Spring for the deluxe tour. At the end instead of having to decide what you want you get a great…read morevariety. Our tour guide Sherry was amazing, great energy. Expected to have my husband pass me his dark chocolate as normally it's not his thing but he tried it and I'm sad to say he kept eating all the chocolate. If you're looking for a good intro to fine chocolate and eco tourism this is it.

a must-stop three hour tour for chocoholics if visiting the island of Kauai…read more Like coffee, the cacao plant grows in the tropical belt with Hawaii being the only state in the Union that can grow it. Thus, taking a chocolate tour (and sampling chocolate) became something my wife wanted to do during our visit to Kauai. I booked it on the first day on the island, with cost being $140 per person via Viator, and was able to reserve spots for the following day at 11:00. It's well set-up with clear signs pointing you to the farm (need to pass by other houses through a small residential area). Guides will tell you where to park your car...we intentionally came only 10 minutes before the start and were some of the last ones to arrive. Our tour was fully filled with a maximum of 25 guests. The property is hilly, and the tour does involve a bit of walking, with 3 separate sitting areas where we sampled different foods. In our initial gathering spot, we met Mason (our primary guide). He later told us that he was going into civics. His charismatic personality and willingness to help others, really serves his guests well during the tour and his future (in politics, I'm assuming). We learned a lot about the farm, and had access to bathrooms, natural bug spray (mosquitos definitely bite here) with a place to wash hands, and distribution of umbrellas (for the occasional shower and protection from the sun). Got to sample an apple banana and cocoa tea while learning about the history of the farm. There was so much information, I had to take notes on my smartphone...apologies if I looked like I was not paying attention. In addition to the 3968 cacao trees on the farm (46 acres), other products are grown and raised to supplement the viability of the main crop: apple bananas whose leaves are used the cacao fermentation process; honey from the 50 hives to pollinate the cacao (the parasitic destructor mites that have devastated honey bee hives across the world have not yet made it to Kauai...makes me appreciate the Hawaiian agricultural controls); the vanilla plant vines that are hand pollinated to produce such rare extract that the public can't buy it. We walked to the second spot, passing by various plants and crops. There we sampled unusual tropical fruit (rambutan, soursop, and white pineapple), chocolate covered macadamia nuts (grown in Hawaii), and different honeys. Made me love mac nuts again. The final spot was to taste the chocolate bars. We sampled 5 of theirs (70% dark, 70% with sea salt, 75% with rum, 78% reserve, 50% milk with coffee/nibs), 3 Valrhona, and 1 Hershey. Mason gave a demonstration by hand of how cocoa liquor is made from the fermented seeds (this part is done by machine at a plant in Oahu...their plan is to do future expansion in Kauai so they can emphatically state that it is a completely Kauai product). The 70% dark 1/8 lb bars are $18, and I ended up buying quite a few to give as gifts (Mason didn't buy this explanation). We tried one bar when we got home, and can confirm how creamy and sweet they are (no bitterness). Other tidbits: -- chocolate is a fruit, not a bean or vegetable. -- Only Hawaii can grow it in U.S. -- Grafting is common for consistency -- Chocolate is purple. Black means there were moldy shells. No mold here, so discarded shells can be made into tea -- Most macadamia nuts sold in Hawaii are grown in Australia, and only packaged in Hawaii. -- White chocolate is real chocolate, just using cocoa butter only. -- AI will tell you dark chocolate is bitter cause raw cocoa is earthy (i.e. bitter). Instead, Mason proposed that it was because mass production causes uneven, incomplete fermentation. Smaller batches = careful watching = less bitterness. This was a revelation to me. -- the owner is a fifth generation farmer in Kauai, with him recently changing the name of his farm to his family name. -- At the 2023 Cacao of Excellence Awards held in Europe, Lydgate won the top prize (gold medal) for the Asia & Pacific region, along with six others in the same region, including 2 others from Hawaii. They had previously been named Top 50 in the world multiple times. -- Because they are such a popular tour, there are multiple time slots and days available. The most important thing to note about the quality of the chocolate: cacao plants bear fruit all year round, with Lydgate farms picking and fermenting by hand when it is the right time (as opposed to bigger operations where they combine ripe and unripe fruit all together for the sake of efficiency). Even for a layman like me, it was a convincing argument on why their dark chocolate is premium, costly, and has no bitterness (even at 70%). The major awards that they have received is just confirmation of this fact. And the tour being 3 hours long in such a small area...the time went by really fast.

I had a chance to visit this spot on my last day on this visit, and was not disappointed. Sweet…read moreLand is a great spot especially for those with little ones or people looking to see what it takes to go from goat to a quality local product. There's free parking located on the property with a short walk to the Farm Shop, which should be a good starting point for any visit. I took advantage of the tour offered on Fridays (I believe Saturdays as well). Locals and military also get a small discount. With that being said, it appears to be geared more toward those with children. During my time here, there was actually a school field trip going through at roughly the same time. Expect the tour to take approximately an hour to consist of feeding and handmilking goats while also getting to see the different facilities. As some others state, there is a typical farm smell, but it's not overpowering. Heidi served as my guide and was happy to answer any questions I had regarding the process and small farm operations. Can't say enough good things about her. I ended the tour with a stop at the Farm Shop and purchased a goat cheese flight with crackers with plantation tea for lunch along with a couple things to take home to include caramel and soap. The flight consisting of a couple varieties was actually so rich and fulfilling that I actually stretched the meal to dinner too! My personal favorite was the olive flavor. The caramel, now that I'm home, is a welcome addition to my morning coffee. I'd love to visit again in the future to see what other future concoctions they come up with!

Sweet Land Farm is absolutely worth visiting, especially if you have young kids. The setting is…read morebeautiful. Some of our favorite family photos from this entire trip came from this farm. Watching our kids feed the goats was one of those simple moments they'll probably remember for a long time. It's also about as clean as you could reasonably expect for a working goat farm. Yes, it smells like goats, that comes with the territory. If you're expecting a sterile petting zoo, this isn't it. It's a real farm and I actually appreciated that. Where the experience lost me was the hospitality. Maybe we arrived too close to closing, but the staff felt completely disengaged. Nobody was particularly welcoming, nobody seemed excited to talk about the farm or its products and asking simple questions felt like an inconvenience. You drive all the way out here because you're interested in what they're building. A little warmth would go a long way. The other issue was the flies. Again, I understand this is a farm. Flies are part of the environment. But when they're landing around food while ice cream is being scooped, it starts to cross from "that's farm life" into something that feels unpleasant. It was hard not to notice and it definitely took away from the experience. The goat milk ice cream was good, not quite my preference over traditional dairy ice cream, but still worth trying if you're visiting. Feeding the goats was fun, the grounds are beautiful and it's a fantastic stop for families with toddlers. I just wish the customer experience matched the scenery. This place has everything it needs to be unforgettable. A little more hospitality and a little more attention around the food service area would make a huge difference. I'd still recommend visiting but come for the farm, the photos and the goats. Just keep your expectations for the service a little lower.

This is the third or fourth time, I've been here and I continue to learn more and more. Steve and…read morehis family are very nice and warm I would definitely recommend this place to learn about not only Noni, but learn about organic gardening as well.

Have you ever heard of noni? It's this medicinal fruit that grows on a tree near the equator and…read moreonce opened, it smells and tastes like blue cheese. I like blue cheese but this was not good fresh, on its own. It needed some dried cranberries and walnuts to accompany it. Apparently after harvesting, it takes two days to ripen before it becomes soft like a tomato. Once ripe, the company has between 2-4 hours to process the fruit before it begins to ferment. Because it's impossible to sell such a finicky fruit in stores, they dehydrate it into a fruit leather. According to the owner, commercial freeze dried products have to first receive a heat treatment that would basically cook the fruit, destroying its nutrients, which is why they chose dehydration. The tour (which you must preschedule via their realnoni website) that we went on was nearly 3 hours and was very informative about everything from organic gardening and vermicomposting, to the breeding habits of the albatross that live on a cliff under their 70 acre farm overlooking the Pacific Ocean. The tour was fantastic. One caveat - My BS censors go off when chiropractors are mentioned in the same sentence as medical doctors, physical therapists and kinesiologists. There were a lot of fantastical claims about how this fruit can address the root causes of everything from eczema to damaged cartilage, cancers, autoimmune disorders to damaged Achilles tendons. You can always find a doctor or two that will cosign literally any claim out there, so the fact they had articles by a few random doctors and University of Hawaii sports medicine doctor praising their products has not swayed me. While I'm open to trying new things, inherently I'm a highly skeptical and cynical person when it comes to alt-medicine. There is just too much woo out there. While I'm not sold on the sounds-too-good-to-be-true claims of what this fruit can supposedly do, we bought an 8 ounce lavender lotion ($28) and a packet of the fruit leather ($30.) We feel like if the tour doesn't charge and we enjoyed the tour, it's polite to purchase something. We'll see if it works.

Amazing farm tour to table experience that educates and nourishes. This is a quintessential…read moreactivity that I look for on all Hawaii islands. This farm focuses on sustainability and regenerative farming; I appreciated learning that the main course was a byproduct of Ahi fishing: the Mongchong. The practice of lessening our waste is something we all need to be wary and partake in and respect the earth and the oceans that we take nourishment from. The meal was very special. This is a great chance to taste the unfamiliar; food you'll never taste on the mainland. I hope they excel when they start their restaurant business!

The food and setting were lovely. This is more of an event space than an actual farm, though they…read moredo source their ingredients locally. The farm tour- at least with the guide we had- was a wander through a small organic garden with a guide describing some plants that might be exotic if you're from the mainland- it's pleasant and interesting. There's no serious description of agriculture on Hawaii or why Hawaii has to import food or what might be done about it. There was no asking for questions, and a maybe 30% disinformation content. I'd suggest the owners list on the menu for the day where each item comes from- clearly that's what their clientele is interested in? Some of this might have been covered in the 4 minute meet with the chef, but I didn't retain it. It would be fun to know what all the ingredients are. Any last minute unforeseen swaps could then be discussed before the meal, since the visitors are interested in sustainable Ag we'd be interested in its unpredictability too.

My wife & I have stayed at the peaceful North Country Farms twice. Once for our honeymoon and once…read moreas our first vacation since the world was hit with the pandemic because we knew from the first trip that the space was magical + it is private and secluded. We just spent 11 nights in the garden cottage and it's hard to leave. The farm is in an area of the island that makes it easy to get to the beaches, Hanalei, the fish market, a cute & good coffee shop. The cottage itself is great for a couple - comfortable bed, kitchenette, and an outdoor shower that is absolutely amazing. Lee, the owner of the property is very kind, gracious, thoughtful and accommodating. We very much look forward to our next visit to Kauai and a third visit to this special place.

A warm and romantic hideaway that met all our needs and desires. The host was most accommodating,…read morethe farming landscape serene and satisfying from sun up to sun down and past. Would recommend to everyone. Thank you for making our stay on this paradise island absolutely wonderful.

Quick stop for a chocolate covered frozen banana. Although it's $7 for a tiny little thing, it…read morestill hits the spot when you want something sweet and a relatively healthy options.

Driving from Princeville to Kapaa, we decided to stop here to grab a smoothie. Pricing wise, it's…read morea little steep, but they do use fresh fruits. Next to the shack is a small store that sells fresh picked fruits. We just did a walk through. There's not a lot of fruits to choose from. This is one of the smaller fruit stands we've visited. Plenty of parking available though. Not sure if it's the rain, but there wasn't a lot of customers here.

Sharleen's Beef is absolutely outstanding. I buy all my beef from her as well as extra for making…read moreour own sausage and making our own form of jerky. If it's not the best grass fed beef I've had, it's right up there with the very best. Dry age for three weeks and perfectly marbled but still lean and just a phenomenally great taste. I grew up on a farm farm, commercially farmed with beef and lamb and sold breeding stock. We also sold our own meat right from the farm. I know meat very well and I highly recommend their product! She is so easy to work with and very welcoming! Go see her at the Kukui'ula farmers market And see why beef is the new kale!

We stopped at Rancher's Daughter's Reserve to grab some steaks to grill while visiting the island…read more They have a freezer full of high quality beef steaks in addition to frozen beef treats for your dog. We were pleasantly surprised with the shopping opportunity at their cute little shop, Minnie's Mercantile, and bought homemade beef tallow lotion, ranch style shirts and earrings, hat, and a cute cowhide wallet. For this being a small family-ran store there were lots of gifts and souvenirs to choose from, the more we looked around the more we added to our purchases! The owner was very friendly and shared their 5 generations of family history raising cattle with us. The handmade products they sell reflect their proud cattle ranching heritage by using beef tallow as an important ingredient in their skincare products and one of their hats had the various family cattle brands incorporated into the design. Although this was a quick stop to grab steaks we really enjoyed talking to the owner and the shopping experience. I highly recommend stopping by! Looking forward to cooking up our steaks, I know they will be delicious!

Ignore the 1star review from Heidi- they misunderstood google and thats their only reason for a 1…read morestar review - lame! Anyways, Lanipo Farm is def still in business, for 15 years now! Sells at community markets, street-front farmstand & direct by appt/advance order. Just doesnt do random farm visits or tours...

I don't think this farm is still in business. Google business said it would be open for a farmer's…read moremarket, but it was not. There's a chocolate farm nearby, though - Lydgate Farms.

We always have a great time at the annual Pumpkin Festival at Aloun Farms!…read more This year, they had great rides from E.K. Fernandez, including a Ferris Wheel! We had a blast. They also had the free hayride, entertainment, the pumpkin patch, sunflower patch, pony rides, and more! I love that they partner with organizations for great giveaways. My hubby won 2 RT airline tickets to anywhere Southwest flies on the mainland by winning a watermelon eating contest! Woop woop! They also had really cute staged areas for photo taking, tons of food vendors, a farmer's market, etc. You can't go wrong when there's something for everyone to do. Highly recommend checking this place out for Halloween time. Bring boots and plenty of water and sunscreen - it's hot out there, but always fun.

We went to Aloun Farms for the Fall Festival this year and overall had a nice time! It was great…read morethat the event was dog friendly. We brought our pup along and she loved exploring. The decorations were cute and festive, and the staff we interacted with were all friendly and welcoming. It was definitely crowded and a bit overwhelming, so we only stayed for about an hour. It was also really hot, which made it tough for both us and our dog. We walked around, grabbed some food, checked out the sunflowers and pumpkin patch, and then stopped by the farmers market store before heading out. The store service was quick, but one moment stood out. A young boy was trying his best to help us and do the math for our items when another staff member suddenly took over and told him, "You're going to the side. You're way too slow." It felt a little uncomfortable to witness, since the boy was clearly trying his best. I understand things can get busy, but it just didn't feel right to scold him in front of customers. Despite that, the festival itself was fun, the food and produce were great, and it's always nice to see local families and pets enjoying the day. We'll probably go again, maybe earlier in the morning next time when it's less crowded and cooler.