Polipoli Farms sits on the same ʻāina that fed generations of Native Hawaiians.
Today we're reviving that legacy
Grab the popcorn! (And maybe some tissues.)
Presenting "Seeing with Hawaiian Eyes" by ‘ōiwi storyteller and Maui girl Hunter Nahoʻoikaika.
This film debuted at Chapman University and was later selected for the Hawaiʻi International Film Festival. Now coming to . . . your desktop or smartphone!
But first, some fun behind-the-scenes stuff.
When Hunter sent us a cold email to ask if we’d participate in her senior year documentary project at Chapman University we were hesitant.
But something was different about Hunter—the way she communicated her values, how she listened to our concerns, and her sensitivity in telling ‘ōiwi stories in an authentic way.
The clincher: Hunter and her ʻohana are from the same ahupuaʻa right here in Waiehu!
Turns out this "stranger" is no stranger at all. After getting to know her, we were stoked to realize that the connections between our ʻohana run deep. Like, really deep. Chicken skin kine stuff.
Aloha ʻĀina through storytelling.
I see so much of my own journey in Hunter . . . two Maui girls growing up between different worlds and cultures, trying to find a way back to their roots and doing it through mo‘olelo (story).
Kānaka maoli have always been master storytellers. It’s how our culture moved through the generations, and it’s amazing to see a new generation carrying that torch in a modern way. Big things coming from this mana wahine!
Edit: Big things already happening.
Hunter is the insanely talented graphic designer and branding wiz behind Kawailiʻulā Designs.
If you're looking for a designer who is fun to work with and produces high-quality work, contact Hunter.
Okay, got that popcorn? PRESS PLAY . . .
It started small. Like, really small.
In 2011, we were two kids who had a curiosity about plants. We didn't have any space to grow food, so we convinced Brad's mom to let us plant a garden box in her backyard.
Curiosity turned into obsession, and before long we were regulars at our local plant nursery and had a seed collection that bordered on hoarding.
Then we bought a farm . . . sort of.
Technically, we purchased an overgrown parcel just minutes from where we grew up. There were (literally) hundreds of invasive trees and walls of pesky Guinnea grass standing between us and a food-producing farm, but we told ourselves, "One day we can retire and live out our farming dreams!"
Looking Forward
As we cleared the invasives, we discovered terraces for growing kalo and tools used for feeding our ancestors. This was a reminder that this place has a rich history of indigenous food production. This realization changed everything.
When the pandemic hit, we turned our "one day" into "hurry up, now's the time!" and Polipoli Farms was born.
Seeing with Hawaiian Eyes has been featured at the Hawaiʻi International Film Festival, in-flight on Hawaiian Airlines, and broadcast on Outside Hawaiʻi/OC16.
Watch now to see how the bombing of Kahoʻolawe and the rise of the Aloha ʻĀina movement continue to shape everything we do at the farm today.
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