Farming

Kalo (Taro) farming at Kealia Farm

These are photo's of kalo (taro) from Kealia taro farm. I've been a kalo (taro) farmer there for about 2 years. Kalo farming is very hard work.  Lots of back bending, squatting and pulling. Very muddy, stink and itchy. I would go home with holes and stains on my hands and foot. But the hard work pay off.  We would be pulling kalo (taro) for orders on the Mainland.  It was a high demand.  The kalo (taro) is a high demand for restaurants.  Alot were used for making taro bread, & poi.  The kalo (taro) is almost like a potato texture. It has to be cooked until soft and no longer itchy.  The leaves and the root has calcium oxalates, which will make your throat itchy when under cooked, or not cooked long enough. The leaves has to be cooked for several hours.  I usually make a beef lua stew which cooks for about 6 hours.  I like to make lau lau also which cooks for about 6-8 hours.  Lau laus are usually cooked in an imu.  That's the traditional way.  Now days, thats only for special occasions.  We would usually cook our lau lau in a steamer, pressure cooker, or crock pot.  Lau lau is pork or chicken wraped in lua leaves, & ti leaves, seasoned with Hawaiian salt.  All goes so good with poi and lomi salmon.  Keep updated for recipes.