Fresh Aloun Farms Produce Ready For Kealakai Customers
Aloun Farms' produce is ready for packaging as part of its Fresh Aloha Direct program in partnership with Castle & Cooke Homes Hawaii. Photo courtesy of Aloun Farms.
Sightings of Da Broc and Babie Jackie will make keiki smile and adults think of healthy food Aug. 4 in Kapolei.
The characters represent Aloun Farms’ mission to make fresh local produce readily accessible to the public.
Also part of the farm family are Mr. Cobb, Sunburst and Zukie, characters who bring attention to its recently initiated food delivery program called Fresh Aloha Direct (FAD).
“Fresh Aloha Direct is something we created with Castle & Cooke,” said Aloun Farms spokesman Michael Moefu. “They came up with the plan for their new Kealakai development.”
Through the partnership, Castle & Cooke supplied tenants in the new homes with a year’s membership to Fresh Aloha Direct – a total of 12 boxes packed with farm-to-table produce.
“Our goal is to show that you can buy local,” said Moefu. “We have 24 different fruits and vegetables that are all grown on the farm – produce you see in the store like pumpkins and corn – but also products people aren’t familiar with how to cook, like Chinese cabbage and won bok.
“Each month we change, so it’s seasonal and we try to keep it to at least 10 different varieties of fruits and vegetables in a box.”
Aloun Farms has teamed up with Castle & Cooke Homes Hawaii to create the Fresh Aloha Direct program, which delivers fresh, local produce around Oahu. Showing off the boxed vittles are (from left) Castle & Cooke's Darrell Tamaru and Ken Ching, Da Broc, Kelly-Ann Chandler (Castle & Cooke), Mr. Cobb, and Castle & Cooke's Edna Gomez and Daniel Costigan. Photo courtesy of Aloun Farms Inc. Read the full story on Page 3.
As part of the partnership, Castle & Cooke provides a recipe each month to suit the selection of goods packed in the FAD boxes. To make the process as easy as possible, FAD offers accessible pick-up locations around the island, and all ordering is done online. The cost per box is just under $30, with savings offered on a one-year subscription.
As for Da Broc, Mr. Cobb and the rest of the herd?
“They are our Aloun Farms characters,” explained Moefu. “Sunburst is named after one of our varieties of cantaloupe. Mr. Cobb highlights the corn.
“We use these characters to tour schools. We also bring students out to the farm where we offer nursery tours and pumpkin patch tours, and the characters come in and visit with the kids. They share a little bit about local agriculture, seasonal products and harvesting operations.”
That’s what they’ll be doing at the Aug. 4 event at Kealakai (91-1015 Kamaaha Ave.) from 10 a.m. to noon. The fair, with activities, entertainment, refreshments and prizes, is centered around finding children to model for Island Family magazine.
FAD will be on hand with a mini farmers market and a chance for one lucky winner to walk away with a box of produce.
For more information, visit FreshAlohaDirect.com.
