The name Kupa ‘Aina refers to native/indigenous foods, reflecting our goal to cultivate the land and foods utilizing ‘ike kūpuna to provide sustenance today. While the use of ʻāina would refer to being ‘native to the land’, the change to ʻaina helps keep us focused on what our kuleana is here.

Our commitment to healthy communities and healthy families is demonstrative with the creation and implementation of Kupa ʻAina. Since the blessing of the project in July 2018, Kupa ‘Aina has had transformative results on the area.

At Kupa ‘Aina we implement Natural Farming practices that encompasses traditional Hawaiian agricultural methods, Korean natural family methods, and practices used across various other sustainable agricultural models. Natural Farming utilizes in indigenous microorganisms to rejuvenate the land and produce high-yield, high-nutrient crops. These microorganisms are collected from areas close to the farms, and cultured using everyday ingredients such as sugar, rice, and seawater.

We know historically that the Native Hawaiians were able to sustain a large population 100% sustainably, and so through Kupa ‘Aina, we are rediscovering and practicing the art of feeding our families while caring for the land that sustains us.

Through Kupa ʻAina, we plan on understanding traditional agricultural practices and applying them to the contemporary issues we face as an island community, namely food security and sustainability.

As we seek sustainable solutions and what that means, we look to our Hawaiian ancestors and the wisdom they left us in moʻolelo, ʻoli, and traditional practices. This way, our keiki will reap the benefits of healthy communities and a food-secure future.