4 Reasons to Love Nā Wai ʻEhā

Fun fact: Brad and I grew up in the same neighborhood in Wailuku, just a few streets apart.

My childhood was spent swimming in the Wailuku River behind my uncle’s house in ʻĪao Valley. 

Meanwhile, Brad was just upstream, splashing in the same river at his best friend’s house. 

Neither of us could have guessed that one day our paths would cross, our lives would braid together, and we’d plant our roots here in Waiehu.

Polipoli Farms is our way of giving back to the waters and valleys that raised us.

Here are 4 reasons why we’ll always love and protect Nā Wai ʻEhā.

In 1848, Nā Wai ʻEhā had 3,000+ acres of loʻi kalo—the most extensive in Hawaiʻi. Traditional food systems sustained generations and can still guide us today. 

Nā Wai ʻEhā holds Maui’s largest groundwater aquifer, supplying 70% of the island’s water needs. Caring for these waters means caring for all of Maui. 

Think of these waters as aquatic highways, home to native travelers like ‘O’opu, ‘Ōpae, and Hīhīwai who rely on the Ma Uka to Ma Kai flow to survive. 

Nā Wai ʻEhā is home to sacred heiau, legendary battles, and ancestral moʻolelo. Here waters continue to carry that mana today. 

Polipoli Farms is committed to protecting ʻāina and wai across Nā Wai ʻEhā. Shop with us and be part of that work.