Local Produce. Extraordinary Taste.

Lolo Gardens is becoming a reality! And I'm still single, which I think was part of the reason for starting this blog... to open a bakery and get a boyfriend, right? Well, it just goes to show some things are easier said than done. (Wonder if the fact that I am spending a Thursday night blogging in old PJs while eating cookie dough, drinking a warmish beer and watching Sex and The City reruns has anything to do with the latter. I vow I will hit the town this weekend. But tonight its me & my Mac and some calories.)

But I digress. Lolo Gardens is for real.  The logo is finalized. The business cards are at the printer. The website has a landing page. The Organic Certification Research is underway. The Macadamia Nut and Avocado partnerships have been forged. I'm working on an 'in' for Mangos, Kabochas and Lemons. I've purchased packaging for my mini media kits. I wrote a bunch of copy. I'm brainstorming my cocktail-focused herbs display and packaging. Next week I'm finalizing my market vendor application kits and baking up some winners.

Here's a sneak peak:








An Urban Homestead.
Small-scale agriculture and sustainable living practices within view of the Honolulu skyline.
Home of pesticide-free, heirloom-focused gardening, tropical fruits, buzzing honeybees and happy and healthy free-range hens. 

Local Produce. Extraordinary Taste.

Fresh from the Farm: Free-range Brown Eggs. Lilikoi (Purple and Yellow varieties of Passion Fruit). Tangerines. Strawberry Guavas. Apple Bananas. Heirloom Tomatoes. Purple and Pink Sweet Potatoes. Tempting Figs. Creamy Avocados. Rosy Pomegranates. And a variety of Cocktail and Culinary-friendly Herbs: Green Culinary Sage. Lemon Grass. Mint. Rosemary. Thyme. Purple Opal and Sweet Green Basil.








An Artisan Bakery.
Hearty muffins, creamy curds and extraordinary baked goods.
Partnering Lolo Gardens with other local farmers to create island-inspired treats, naturally.

Local Produce. Extraordinary Taste.

Our Famous Muffins: Kabocha (Local Pumpkin) Cream Cheese. Macadamia Nut and Pineapple Morning Glory. Kona Coffee and North Shore Chocolate Chunk. Blueberry Bran with Mango Middles. Kabocha Cheddar Spice.  Corn with Avocado and Raspberry. Meyer Lemon and Sour Cream Cranberry.

Our Creamy Curds: Classic Lilikoi. North Shore Lime. Meyer Lemon. Honey Tangerine. 
How do you enjoy a creamy English-style curd? Spread it on a freshly crisped english muffin, crumpet or hearty toast for a sweet and decadent twist. Drizzle it over ice cream. Fill cupcakes before frosting for a sweet and tart surprise. Or simply, with spoon and jar in hand, savoring every last drop.

Want to find us at a Farmers Market? Special Orders? Questions?
Contact Lolo Gardens: Info@LoloGardens.com      

So yup, I'm on my way. Good stuff to come. Maybe a boyfriend too :)

An Organic Approach

Did you know that many small farms that practice Organic Farming can't label themselves as such because there are such stringent rules for claiming Organicness? I think its something like the land itself has to have been farmed organically for the previous three years and you've got to be a saint who lets the slugs feast away on your lettuces whilst pretending that you also don't mind that the birds are pecking into your plump tomatoes. And you've got to blatantly deny that any of the residue from your neighboring non-organic farming neighbor's pesticide sprays are drifting onto your crops in the tradewinds. Plus it's expensive to apply for the certification. It's a lot to think about and it's a lot to swallow for a small farmer.

Lolo Gardens is not Organic. I wish I had all the time in the world to patiently pick off individual slugs as they creep into my beds of greens. I wish I could claim that my home was never sprayed for termites. I wish I had time to sing to my flowers to encourage them to grow. But I don't. Sluggo (a 'non-toxic' version of slugicide, at least) is my friend. I make the best of what I have and try to treat my yard like its my bedroom- nothing too toxic or harmful allowed. But I am not a saint.

But I am planning to try. Maybe you could call it a resolution. This year I will strive to be successful in a quest to live in an Organic world. I will try to use only natural fertilizer (aka, chicken poo) for my flowers. I will continue to feed the birds natural 'veggie feed crumbles' offset by kitchen scraps. I will plant heirloom varieties of fruits and veggies and project love and affection to everything in the yard, wishing it a happy growth spurt. And I will try to Organically approach the one aspect of my life that needs all the help it can get. I am making a vow to try to date organically.

What the heck does that mean?  In the words of Bridget Jones, it means I will not date 'emotional fuckwidts or perverts', trustafarians or anyone toxic to my system. I will not try to wring life from a dead connection. I will not sign up for dating websites to go out with men who can only summon charm through a computer screen. I will not get hung up on timelines or ticking clocks. In my personal world of organicness, there is no 3-year moratorium- it will begin being Organic right now.

So- like a garden taking the good (ripe tomatoes and happy birds) with the bad (slugs and snails), I will put on makeup and put myself out there this year. I will take the bad (awkward conversations at a gas pump anyone?) with hopefully some of the really good (maybe he's out there after all?). And I promise to write about it... Ha. Like I could keep it to myself.

Quality Time

May I suggest a few ways to spend the last few days of being 32? The last few days of the Year of the Rabbit? The first few days of an uneventful 2012?

First- watch plenty of DVDs. Gravitate toward the 'You'll find love in your 30's. Really. Don't give up!' Genre. May I suggest the following:

• Beginners (LOVE this new favorite)
• Bridget Jones' Diary
• 500 Days of Summer (yeah, they were probably in their 20s... but its still a cute & quirky pic)
• Leap Year (give me a beautiful Irish man any day)

Second- Devour every last Christmas Cookie in the house. Then move onto the chocolates. You don't even like chocolate. But you must have something sweet to chew on while glazing over on the chic flick films.

Third- Nap. Often. Don't feel guilty.

Fourth- Drink Tea. With leftover Eggnog. Who cares if it's past the pull date. It's not chunky or smelly yet. Drink up.

Fifth- Decide you don't have enough crazy chickens in the yard and sign up for a few more in a March hatch. Actually, this is probably a bad idea. But it happened.

Sixth-  Get comfortable with the idea of 2012 being the Year of the Water Dragon. I've been told that this is the year to get things done. That the Water Dragon year moves swiftly like a river- jump in and start swimming, and don't get washed away. Caution to not spread yourself too thin. Encouragement to take control.  This will be the year of the Urban Homestead and Bakery. Lolo Gardens will be launched. A logo will be finalized, recipies will be developed and clients will be found. But I still have a week of lazing and eating and napping before I have to start getting serious.

Excuse me, but I have a movie to watch and some chocolate to eat.

A hui hou,

Shay