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Nā Papahana
Programs
Ho’ola Kākou
Hoʻola Kākou connects visitors to ancestral Hawaiian lands and practices. Visitors learn the history of Kaʻala Farm and its significant impact to the Hawaiian cultural movement. The program serves as an introduction to the traditional Hawaiian land tenure system and the worldview of Aloha ʻĀina from which it developed.
Visitors walk the pre-contact loʻi at the Kaʻala Cultural Learning Center. They may also experience the loʻi by cleaning, planting or preparing one for planting. In addition, visitors learn about kapa making and its importance to the people of old.
Pua Kaiāulu x PALS
An immersive five-week summer program designed to engage Waiʻanae students in ʻāina-based problem solving through Hawaiian cultural values and practices. The program connects interns with Hawaiian practitioners, industry professionals, and community leaders to understand community issues, contribute solutions, and provide youth voices rooted in indigenous knowledge.
Students participate in academic lectures, hands-on service, and networking events via strategically organized huakaʻi. The Cultural Learning Center at Kaʻala serves as a base to help students learn new skills, grow as individuals, and cultivate their voices as emerging leaders.
This program is a collaborative effort with the University of Hawai’i PLACES (Place-based Learning and Community Engagement in School).
Contact PALS if interested.
Our Impact
30,000 lbs
Kalo (taro) Harvested Annually
116 acres
Restored Indigenous Agricultural Technology
25,000
Hosted students, and visitors— reconnected to Indigenous traditions.
All kalo (taro) and produce grown at Kaʻala Farm is shared back with the community, following practices rooted in Hawaiian values of kuleana (responsibility), reciprocity, and care. First priority goes to Waiʻanae food banks and kūpuna (elders) caregiving efforts, followed by educators and learning spaces that request kalo for cultural practice and learning—such as poi pounding, ʻike kūpuna (ancestral knowledge) demonstrations, and hands-on ʻike ʻāina (land-based knowledge) education.
For us, growing food is not separate from culture. Kalo is an ancestor, a teacher, and a reminder of our responsibility to one another.
By returning food to the people, we strengthen pilina (relationships)—restoring the living connection between ʻāina (land), culture, and community, and ensuring that knowledge is carried forward through practice, not just memory.