Dream it
Our ‘permanent’ residents are extremely multi-talented and contribute extensive knowledge and wisdom to Akua Aina.
Akua Aina has evolved into an educational destination where everyone learns by sharing skills in horticulture, landscape design, animal care, carpentry & culinary activities, while living in a truly sustainable paradise!
We are currently dreaming a platform for a pavilion where we will host our farm to table gatherings, talking circles, education, and music.
Build it
Akua Aina can accommodate approximately 4 -5 interns who rotate in and out periodically. Interns typically come for 2 - 3 months then either move on or, if it works for everyone they might stay longer. We offer a lovely furnished tiny home with an outdoor deck and shower as well an upstairs furnished apartment in the barn which has a community kitchen and bathroom downstairs as living spaces. Interns enjoy the beautiful accommodations and food from the land in exchange for contributing 25 hours per week helping to tend the gardens and animals. Due to the location of the farm interns are encouraged to either purchase or rent a vehicle so that they can explore this beautiful Hawaii Island while here.
Share it
We share produce and fruits from the land with everyone living on the farm. Approximately once a month we share a FARM to TABLE community dinner amongst ourselves most Sunday evenings which often include friends and people from the greater community. During COVID our gatherings have been able to continue thankfully as we have an abundance of clean fresh air circulating across the land. We have a covered outdoor pavilion to gather in the middle of the orchard and gardens!
Get Involved
1. Work - Stay: We offer rotating opportunities for interns to join us in order to explore what this lifestyle has to offer. Some stay for a month or two, some stay for several years. If this is of interest feel free to reach out with your desired timing and specific interests and skills.
2. Fundraising: We are actively looking for people with experience in grant writing and fundraising. We look forward to building a “real” pavilion very soon and plan to have the initial platform in place by January 2022.
3. Education: We are developing education opportunities for children and all ages by offering Akua ‘Āina for workshops to learn various farming techniques (ie. Korean farming, permaculture, vermiculture & fungiculture). There is a passion here to educate young children in the art of growing food, caring for animals and living a sustainable lifestyle in harmony with nature. If you have a particular topic you would like to share please reach out and contact us and we will see how we can provide a venue to support it!
Let the beauty we love be what we do. There are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground. ~ Rumi
Testimonials
Choose one low hanging leaf
Heart-shaped
Still attached to Mother Birch
and listen to all it has to say.
The sound its slender veins make turning light to sugar.
The exaltation of wind.
Water sipped through straws of branches of the roots.
How it and its sisters communicate with birds
and how it refracts the sun in your eyes
searching for the right thing to say and when.
The queue will be obvious when it’s your turn to speak
It’s palm will fall upon yours face down.
Blind sentences touching the breath of your hand
then whispering the language that green understands.
Birch ~ by Ann Emerson
Daniel Howson and Bo
“From the moment my partner Bo and I stepped foot on the land, we had no doubt we wanted to stay. The effort that Barrie, Johanna, Peter, and all of those involved have put into creating something amazing is immediately evident from the abundance of unique plants, beautiful landscaping, a plentiful garden, and all the beauty and surprises at Akua Aina. We went to Hawaii to learn about growing organic food and living sustainably and we got so much more, from living in an off-grid tiny home to eating delicious food from the land to spending time with Barrie who is incredibly thoughtful and welcoming. Meeting Barrie is no doubt one of the greatest fortunes of my life and I encourage anybody who wants to learn how to live positively, healthfully, and sustainably to go get their hands dirty at Akua Aina.”
Zora Schoner & Campbell
“It is hard to put everything Akua Aina is into words, because it’s impossible to understand until you’re walking barefoot on the land, learning how to water plants with duck soup, caring (or being taken care of by?) chickens and the nicest golden retrievers you’ve ever met, picking more weeds than you could ever imagine in the warm sun, or sitting around a fire at a farm to fork potluck made with food you picked an hour earlier, looking up at the clearest sky and brightest stars. That was how my partner and I lived for the fall of 2020 and we are forever grateful for the memories and lessons we gained from the experience. Coming to Akua Aina during the pandemic was the biggest relief, and everyone on the farm was absolutely welcoming generous. They did everything to make a home for us, and succeeded! I feel I gained a multitude of educations, and gained a deeper understanding of everything from botany to the social dynamics involved in co-living to how to drive a tractor ;)! Being able to take a break from my computer/zoom-dominated education and get my hands in the earth was an incredible gift. I will always be grateful to Barrie for being so supportive of us taking initiative and doing tasks that called us. She embraced our curiosity and taught us so much about gardening, living off grid etc. She has created such a meaningful and rich world that I wish more people could have the opportunity to experience. I can’t wait to return, but in the meantime, I’ll be reminiscing about the beautiful, complex and whole hearted community that is Akua Aina!”
Yasi Zeichner
“Coming from a rural Vermont, I have had the perfect mixture of new and familiar experiences at Akua Aina. In just a few weeks here I’ve taken part in everything from planting and weeding in the gardens, propagating plants, and harvesting fruits and vegetables for my own meals, to construction projects, animal care (yay ducks!), and learning to drive a tractor. At Akua Aina, not only can I transfer my skills into a new context, but I feel that there is a give and take in the learning process: I exchange knowledge with others at the farm, learning new things while teaching others what I know. Personal agency as well as curiosity are encouraged here, fostering a sense of investment in shaping the environment and contributing to the farm. I also appreciate the energy that is held around planning our time and sharing our internal growth and challenges, or any need for support.
Aside from working on the land, other fun experiences abound. With my fellow interns, I’ve explored other parts of the island, started fermentation projects (kombucha, sauerkraut), and discovered new favorite foods (breadfruit, jackfruit, icecream beans, lilikoi gelato, and fresh ahi tuna). I’ve visited farmers markets and Hawaiian cultural classes, climbed magnificent banyan trees, and swum in magical waterfalls. Barrie Rose always has connections to share which offer the chance to explore and meet people. I feel sad to leave after such a short time, but I am bringing back new friendships and renewed inspiration for my life in Vermont.
Elizabeth Rose
Akua Aina is a place of Sanctuary and Growth…It’s always been a dream to have the ability to live and work in such a beautiful location as the Big Island of Hawaii, while also gaining the skills and hands on experience of living a sustainable lifestyle. For me, Akua Aina is a place where those dreams have come to be realized. Akua Aina farm is not only a beautiful example of organic homesteading and sustainability, but a wonderful space in which to work and play. It’s not just a farm, or a work-trade experience…it’s very much a sanctuary, and a space for growth on all levels.During my time at the farm I have had so many opportunities to learn, grow, and expand both personally, and in my chosen skill sets of sustainability, permaculture methodology, and garden design. The farm continually sets the stage for new opportunities to arise, and I am grateful for every new experience. More than that, the sense of community and friendship at the farm has been far beyond my expectation. It’s wonderful to share the experience of learning with amazing people, who all have their own unique contributions and gifts to share, knowing that we are working toward the common goal of improving the world in which we live.The space that Barrie creates at Akua Aina is a container of kindness, maturity, patience, and grace, which lends itself as a refuge for healing and self-work. I feel that the space held here has allowed me to expand so much in myself as a person, and growth here can’t be avoided, as it’s a natural occurrence when you are able to tap-in, and be on the land. I will carry so much of what I have learned here into my future, and I believe that being here has opened doors and possibilities for new, and beautiful things to grow in my life.Akua Aina has truly been a sanctuary and a home away from home… With immense gratitude….
Oliver Zeichner
After being at Akua Aina for three months I hold deep gratitude for this land and the people on it. The farm is an educational space and a sanctuary. I have heard it said that the true goal of farming is to grow good humans—nowhere does this seem more true than at Akua Aina! The experience is rich and varied: one day I might be caring for fruit trees and vegetable gardens, the next I am making a healing lemongrass-aloe-ginger tonic or catching a swarm of bees! I love the intentional blending of functionality—food production and systems thinking—with aesthetics and imbuing place with a sense of home. Many appreciations to Johanna and Peter for teaching through leading projects and problem solving. Gratitude to Barrie for holding circles where we all can be heard and held in a non-judgmental way. I came to Hawaii to continue my healing process and to explore a new way of seeing the world. Akua Aina has given me inspiration, community, and a sense of belonging that has been a wonderful beginning to my explorations in Hawaii. I look forward to visiting and participating at Akua Aina again in the future!