A Tour of O’ahu’s only Oyster Farm – October 17

A Tour of O’ahu’s only Oyster Farm – October 17
Kualoa Ranch Moli’i Fishpond, Windward Oahu,  11:30 a.m. – 12:30 a.m.

Slow Food O’ahu is excited to offer a free, private, members-only tour of O’ahu’s only oyster farm at Kualoa Ranch in Windward, Oahu, hosted by Ku’uipo McCarty of Kualoa Ranch.  After years of test growing and tedious preparation, Kualoa Ranch is pleased to announce that they are permitted to sell farm fresh live oysters! Kualoa’s stock are the first Hawaiʻi grown oysters to be sold commercially in decades! The oysters are grown and harvested out of their Moli’i lo’i. The oysters grow in our AncientHawaiʻian Fishpond for about seven months before they are harvested live, put into sterile salt water for 48 hours, then sold at their Visitor Center.

Kualoa Ranch is hoping to spearhead a local movement of oyster farming and harvesting.Hawaiʻi imports nearly 400,000 oysters per year – and Kualoa wants to change that by growing our food and cultivating everything we can from our land.Growing oysters for consumption has been a four-year-long project for Kualoa Ranch. A lot of that time was spent waiting for the Department of Health to build its shellfish certification lab and train staff on standards.

While cattle in Mainland feedlots fatten faster than grass-fed beef raised here, oysters actually grow more quickly in Hawaiʻi, thanks to the temperate weather. Kualoa Ranch’s oysters come to market size in about seven months, whereas on the Mainland, it can take 18 months to three  years.

At the moment, the oysters are only available at the ranch store for $15 a dozen.

Check out the following video on You Tube or the article in Honolulu Magazine, “Why We’re Excited About Hawaiʻi Grown Oysters from Kualoa Ranch” by Martha Cheng to learn more.

There is NO COST to attend the tour but you MUST BE A SLOW FOOD MEMBER. This event is limited to 20 people.  Please stop by the Kualoa Ranch Visitor’s Center either before or after the event, where you may purchase the bounties of Kualoa, including their oysters, shrimp, fish and beef, as well as have lunch. If you wish to purchase oysters, go to their website and place an order ahead of time.

To register, go to http://www.eventbrite.com/e/slow-food-oahu-oysters-a-molii-fishpond-tour-tickets-18751019805.  Directions to the fishpond will be provided as the date nears.

Permanent link to this article: https://www.slowfoodoahu.org/a-tour-of-oahus-only-oyster-farm-october-17/