North Shore NewsKe’onipa’a Anoba, Kuilima Farm
Meet Ke’onipa’a (Oni) Anoba.
He leads the maintenance, farm beautification and supports the conservation efforts at Kuilima Farm, which is comprised of 468 acres of agricultural land owned by Turtle Bay Resort and cared for by Pono Pacific Land Management. Oni, who was born and raised in Kailua, has been with Pono Pacific for nearly seven years and has worked on land conservation and restoration projects across the state.
While he earned a degree in Natural Resource Management and Conservation from the University of Hawaii-Manoa, Oni’s education in food production has been a collection of schooling, hands-on learning, in-the- field experience and soaking up knowledge from other farmers.
“I have been blessed to share time with a number of kupuna and farmers that have helped to me to grow in many ways,” he relates. “My goals for Kuilima Farm are for it to be a place of abundance of food for the community, gathering materials for cultural practitioners, and just an overall educational experience for those who visit in the future.”
Oni is one of many passionate individuals striving to make an impact on the future of food security across the islands. Many new projects are underway at Kuilima Farm, including a hydroponic lettuce operation, 15 acres of new crops planted, a native garden, and wash-and-pack facility to safely bring more food to the community through the new roadside Farm Stand where farmers are selling their fresh produce daily from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m
This November, the Kuilima Farm Stand will have Kahuku sweet corn, lettuce, greens, tomatoes and other seasonal cropslist other seasonal crops available daily.
Please visit kuilimafarm.com