of the educational program,” Hong remarks. As the farm gets bigger, larger harvests yield more profits to support more interns. Today 32 interns work what has become one of the largest organic farms in Hawai‘i. Four hours of sales at a farmers’ market can bring in
anywhere from $1,800 to $2,500. MA‘O greens are now featured at many of Honolulu’s top restaurants, and the farm also has a growing community-supported agriculture (CSA) program that delivers to more than 120 subscribers. Total receipts for the farm can reach $50,000 per month. “We wouldn’t be able to do what we are doing if it
wasn’t for TPL,” says Kamuela Enos. “TPL has provided us the space to focus on innovation, which for us means returning to the traditional practices that are inherently so simple. The direct impact we have on the students is because of the land TPL helped provide.”
A SATURDAY AT MA`O FARM While most teenagers sleep late on Saturday morning, MA‘O’s interns are up and working before dawn, their head- lamps flashing like fireflies in the dark fields. Singing, laugh- ing, and joking, the students dip among the rows to harvest
Arna Photography
Interns learn every aspect of the organic farming industry: from planting and harvesting to packaging and sales. The farm’s greens are now served in some of Honolulu’s top restaurants.
Arna Photography Pride and Produce Feature Title 27