Kula Country Farms

   My mother-in-law and I were out for a drive upcountry the other day. We call it "holo-holo" which means to just go all around. Sometimes we get in the car and go with the wind. It is such a nice feeling and since it is a small island we don't use too much gas. I thought we would go past The Kula Hardware Nursery towards Keokea in search of that vegetable stand at the side of the road we had heard about.

We were driving on the Lower Road when suddenly I said "Oh look, a Pumpkin Patch!" Then I saw the signs for parking at the Pumpkin Patch. As it turned out this was the place I was looking for. It is called Kula Country Farms.

   The farm is owned by the Monden family and it has been open about two years here in Kula, Maui. Upon arrival I was so amazed at the beautiful farm. It was more than a vegetable stand. It was a working farm/garden. Chickens and a big beautiful rooster were running about. There were gorgeous pumpkins everywhere displayed among hay stacks.

If you look closely you can see Taro, artichoke plants, cosmos, spearmint, and strawberry plants at the top of the hill garden. Everything is tended by the Monden family and their workers. I met Teena and her daughter Tess. They were helping people pick out their pumpkins and herding the chickens back from the Kula Highway by throwing some corn out for the birds. The baby goat is so tame, and the setting so charming.  Who could resist taking photos of this picturesque place.

Tess and Teena Monden with their baby goat at Kula Country Farms really look the part of beautiful country Maui girls, don't they? We wandered into the produce stand where they were selling local produce including squashes, tomatoes, lettuces, herbs, papayas, bananas, Napa cabbages and fresh tuberose stems.

They have their own product line also. Pictured here is the Kula Country strawberry syrup.

Look at these gorgeous sweet vine-ripened tomatoes. I bought some of these and some butterleaf lettuce, corn, asparagus, strawberries and a huge bouquet of tuberose stems. (They were only 50 cents per stem, so I bought ten stems.)

What a great place! I look forward to visiting again up the Kula Highway.

Take the Kula Highway 37 above Pukalani, about 7.8 miles (just a short distance past Rice Memorial Park) and you will see the pumpkin patch on the right. Park and enjoy the view. It is fabulous.

Aloha friends,

And don't forget just a few more days to win the prizes. Make a comment about how you would inspire people during this economy. The best comment wins all the prizes. See http://www.amaryllisofhawaii.com/ for more samples of my designs you will be able to choose from. You can look at pages from my books also. Amaryllis, Amaryllis How Does Your Garden Grow? "Organically, of Course" is a great book for beginning gardeners and experienced planters too.

I'll give you some ideas: I feel the best thing one can do during this economy is to stay close to God and family. Know in your heart that it is going to be alright. Start each day with a smile on your face and faith that if you persist that you will harvest the fruits of your labor. Do something everyday to pursue your dreams. Even if you are in a line of work that you don't love, find something to love about it while you pursue your passion daily. If you are out of work there are many ways to make money if you have a creative mind.

Next post I will give you ten ideas on how to make money in this economy!

Aloha,

Marilyn

The Artful Hawaiigirl