According to legend, kalo (taro) first grew from the grave of Haloa, the stillborn son of Wakea (Sky Father) and his daughter, Hoo­hoku­lani. They were blessed with a healthy second son, whom they also named Haloa. Regarded as the forefather of the Hawaiian people, Haloa vowed to always take care of taro, the embodiment of his older brother. In return, taro would keep him, his descendants and their culture strong.

Felicita Garrido and her husband, Steven Bolosan, remember that tale every time they look at the loi (paddies) on their Wai­alua farm. "Growing taro is tedious work, but we regard it as an honor and a privilege because we’re nurturing man’s eldest brother," Garrido said. "Being in the loi is also beneficial for us; it strengthens our body, mind and spirit. We call it ‘taro-py.’"

Garrido and Bolosan moved to Na Mea Kupono, their 6-acre farm, in 2008, and started offering educational visits two years later. Their mission is threefold: to perpetuate aloha aina (love for the land) and Hawaiian cultural values through environmental awareness and interaction; to explain how a self-sustaining lifestyle can be achieved by cultivating taro; and to provide a place where Hawaiian cultural traditions can be perpetuated and used to enhance quality of life.

"The name Na Mea Kupono is significant," Garrido said. "‘Na mea’ means ‘things.’ ‘Kupono’ means ‘to be righteous.’ So we strive to do things that are proper, fair, honest and virtuous. We started the kalo experience because we want to be an educational resource. The more people know about the aina, the more they will participate in caring for it."

In addition to taro, numerous other native and introduced plants thrive at Na Mea Kupono, including hibiscus, lilikoi (passion fruit), kukui (candlenut tree), pohuehue (beach morning glory), awapuhi (shampoo ginger), ulu (breadfruit), noni (Indian mulberry), banana, papaya and guava.

The farm is home to wetland birds such as the kolea (Pacific golden plover), aukuu (black-crowned night heron) and the endangered aeo (Hawaiian stilt) and alae ula (Hawaiian mudhen). Visitors can also get close-up looks at soft-shelled and red-eared slider turtles, and a fishpond teeming with mullet, tiger barbs and golden tilapia.

"I wake up every morning to the songs and dances of the aeo and alae ula," Garrido said. "It’s like having National Geographic in my backyard."

When word got out that Na Mea Kupono was open to the public, calls from schools, tour groups, organizations and individuals started pouring in. Depending on the activities selected, customized visits range between one and five hours.

Some people book just the guided tour, which discusses Hawaiian legends, taro cultivation, the plants and animals on property and how the ka poe kahiko (the people of old) were able to live sustainably in ahupuaa (land divisions extending from the uplands to the sea).

OTHER visitors add a work component; they get into the loi to pull weeds, haul rubbish and help with whatever other tasks need to be done. A poi-pounding demonstration, hula lesson, craft activity (usually making a kukui nut top), traditional Hawaiian games such as konane (checkers) and ulu maika (bowling), and lunch (kalua pork on taro rolls, organic green salad, taro chips, fresh pineapple and mamaki-lemongrass tea) can also be arranged. Brand new is a hands-on cooking workshop that teaches between 10 and 20 people how to make poi, laulau, lomilomi salmon and haupia.

Bringing Na Mea Kupono to fruition was a labor of love for Garrido, Bolosan and their friends and family. It took them 18 months to clear the land, which was covered with weeds and shrubs. Some areas were too swampy for machines, so the backbreaking work had to be done by hand with rakes, shovels, weeders and weed whackers.

The farm has 13 taro patches in different stages: A few are lying fallow, some are being tilled and planted, young taro is growing in others and the rest are filled with mature plants ready for harvesting. The loi are yielding about 100 pounds of taro per week, which Garrido and Bolosan use for themselves and to give to loved ones.

Taro is low in fat, cholesterol and sodium, and a good source of fiber, vitamin E, B6 and manganese. It’s also hypoallergenic and versatile.

"We steam it, make poi with it, add it to soup and stew, stir-fry it with meat and vegetables, and fry thin slices with butter and brown sugar," Garrido said. "We use the leaves to wrap laulau, sauté them like spinach and bake them with coconut cream and chunks of chicken. When you grow the food yourself, you have a real appreciation for it and the work that went into growing it. You don’t waste."

The early Hawaiians championed an "eco-friendly lifestyle" long before that phrase was coined. "Our experiences are designed to educate, not entertain," Garrido said. "They take visitors back to the past and show them the wisdom of the Hawaiians’ way of life. Everything came from nature and went back to nature; they recycled, reused and re-purposed. They knew that if you take care of the aina, it will take care of you."

Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi is a Honolulu-based freelance writer whose travel features for the Star-Advertiser have won several Society of American Travel Writers awards.