Unlock the Power of Lemon

By Brittany P. Anderson

A young boy reaches his hand into a branch of shiny green foliage, palming a bright yellow, slightly oblong fruit. The tree sways as he tugs to release the object of his desire. Bringing his hand from the evergreen leaves, the child holds his prized lemon above his head and runs to deposit it in his mother’s lap. He is beyond thrilled to repeat these steps until the tree is stripped of its low-hanging fruit. Lemon trees are a staple for many Hawai‘i Island residents. They provide shade in the home garden, and even just one tree can supply an abundance of fruit. The uses for lemons in the home are astounding—from supporting health to cleaning furniture, it’s no wonder lemon trees are a popular addition to the island yard. Horticulturalists generally believe that the lemon developed from a natural cross between the citron and sour orange. The citron is described in fourth-century texts as a medicinal fruit, with the pith (white layer under the yellow skin) being the portion utilized for its healing properties. Lemons were first grown in the Mediterranean, and spread throughout the Middle East by the 12th century. They landed in California with the Spanish in the mid1700s. Don Francisco de Paula Marin, a man of many talents, is credited with bringing the lemon to Hawai‘i in the early 1800s. A surplus of lemons dropped in one’s lap by an eager child is quite the blessing as the uses for the sour citrus abound. For starters, there are a considerable amount of health benefits contained within just one lemon. The peel, also known as the rind, contains naringenin, which has been shown to possess antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral properties. Naringenin is also being studied as a treatment for Alzheimer’s disease. The compound that gives lemon its citrusy smell is owed to d-limonene, which is recognized as aiding in digestion and ulcer prevention. Limoncello, an Italian lemon liqueur, is made from lemon peels soaked in clear distilled alcohol with sugar. The drink is usually served chilled as an afterdinner digestivo (digestive) to aid in the digestion of a large meal. Think of it as an after-dinner version of water with lemon. Perhaps lemons are most known for containing vitamin C. Adding a wedge of lemon to a cup of hot tea gives your body an extra boost to help fight off seasonal colds. Most plants and animals make their own vitamin C, but humans and a handful of others don’t. Scurvy, a once-common disease caused by lack of vitamin C, afflicted long voyage sailors exploring the world. The prescribed cure for the sailors? A daily dose of lemon juice. Adding a slice of lemon peel with the pith in bone broths and soups is a great way to get lemon’s health benefits without the sour aftertaste. Lemon’s usefulness doesn’t end there—it’s a powerful cleaner that can take the place of harsh synthetic chemicals, making for a healthy home and body. Lemon juice contains citric, ascorbic, and malic acid and has a pH of 2–3. Because of these acids, lemon juice can be used as a powerful cleaner in the kitchen. Add a tablespoon of lemon juice to your dishwasher before running it to help get rid of stinky buildup along the bottom. You can also pour 1/4 to 1/2 cup of lemon juice into your washing machine (directly or in the bleach dispenser if you have one) to freshen whites instead of using bleach. Who doesn’t love the fresh lemony smell of a clean house? You don’t need a synthetic lemon scent if you use fresh lemon

juice to clean your home. Rather than using chemicals, mix one part lemon juice, one part vinegar, and two parts water for tile floors. The disinfectant properties of lemon juice and vinegar make for a universal and safe household cleaner. Hawai‘i Island is home to several varieties of lemon, including Meyer, Eureka, Jambiri (locally called “rough-skin lemon”), and Ponderosa. But for many island residents, they simply call their tree a “backyard lemon.” There is a myriad of ways to use lemons to support whole-body health, whichever variety you stumble upon or have dropped off at your home by the bagful from a friendly neighbor.

With a luxurious green

palm frond perched on her lap, Sylph Nightbloom gives the opening instructions to the workshop participants gathered around her. “Lift the first two palm leaflets up,” she says as she demonstrates, “so they look like a bug’s antennae.” Matching her movements and following her guidance, the attendees soon fall into a comfortable working rhythm, busily weaving and chatting as they delightedly observe their baskets taking shape. On this misty afternoon in Orchidland Estates on Hawai‘i Island, the guests—all of whom are brand new to coconut palm weaving—are here to make a three-tiered basket chain. A lighthearted atmosphere fills the room as the students relax into the process. In addition to offering workshops around the island, Sylph creates custom palm craft made to suit her client’s specifications. A self-taught weaver, palm weaving has empowered Sylph and enriched her life in many ways. She loves passing on that sense of empowerment to her students, who learn a life skill that is sustainable for the planet and inherently satisfying.

Workshops for Every Level

Sylph offers seven levels of workshops— from beginner to advanced—and every student receives a link to a private followup instructional video so that they can review every step of the process. Sylph began to teach palm weaving in 2013, and held her first workshops on Hawai‘i Island in 2017. Her students benefit from her attentiveness, precise guidance, and wise advice. “She has taken the time to break down the skill in order to teach it,” says Eric Wolf, who has attended Sylph’s weaving workshops. Eric himself is a long-time teacher of earth skills who works as a licensed clinical social worker at Root 2 Rise Counseling in Hilo. Eric and Sylph both value the therapeutic benefits of

By Mālielani Larish

Sylph demonstrates how to weave a tiered basket chain from a palm frond. photo courtesy of Sylph Nightbloom

weaving. The cool, leathery feel of the leaflets, the fresh scent of the fronds, and the coordinated hand movements help the weaver cultivate a mindful awareness that can foster a sense of calm and ease. Because every frond’s leaflets bring different lengths, widths, and spacings to the table, Sylph says that a successful weaving experience is “like a dialogue between the weaver and the frond.” Instead of trying to force expectations onto the frond, the weaver works synergistically with it, coaxing its inherent strength, flexibility, and beauty to the forefront in a new form. That synergistic relationship between the weaver and the frond is part of what makes weaving so magical.

The Tree of a Thousand Uses

As the students’ hands engage in quiet dialogue with the fronds before them, Sylph’s partner, Ahrubi Arcturi, offers the workshop participants freshly-opened coconuts for sipping. It is no wonder that the coconut is revered throughout the coastal tropics; every part of the tree boasts a multiplicity of uses. Researchers believe that the modern-day coconut palm originated somewhere in Malaysia, where the tree is indeed known as “the tree of a thousand uses.” Palm weaving has been practiced throughout the tropics for millennia, and each

region possesses its own traditional techniques and forms. In ancient Hawai‘i, coconut palm fronds were plaited into fans, balls, and loose mats for thatching canoe sheds. The fibers of the coconut husk were pounded, cleaned, and plaited to form a strong cord favored for lashing canoe parts. Interestingly, coconut palm cultivation was not as widespread in Hawai‘i as it was elsewhere in the Pacific, partly because Hawai‘i is located a little too far north to provide optimal growing conditions for the tree. Around Hawai‘i Island, coconut groves descended from ancient plantings are found at Honu‘apo, Hōnaunau, Kailua, Hawi, Waimanu, Waipi‘o, Hilo, and Puna.

Cherished Palm Craft

Sylph loves that her students often send her photos demonstrating how their finished weaving projects have

Lani Ishle Yi Park’s daughter wears a hat that her mom wove at one of Sylph’s workshops.

photo courtesy of Lani Ishle Yi Park

Sylph’s daughter, Ever Lightbloom, dons a “ten-gallon” hat in Sayulita, Mexico.

photo courtesy of Sylph Nightbloom

become cherished and functional parts of their homes and lives. She gets just as excited about her projects as her students, especially because she has a flair for experimentation and innovation. Sylph has invented her own palm baseball cap, functioning pinwheel, yoga mat tote, flap-closure backpacks, and shoulder bags—and she is always experimenting with adding new twists to well-loved designs. Her house contains a delightful collection of the 50 (and continually expanding) palm projects that she makes. The overhead light illuminating her living room filters through a palm lamp shade embellished with koi-like braids. Using a triaxial weaving technique, Sylph crafted the finelywoven palm medicine pouch that she wears. An exquisite little honu (green sea turtle) made from micro-woven palm leaflet strips rests on the table. Palm creations are practical, durable, and gentle on the earth. Sylph hauls her laundry in a large cylindrical basket made of palm, and when she needs to outfit herself for an adventure, she can fit her gear into a spacious palm backpack and choose from five different palm hat styles. One of her sturdy palm carrying bags, which is reinforced with a two-ply bottom, accommodates five full water bottles. Bringing a broad-brimmed, closed-top hat to the table, Sylph explains that it was the first design that she learned to weave. “Basically, this craft saved my life,” she says.

A Passport to Freedom

In 2013, Sylph and her family were living in Belize in an off-grid community with no internet connection, and Sylph was desperate to make enough money to leave the not-so-ideal living situation. While strolling along a sandy beach on her day off, Sylph noticed a local man wearing a vibrantly green palm hat. She immediately sprinted after him, and gasping for breath upon catching up with him, asked if he could show her how to make the hat. “I didn’t A classic calabash bowl woven by Sylph Nightbloom. photo courtesy of Sylph Nightbloom make this hat,” he replied, adding that the weaver of the hat had recently left the country. A little crestfallen, but still determined, Sylph asked if she could borrow the hat for a brief period. In exchange for a dollar, Sylph had one hour to inspect the hat. Armed with a mental blueprint, Sylph invested all her free time in the following two weeks into trying to duplicate the hat. After 20 attempts, each of which required harvesting a large frond and whittling down the great rib to make it flexible, Sylph finally succeeded in duplicating the hat. “When you learn something like that by trial and error, you don’t ever forget how to do it,” she says. Next, Sylph attempted to make a tiered basket chain after noticing one hanging in the kitchen of a local family. After

receiving permission to study it, she successfully produced the first tier of the chain within 15 minutes of laying her hands on a frond. Sylph wondered if she could make enough money to support herself and her family by selling the two palm craft items that she had taught herself to weave. After leaving Belize in favor of neighboring Mexico, she got a chance to find out.

Sharing a Sense of Empowerment

With the help of a good Internet connection in her new home in Mexico, Sylph admits that she went “hog wild” looking up new palm craft projects. She also borrowed the classic University of Hawai‘i publication entitled What Are Fronds For? from a Mexican library and mastered every project contained therein. Her business in Mexico blossomed, and she began to offer weekly palm weaving workshops in addition to selling her crafts at local markets. “This whole journey has been about empowerment for me. I started out thinking I needed a teacher to show me how to do something obscure and challenging, and discovered that I could find helpful resources, or figure it out by myself,” says Sylph. She was able to pass on that sense of empowerment to her very first weaving student, who was a teenage boy in Mexico. She knew that the boy’s father would balk to see his son weaving. When Sylph sat down with him and guided him through his first palm project, it was evident that weaving came naturally to him. “It was great to see him grow confidence in his actual self, instead of trying to be something that somebody else expected him to be,” she says. “I love to see my students, many of whom have never made any crafts with their own hands, discover that they can weave something beautiful and useful.” Eventually, Sylph decided to return to the US on one condition: that she could continue palm weaving. She had dreamed of living in Hawai‘i since the age of four, so moving to the islands was a natural choice.

Circling Back to Gratitude

Back at the workshop, Sylph adds the finishing touches to her tiered basket chain by carefully “inch-worming” the length of each woven leaflet along its path, thereby achieving a tighter weave. Embracing the topmost basket between her hands, she inhales the pleasing scent of the verdant frond, saying, “This material and this art inspire so much gratitude in me.” The students admire each other’s basket chains, marveling at how unique every person’s finished project is. There is a palpable sense of accomplishment in the room, and one of the students asks: “When is your next workshop?” 

For more information: facebook.com/sylphnightbloom spiralsylph.com

References: What are Fronds For? Arbeit, Wendy. University of Hawaii Press, 1985. Native Planters in Old Hawaii: Their Life, Lore, and Environment. Handy, E.S. Craighill and Handy, Elizabeth Green. Bishop Museum Press, 1991. pp. 173–174.

By Sara Stover

On an unassuming country road outside of Hilo,

perched above the ancient waters of Waiākea Stream, grows a menagerie of rare and endangered palms. Before you even step foot onto the grounds of Casa de Las Palmas (Spanish for House of the Palms), stately palm trees usher you back in time to old Hawai‘i. As you cross a smaller stream by way of a carved arch, wander along the moss-covered lava rock walkways, and inhale air perfumed with the scent of orchids, you’ll lose all sense of time and place. A jurassic garden where magical creatures are seemingly beyond the next majestic tree, clad in the ruffly, velvety-soft leaves of Hainan, China’s Alpinia rugosa (tropical shell ginger), you’ll suspect you are returning from another world when you emerge onto the lush lawn at last. Built to be the late Jerry Hunter’s private retreat, the nearly seven-acre paradise still exudes a sense of serene seclusion. An acclaimed nurseryman, Mr. Hunter established Hilo’s Palms of Paradise Nursery as growing grounds for Rancho Soledad, his California nursery. In collaboration with designer Brian Lievens, he worked to transform this upper Hilo farmland into the botanical dreamscape that Casa de Las Palmas is today. Until his passing in 2012, Mr. Hunter’s garden remained largely a mystery to the public. In 2017, Irene Francis and Lars Woodruffe purchased Casa de Las Palmas from the estate of Mr. Hunter. “It was love at first sight!” Irene says enthusiastically. Irene and Lars live on the property, hosting exclusive events. Accompanied by Master, their ebony cat, the couple also leads private tours under verdant canopies of palm leaves and past exotic waterfalls and a shimmering koi pond. Koa, the oneeyed rooster, often joins the revelry, while Marcus, their ginger cat, naps on the lānai. “The Johannesteijsmannia altifrons is from Malaysia, Borneo, Sumatra, and Thailand,” says Lars, pointing to a palm by the front door that boasts large, triangular leaves. To hear him explain how many consider this very palm to be one of the largest in a private garden, it’s easy to assume that Lars has been studying tropical plants for decades. In reality, everything he and Irene know about the flora is what they’ve learned living at Casa de Las Palmas.

Mastering the Art of Palm Care

New Zealand natives, Irene and Lars spent over 30 years working for the television industry in Auckland, London, New York, and Singapore before they heard the call of Casa de Las Palmas. The couple moved to Hawai‘i Island intent on being stewards of this East Hawai‘i legacy garden, a job that began with clearing the overgrown trails and making major repairs around the garden home, and evolved into a hands-on learning experience. “It’s been like climbing up the side of Mt. Everest! But we’ve been fortunate to learn from the best,” says Irene of the help they’ve received from the Hawai‘i Island Palm Society, a group of palm enthusiasts who promote the use of palm trees in private gardens and the general landscape, and perpetuate rare and endangered palms by sharing seeds and plants. “Casa de Las Palmas’ original master gardener, Cristabol, has also been instrumental in teaching us the art of palm care,” says Lars, affirming that he and Irene follow Cristabol around the garden during his weekly rounds. “And we spend our evenings studying books about palm trees,” says Irene, explaining that there are around 2,600 species of palms, all of which are one of three shapes. Pinnate palms, like the coconut, have feather-like leaflets that are

Irene and Lars explain how many of the garden’s fascinating palms are from Madagascar, including this towering Marojejya Darianii. photo by Patrick Stover

completely separated from each other. Palmate palms have adjacent leaflets or leaf segments that are joined laterally and fan out like the palm of a hand. And costapalmate palms have leaves that land somewhere between pinnate and palmate in shape. “This palmate is a Kerriodoxa elegans, from the island of Phuket in Thailand,” notes Lars before revealing that the underside of this black-stemmed palm is reflective.

Preserving Exotic and Endangered Palms

Irene and Lars work tirelessly to maintain Casa de Las Palmas’ original glory, lending their own artistic talent to the property’s improvements. Today, this private estate is available for garden tours, film shoots, wedding photography, and as a romantic location for exclusive events, small weddings, and vow renewals. Catching the eye of some of the world’s most renowned photographers, the vibrant property has been featured in Vogue Mexico and Jason Dewees’ book Designing With Palms,

and been the site of a Nike photoshoot and Love Island film shoots. More importantly, Casa de Las Palmas is an international sanctuary for the preservation of endangered and rare palms, including the Pelagodoxa henryana, which is considered critically endangered. “Originally from the Marquesas Islands, it’s now almost extinct there,” laments Lars. “At one point there were fewer than 12 adult trees on the islands.” Discovered in 2005, the Tahina spectabilis is faring slightly better for now, with close to 100 trees in the wild. Fortunately, Irene and Lars were able to grow three of this Madagascar palm from one of the first batches of seeds distributed. Madagascar stands out as the source of an array of rare and fascinating palms, including the garden’s towering Marojejya darianii and the Dypsis mananjarensis, which is commonly called the “mealy bug palm.” “See the white, waxy powder on the leaf sheath? It looks like a mealy bug, but those are actually the palm’s scales!” says Irene, clearly impressed by a plant clever enough to divert the attention of actual predators by presenting itself as diseased. In another colorful corner of the garden stands the spiny Aiphanes horrida. Hailing from South America, this palm is armored in intimidating spikes for protection. Although not deadly, a brush with its spikes comes with extreme pain and a 100% chance of infection. “Learning these Latin names is definitely a brain teaser,” Lars admits, before launching into an effortless, eloquent introduction to the Borassodendron machadonis. “This palm’s seed is the size of a large grapefruit. It’s undoubtedly the

Palms aren’t the only flora that seem to grow bigger at Casa de Las Palmas. Here, the Anthurium Cupulispathum are so enormous Lars’ head is easily enveloped in its leaves. photo by Patrick Stover

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In one corner of the garden stands the spiny Aiphanes Horrida, a palm armored in spikes for protection. “Learning the Latin names is definitely a brain teaser,” admits Lars. photo by Patrick Stover biggest seed in our garden!” First planted in the 1980s, rare palms from Indonesia already soar overhead, the tallest being Sulawesi’s Pigafetta filaris, standing 100 feet tall. And palms aren’t the only flora that seem to grow brighter and bigger at Casa de Las Palmas. Here, the Anthurium cupulispathum are so enormous that a human head could easily be enveloped in its leaves.

Reaping the Benefit of Hard Work

The ability for Casa de Las Palmas’ plants to flourish can be attributed to the work that Irene and Lars lovingly pour into the garden’s care, paired with an ideal tropical climate. The rainy Hilo weather that the palm trees adore, however, comes at a price. Thriving in the presence of damp, warm conditions, fungus and mold are a threat to the palms. “To help fight both, we try to give the palms more light and air by pruning all the plants,” Lars says. “We also fertilize, mulch, and weed.” General maintenance also includes hauling away 1,500 to 3,000 pounds of green waste, which Irene and Lars do every week. In turn, much of the green waste is converted to mulch, which the couple then uses to gradually build the garden’s soil back up. It’s an unending cycle that is not without its challenges. “The hardest part of owning a huge, tropical garden is the fact that there is never nothing to do!” Irene asserts, before conceding that the hard work is rewarding for many reasons. “The palms’ crowns provide shelter for birds. And the plants’ flowers and fruit attract honeybees searching for food.” Throughout the garden and across the globe, palm tree preservation and restoration are catalysts for change. The

Irene and Lars live on the property, hosting events and tours, accompanied by Master, their cat. Here, the palms are safe from danger and the husband and wife duo intend to keep it that way. photo by Patrick Stover seed of South America’s Phytelephas aequatorialis, or ivory nut palm, is being used as a humane substitute for jewelry once made from elephant’s ivory. “Perhaps the best part of owning a garden like this is the ability to empty your mind by working in it,” offers Lars. “And those magic moments of finding something new growing or flowering, and the journey of figuring out what it is!” he says of the many plants that self-seed.

Guardians of the Garden

Globally, the main threats to the palm come from loss of habitat by burning and logging for construction, as well as harvesting the trees for palm heart and destroying them for agricultural land. What’s especially problematic is that almost all palms only have one growing point. As such, they can’t be propagated using common techniques. The palm tree can only be grown from seed, so when the top is cut off for any reason, a new branch or tree will not grow in its place and the palm will die. It’s assuring to know that at Casa de Las Palmas, the palms are safe from dangers that might otherwise threaten these enchanting plants. And as stewards of the garden, Irene and Lars intend to keep it that way. “We are certainly grateful to be the current guardians of this beautiful place,” exclaims Irene. “I also think we are all guardians. Every time we visit a beach or take a walk, our responsibility is to leave a place as we find it, so the next person on that path gets to enjoy it as we do!” 

For more information: houseofthepalms.com

By Nancy S Kahalewai

hat do Arthur the mini-donkey, Wilma and

Fred the African desert tortoises, and Tommy the American heritage turkey have in common? They all get to roam and graze on a carpet of sweet grass on the fertile soil of Lili House Farm. The bunnies at this petting farm would agree and add that tender weeds, edible flowers, and vegetable scraps from the garden and kitchen complete their menu. Katie the pig isn’t too fussy, but she and her siblings are very grateful for any and all leftovers. On a misty spring morning, there were eight Nigerian dwarf goat kids frolicking in the petting zoo pasture under the watchful eyes of their goat parents. Last January, four females birthed four sets of twins—all within three days of each other! Two of the four kunekune pigs are from the same litter, and there are two generations of turkeys. To keep the peace, Mr. Tom, the grumpy patriarch turkey, is kept separated from the younger five. Wilma and Fred, the desert tortoises, are each 53 years old

and the other two tortoises, named Flash and Dash, are 15. There were dozens of Peking and Muscovy ducks roaming about, three of which are the newest arrivals to the farm, and also plenty of chickens and cows a few pastures over. At this petting farm, the goats like their necks scratched, the bunnies love to cuddle, and Arthur thinks he should be the center of attention at all times. It was enchanting to watch the visiting children joyfully interacting with them all, with their parents joining in on the fun, too. Located a few miles above Volcano Village at an elevation of 4,000 feet, owners Kainoa and Danielle Iranon open their farm to visitors (10am–5pm, by advance reservation) most days of the week. The 20-acre farm was named after Lillian “Lili” Rodrigues, Kainoa’s maternal grandmother. It began about

Daughter Kiana with a young bunny in the petting zoo. photo courtesy of Lili House Farm

five years ago when the couple moved to Hawai‘i Island from O‘ahu—a move they and their six children do not regret. They acquired the land from Kainoa’s father, remodeled the house, and continued home-schooling the youngest children. Kainoa has built an array of hobbit-like structures for the farm animals—many of which had been abandoned or rescued at one point—and nurtured them back to health. Some were given to them by other farms or families who could no longer care for them. It wasn’t long before everyone in the family had found their contributing roles and responsibilities in their new rural lifestyle. Danielle, inspired by English-style gardens, created her own version of one and, with Kainoa’s help, designed an outdoor patio for hosting “country-style teatime” that she describes as a bit like an upscale picnic. She was also inspired by her

Within the main petting zoo pen, goats, turkeys, tortoises and ducks wander around freely.

photo by Nancy Kahalewai

travels to Scandinavia, where the couple became engaged, and New Zealand, where she fell in love with the custom of English morning and afternoon tea traditions. “The farm tour and tea inspiration was my wife’s,” Kainoa proudly explains, “and she is a fantastic baker. She envisions it, and my sons help me build it.” That explains the grass and flowers actually growing on the roofs of the animal shelters, and the whimsical but practical nature of the entire farm. “People kept stopping along the road to take pictures and asking to pet the animals,” he recalls. They occasionally invited friends and family in and, in true Hawaiian style, it was only fitting to offer them refreshments. “Everyone loved it, so we were inspired to make it a small business. It seems everything my wife does turns to gold. I’ve learned to trust her intuition.” Eldest son Isaiah led part of the tour while sharing the reasons he loves living here. “There is so much space and more personal freedom than in the city!” He was only 16 years old when they moved from Hawai‘i Kai to Volcano’s mauka farmlands where Kainoa was born and raised. Now he is enrolled at the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo, studying administrative justice (law enforcement). His younger brothers help with the tours, too. Aurelius, who is 11 years old, provides daily food and water to the rabbits (a cross between checkered, California, and New Zealand breeds). He is learning how to play guitar and learned his first song “Blackbird” (by the Beatles) from a family friend and his 17-year-old brother, Tryton. Mostly self-taught, Tryton has been playing guitar, including slack key, for about a year and a half. He also excels in math and sciences, and is considering a career in engineering. Valor and Legend (seven and nine Katie watches and waits patiently for someone to come up to the fence and feed her a treat.

photo by Nancy Kahalewai

years old, respectively) have a tree fort in the forest above the pastures, and assist their older siblings in the tours and farm chores while learning about animal husbandry. As the aroma of freshly baked scones and bread wafted in the air, we were all called to come and eat. In proper English

fashion, the tables were set with fine china, dainty tea cups, and cloth napkins. The menu includes a variety of freshly baked breads and scones, hand-shaken butter, strawberry rhubarb jam, and a full coffee bar. White tea and māmaki are included in the many teas offered, and daughter Kiana, who is currently finishing her history major at University of Hawai‘i at Hilo, serves as the main barista, and sets the tables with fresh flowers. Kiana also has a love for gardening and helps alongside her mom to lovingly care for the blooms in the garden all year round. The family plans to soon build a greenhouse as one of their next projects. After tea came a visit to the vegetable and flower garden that is fenced in and strictly off-limits to the animals. Along the meandering paths are beets, squash, rhubarb, chards, onion chives, tomatoes, potatoes, zucchini, and a medley of fresh herbs such as rosemary, thyme, cardamom, and basil. All these were interspersed with a variety of flowers including nasturtiums, German chamomile, ranunculus, daisies, dahlia, cosmos, snapdragons, and lilies—all grown organically from seed. But the stars of the show are the stunning traditional English roses, richly Owners Danielle and Kainoa standing at the grand entrance of the family flower and vegetable garden. photo by Nancy Kahalewai fragrant and complex like only prized heritage and heirloom varieties can be. Kainoa and Danielle have always wanted to raise their children with as much hands-on learning as possible. “With homeschooling on the farm, we can incorporate many practical learning skills that are hard to learn in traditional school settings—things like growing, caring for, and harvesting our own food, watching animals give birth, interacting socially with adults on a regular basis, and being part of a team that needs everyone’s important contributions in order to work well,” Danielle explains. “In addition to academics, the children learn to handle money and take responsibility over certain chores, learning new skills along the way. We’ve seen firsthand how learning this type of responsibility helps build their confidence. We like the idea that in homeschooling they grow naturally into the people God created them to be, not just the people we think they should be. It’s truly a joy to see their natural gifts and talents unfolding before our eyes as they learn and grow in an environment that we try to make as encouraging and supportive as we can.” Kainoa agrees. “At dinner time, we share our stories about

Feeding the chickens and collecting their eggs is tasked to young Valor and Legend. photo courtesy of Lili House Farm

what happened and what we learned on the farm. We all help each other recognize the blessings and problem-solve our challenges that come with every day. So the children are getting an education that also inspires them. I see the effects on them as they grow in joy and gratitude.” As the main tour guides, Kainoa and his sons have fun sharing their farming stories with visitors. The benefits of spending time outdoors and building family self-sustainability provide never-ending adventures and learning opportunities for all. They have witnessed many people soften and open up in the peaceful and emotionally grounding environment of the farm. “Especially during this pandemic, we have had many medical professionals come here to unwind. It is like a refuge for them, and sometimes they actually broke down and cried.” Kainoa reflects some of the ways that neighboring farms and ranches are working together and sharing resources. He believes this is the season for making alliances. He welcomes people who come up the driveway, and his children help to assist and greet them. Indeed, it takes a village—we all need community to thrive and survive. “Whenever I wonder if I should do this or that,” he confided, “I rely on our family values. They are our inner compass, and build respect, honor, and kindness. Living aloha is always its own reward. If it feels, looks, or sounds like the voice of aloha, I want us to be part of it.” 

For more information: thelilihousefarm.com