Aloha from Big Island Farms. This week we welcomed 29 new interns to our family! Here’s what their first week looked like:
Move-in day: Sunday
Interns arrived on our farm throughout this past weekend. Arms full of luggage, spirits high, and smiles big, everyone was excited to call this lush and beautiful island their hale (home) for the next 10 weeks.
Day 1: Monday
We started our day off with a mele led by our wonderful Anu. Played games to get to know each other better, and began our 10 week journey with laughs, smiles, and memories. Following that we all attended our first class where we learned about vitamins, the wheel of balance, and explored a waterfall. The day ended with traditional Hawaiian stories around the campfire in the evening.
Day 2: Tuesday
Our Tuesday was focused around the science of herbal remedies. We learned about 10 important weeds that can be used to cure a copious amount of problems. Afterwards, we took a journey around the farm to locate these plants. We picked plantain leaves, comfrey roots, pineapple sage, and ashwagandha to use for our homemade salve. The day concluded with jackfruit and daikon radish tacos made by our amazing chef, Simmi.
Day 3: Wednesday
Today was all about permaculture and compost. Our teacher Alex Goff informed the interns about the 12 important principles of permaculture. Following was Jon who introduced everyone about the ins and outs of composting.
Day 4: Thursday
Our day started off with excitement. Today was beach day. All the interns piled into two vans as we made our way to Mauna Lani for a traditional ceremony given by Hawaiian native Uncle Danny Akaka. This was followed by spending the afternoon lazing about on the beautify white sand beaches. Some of the interns decided to venture off in search for petroglyphs and caves.
Day 5: Friday
A hike to remember. The interns were taken a few miles down the road to the famous Waipio beach. With one of the steepest roads in the country, they were in for a long and strenuous hike down. Our interns soldiered through the hike, with the great reward of the beautiful coastline to welcome them.