The Hawaii Agri-Tourism Association (HATA) has announced a new website to book its “Hilo Grown Ag Tours.” By logging on to www.hawaiiagtours.com, visitors and island residents can learn more about the tours and book them well in advance. The Hawaii
The Hawaii Agri-Tourism Association (HATA) has announced a new website to book its “Hilo Grown Ag Tours.” By logging on to www.hawaiiagtours.com, visitors and island residents can learn more about the tours and book them well in advance.
“We’re excited about this new website because it’s packed with information about the tour and the great family farms we visit. Now visitors can book and pay for their tour from anywhere in the world,” said Lani Weigert, HATA’s executive director.
The daylong tour starts at Green Point Nurseries, the state’s largest anthurium farm and the producer of orchids, tropical plants and foliage. Four generations of the Tanouye family have built an internationally recognized farm that ships its flowers all over the world. The tour then heads to KTA Super Store at Puainako. Tour members learn the history of how this “Grown on the Big Island” store has helped farmers; ranchers and dairies get their products to market since 1916.
The tour then heads to ‘Imiloa Astronomy Center and Native Hawaiian Gardens. This is a unique experience for visitors to explore the connection between Hawaiian cultural traditions and astronomy.
The last stop of the day is Hamakua Springs County Farm. This is a full-scale production farm that specializes in several varieties of tomatoes, bananas, lettuce and cucumbers. The farm is run by three generations of the Ha family in the Pepeekeo area of Hilo.
Hilo Grown Ag Tours is a HATA project funded by the County Product Enrichment Program (CPEP) of Hawaii County. The CPEP program is a part of a statewide program sponsored by the Hawaii Tourism Authority. The cost of the tour is $90 for adults and $55 for children under 12.
Tours are offered on Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday and can be booked on the website or by calling 930-0086. For more information, email Benson Medina@benson@hiagtourism.org.
