News & Updates

There was a nice steady rain today up-country Maui. My garden loved the soft raindrops and delightful moisture. I was preparing to harvest enough lettuce for fifty people to enjoy at Kupu Maui tomorrow. My zinnias are blooming. Papayas are happening. Sunflowers about to open… Some of the lettuce I harvested today… Gotta love gardening on Maui. ~ Marilyn 808 283-9131 808 280-1621 Marilyn Jansen Lopes http://Mauicountryfarmtours.com

These are shirts I painted years ago. love pastels… Love flowers Cotton is my canvas… Marilyn Jansen Lopes http://mauicountryfarmtours.com 808 283-9131 @jamarilyn on Twitter

There was a nice steady rain today up-country Maui. My garden loved the soft raindrops and delightful moisture. I was preparing to harvest enough lettuce for fifty people to enjoy at Kupu Maui tomorrow. My zinnias are blooming. Papayas are happening. Sunflowers about to open… Some of the lettuce I harvested today… Gotta love gardening on Maui. ~ Marilyn 808 283-9131 808 280-1621 Marilyn Jansen Lopes http://Mauicountryfarmtours.com

Last week we took our guests to O’o Farm for their wonderful farm to table tour and lunch. We were met at the bottom of the hill by the amazing Richard Clark who planted everything on the farm. They grow everything from coffee, artichokes, asparagus, Chinese greens, lettuces, chard, cucumber, herbs, heirloom tomatoes, lemon hot chili peppers, cilantro, kohlrabi, nasturtiums, raspberry, strawberries, wild pohaberry, figs, kaffir limes and more. It’s an amazing experience to be surrounded by a working farm in such beautiful order. He was sophisticated, intelligent and passionate about the farm which is owned by Pacific O and I’o Restaurant in Lahaina. This basket of greens and red leaf lettuce, Chinese peppery greens, carrots, society garlic chives is ready to be delivered to Chef JJ for our lunch. JJ had prepared tofu that had been seared and sautéed for ninety…

First at Ho’okipa On through Pineapple country to the Lavender Farm for Tea and scones. This lovely unique geranium … And the beautiful Mercedes of AKLMaui   Then Ulupalakua, Maui’s Winery, and lunch at Kula Country Farms…   Another gorgeous, ever changing day, from bright sunshine with big puffy clouds to big grey clouds and impending rain. Love Maui.   ~ Marilyn   808 283-9131 808 280-1621   Marilyn Jansen Lopes http://Mauicountryfarmtours.com

This weekend was the Ka’anapali Fresh “a culinary experience” an event featuring the Chefs, Farmers, creative Mixologists, with music performances Saturday by Makana and Spyro Gyro and Sunday by Third Eye Blind. My weekend began at the Westin Villas where we checked in for two nights and prepared for our Ag-Tour of Kaanapali Coffee Estate in the morning. Here’s my husband Ricky with Akina Tours Bus driver, Herman, who did a wonderful job transporting our group of nearly fifty passengers. Shelley Kekuna (above with me) is the executive director of Kaanapali Resorts. Shelley created this event along with her superb event planner Toni Rojas of Sterling Performance Company. That’s James “Kimo” Falconer on the right. It was great to meet Kimo and learn more about the coffee farm he revived and how we’re making history on Maui in Kaanapali with…

The famed Maui Mokka, Red Catuai (Cat-Y-ee), and Yellow Caturra We’ll be sampling these coffee cherries on the farm tour at K`aanapali Fresh “A Culinary Experience” Saturday September 1, 9 AM- 12PM I’ll be giving the history of coffee from its origin in Ethiopia and migration to Yemen where it was first cultivated over a thousand years ago. Do you know how coffee was discovered?   That’s Jeff Ferguson above pictured next to a coffee harvester. It’s amazing how the rods spin among the coffee branches to shake the cherries loose where they fall into a hopper and an elevator takes them to the top to be transported by trailer to the mill. It’s an amazing story of betrayal, love and legends that have been made about whole crops being destroyed and a single plant creating the future plants of…

Getting ready to share Kaanapali’s Agricultural Beauty at #KFreshMaui on Saturday, September 1, 2012 9-Noon We’re hosting the Farm tour for 50 people, mostly media persons who have come to write about the Ka’anapali Fresh Culinary Event. James “Kimo” Falconer is responsible for resurrecting the farm and establishing the brand “MauiGrown Coffee” in 2003. He’ll be on the farm to meet everyone on the tour. Can’t wait to get Into the field and see the coffee trees ripe for harvest. We’ll be sampling coffee cherries in the Maui Mokka section of the Kaanapali Coffee Estates. Maui Mokka is gaining world wide recognition. These are coffees packaged and ready to ship at the MauiGrown Coffee Company Store in Lahaina by the famous Old Pioneer Mill Smokestack. There are four types of coffee grown on the 500 acre coffee estate. Red Catuai,…

Some of my favorite flowers to grow are cosmos, hollyhocks and zinnias. It’s amazing the different types of flowers that can be grown on Maui. Of course we have thousands of orchid varieties in Hawaii, but old fashioned favorites can thrive here too. I love my hollyhocks and they do fine Up-Country on Maui. Zinnias love it too. Kula residents will tell you how nasturtiums and cosmos thrive… And of course the amazing Proteas which are native to South Africa and Australia took to the slopes of Hakeakala between two thousand and four thousand foot elevations on the south west facing slopes. Lavender is the big surprise and wonderful addition to our island as it is sustainable and suitable to the dry land of Kula, Maui.

Photos are c/o Maui Coffee Association… 2012 first place winner of the Hawaii Coffee Association recent cupping competition was Tambra Gardens Kula Beans. See the full gallery on Posterous Greg and Susy Stille of Piliani Kope Coffee Farm in Launiupoko, Maui. Greg is President of the Maui Coffee Association and recently elected as President of the Hawaii Coffee Association. All the top growers on Maui were there in Wailea for the first Maui Coffee Festival August 4, 2012. Greg said they had a fabulous turn out and everyone had great sales. So that’s terrific. Maui Coffee Association is hoping to do events monthly involving students, chefs, pastry chefs, bringing Grown on Maui Coffees to the world.   Stayed tuned for Kaanapali Fresh August 31- September 3rd, 2012 Check out the schedule for all the farm-to-table events.     Marilyn Jansen…

Some days we just can’t stop admiring the flowers on Maui… Big Pink Hibiscus Mandevilla vine at Ali’i Kula Lavender Dahlias Dahlias Dahlias Love dahlias… These were on a private farm we visited. There are many dahlias planted at Kula Country Farms throughout the herb and vegetable beds. If you love flowers we can plan a special tour specifically related to flowers like lavender, proteas, orchids, tuber rose, tropical flowers and Native Plants of Hawaii… Flowers, maui breezes and country farms Calm me… Call me anytime to talk about a personalized tour for you. ~ Marilyn 808 283-9131 808 280-1621 Marilyn Jansen Lopes http://Mauicountryfarmtours.com

The first Maui Coffee Festival will take place this Saturday at The Shops at Wailea. The Maui Coffee Association together with the Maui County Farm Bureau have been planning this event for months. Greg Stille, president of the Maui Coffee Association and president of the Hawaii Coffee Association says there will be tents near the…