If you love to eat pineapple, are interested in supporting local businesses in Hawaii, and want to learn more about the process of planting and harvesting pineapple, you must take a tour of Hole in the Mountain Farm while visiting Kauai. This is a working farm and they offer tours on Thursdays only at 10 a.m.
Reservations are required in advance by email. Include the date and number of people wanting to participate. After this, owners Jude and Paul Huber will reply to you with a confirmation and directions to the farm. The cost of the tour is $85 for adults, $45 for preteen children, and free for children four and under. Payment will be collected on the day of the tour and credit cards are accepted.
There are a limited amount of people that will be accepted for each tour and they often fill up, so reserve your spot early. As a point of reference, the farm is located in Moloaa, which is a small town between Anahola and Kilauea. It’s about a 30-minute drive north of the Lihue Airport or a 30-minute drive south of Hanalei.
The tour guides and owners at Hole in the Mountain Farm, Jude and Paul have a great sense of humor, are friendly, and are very knowledgeable about pineapple. During the tour, participants will get to walk through some of the fields, hear about the farm, talk about the history of pineapple in Hawaii, and learn all about growing pineapple.
The Hole in the Mountain Farm is home to more than 250,000 Kauai Sugarloaf White Pineapple plants and the guide will show you plants that are in all stages of development. You will get to see the red heart stage, the flowering stage, immature fruit, and mature fruit. If Mother Nature cooperates, each participant will be able to harvest a small Kauai Sugarloaf Pineapple from the field. This will be yours to keep and take home. Participants will also be able to plant their own Kauai Sugarloaf Pineapple in a newly prepared field.
The tour guide will harvest some ripened pineapples so that everyone can experience the taste of freshly harvested pineapple. Nothing compares to this experience, especially since this pineapple is unique. It is sweet, low in acid, nearly white-colored, and tender, not fibrous. You can even eat the core. It might be difficult to appreciate regular grocery store pineapple after this experience, but don’t let that worry stop you.
At the end of the Hole in the Mountain Farm tour, everyone will receive a Paulie’s Pineapple Phrostie. This is a frozen delight that is made of 100% Kauai Sugarloaf Pineapple. It tastes much like soft-serve ice cream. You will also have the chance to further support the farm by purchasing some other items, such as t-shirts, tank tops, dehydrated Kauai Sugarloaf Pineapple, Kauai Sugarloaf Pineapple salsa, and jam made by Monkeypod jam.
Keep in mind that it’s not natural for pineapples to grow in all stages year-round. The owners have manipulated the process to allow for this, but sometimes Mother Nature does not cooperate. Even if not all stages are available to be viewed or there is not fresh pineapple at the moment, the tour is still well worth the experience.
Insider Tips:
-You can have fresh Kauai Sugarloaf Pineapple shipped to your home in the United States from Hole in the Mountain Farm.
-With an encyclopedic knowledge of pineapple, Jude can answer all of your burning questions about the fruit, so come prepared.