On Wednesday, we booked an animal interaction tour through Airbnb Experiences. The Kauai Animal Education Farm is a nonprofit dedicated to serving native Hawaiian animals by taking in native animals who are no longer wanted (like chickens who no longer lay eggs) and by providing a safe space for non-native animals that disrupt the ecosystem. Our little animal lovers were fearless in doing their part to care for the animals.
That evening, we went to a different kind of farm, this one a regenerative food forest called Common Grounds. Here, they plant banana trees next to papaya trees next to starfruit trees. They practice no-till farming and cover cropping to reduce soil erosion, a significant issue worldwide. They’re also of the belief that with better farming practices, Hawai’i should not need to import 85% of its food. In fact, with one anise plant, they supplied the entire island with enough spice for every Thanksgiving pie. The tour concluded with an absolute feast crafted entirely of food sourced from the farm.