Da Farm was started by Alyssa Lee and Jimi Cortez. While we were both born and raised on the island of Oahu, our paths didn’t cross until we were working in the restaurant industry in San Francisco, CA. Both obsessed with anything delicious, food brought us together and influenced many of our decisions. Inspired by the numerous amazing chefs and purveyors we were able to work alongside, we learned the importance of knowing where your food comes from and how it is grown. We quickly grew to idolize many of the farmers, craftsmen, and suppliers that we were fortunate to come across. 

During a trip back on Oahu visiting family and friends, a seed was planted in our imagination that maybe we could bring a little bit of what we saw and loved about the Bay Area food industry to Hawai’i. When we learned about the amazing resources that GoFarm Hawaii was providing to novice and experienced individuals interested in entering the agricultural industry, we acted quickly and found ourselves on a one-way flight back to the islands with our fingers crossed that we would be accepted into the program. In the summer of 2019 we graduated from GoFarm as a part of the Windward Cohort 9 along with some incredibly motivated and talented new friends and farmers. We currently farm on a quarter acre property in the heart of Waimanalo. We focus on crop diversity, seasonality, and sustainable practices. We grow food in a manner that respects the land and takes into account the health and well-being of those that will consume it. If we wouldn’t feed it to our ohana, we wouldn’t sell it to yours. “Health is wealth, and ital is vital.”

Aloha,

Da Farm