”

Kuililma Farms.
Photo: Haley Greene

As our tour through Kuilima Farm winds down, our final stop brings us face to face with the sweetest surprise: liliko‘i (passion fruit). Brown slices into a fruit, revealing its seeds, and hands me a half to eat. I slurp the juicy pulp, a perfect blend of sweetness and tartness, convinced that I’ve just tasted the best liliko‘i in my life.

We make our way to the farm stand, a bustling hub of local handmade goods and farm-fresh produce. Visitors purchase freshly cut fruits and apple bananas straight from the farm, or cap off the tour with a sweet treat from Kula Shave Ice North Shore next door. It’s clear that Kuilima Farm goes beyond food production. It’s a place that fosters connections—with the land, the community, and the diverse flavors that define Hawaiʻi’s agricultural legacy.

For more information about Kuilima Farm or to book a tour, visit kuilimafarm.com.