Growing up on a family-owned farm, Kylie Matsuda-Lum, managing director of Kahuku Farms, got her first taste of managing a business as a kid. She would help sell fruits to locals and visitors during the warm summer months.

“My mom taught me how to add all the prices up and give change to customers, how to give good customer service and explain to them how to take care of their watermelons,” she says.

However, it wasn’t until she attended college, at the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa’s School of Travel Industry Management, that she realized her calling came from the fertile grounds of O‘ahu’s North Shore.

She felt inspired. But, initially, her family balked at the idea.

Matsuda-Lum jokes that she and her sister, Kalyn Matsuda, “weren’t allowed” to join operations—at least, not before coming up with an idea for a new evolution of the farm.

The revamped Kahuku Farms opened its doors in October of 2010. Much of its success since has come as the result of a smart, threefold approach: education through the tours and field trips; diversification; and adding value to the produce it grows. Matsuda-Lum is particularly proud of the latter pillar.

“Produce has many different grades,” she explains. “Supermarkets only want the ‘number ones’—that means your perfect-looking produce, because as consumers we shop with our eyes.”

The café offers a way to utilize those “off-grade” fruits and veggies, which are not aesthetically perfect but still packed with nutrients and fresh flavor. Inside Kahuku Farms on-site eatery, chefs whip scratched bananas into bakery goods and smoothies, and grill the crooked eggplants for paninis or pizzas.

“This really allows us to be more sustainable and have less waste,” she adds.

The business traces back through four generations of the Matsuda and Fukuyama families, who have been working the land as a dual team since the early 1900s. In 1986, the two ‘ohana officially joined forces, creating the wholesale entity Kahuku Brand.

The operation is still a family affair. Matsuda-Lum’s husband, Judah Lum, and his daughter, Bailey, are now integral parts of the business, too.

“It’s so rewarding to be doing this with my sister and husband, and as a family,” says Matsuda-Lum.

That unwavering family support helped Kahuku Farms weather the coronavirus storm. They’ve managed to stay positive, and even implemented some positive changes, like social distancing for diners.

“We added seating areas in the middle of all our fruit trees, and in different parts of our garden, places you wouldn’t explore normally.”

The respite also allowed the farm time to plan for its next big (and tasty) venture. Matsuda-Lum says to get ready: Matsuda-Lum chocolate tours are coming soon.

kahukufarms.com