No one vacations in Hawaii to pick fruit. A new chef-led tour changes that

A Honolulu chef is asking tourists to help pick produce during their stay on Oahu. It’s a hand-on way of learning what farm-to-table means in Hawaii and seeing something besides the world-famous beaches.

Chef Ed Kenney, the owner of Town restaurant, has teamed up with the Surfjack Hotel & Swim Club to whisk guests from bustling Waikiki to the tranquil farms of West Oahu.

Kenney and the hotel’s Casea Collins-Wright have organized the seven-hour Aloha Aina tour, which translates roughtly to “affection for the land,� as an adventure that’s the complete opposite of a day sunning on the beach.

Participants divide their time between two nonprofit, organic farms near the town of Waianae, about 30 miles from Honolulu. At Kahumana Farms and Ma’o Organic Farms, guests learn about the importance of the locally-sourced foods featured on the menu at Kenney’s newest venture, Mahina & Sun’s, a restaurant at the Surfjack.

Visitors are encouraged to get their hands dirty as they explore the land and learn about fruits and vegetables grown in this seldom-visited part of Oahu. Tastings of produce and a home-cooked lunch are included.

The tour costs $120 for adults and $90 for kids 12 and younger; it’s open to hotel guests and the public. The excursion includes round-trip transportation from Waikiki.

Reservations are required; tours are held the first and third Thursdays of the month. Call (808) 923-8882 for specific dates.

Formerly the Hokele Suites, the Surfjack underwent major renovations before reopening last April. The hotel at 412 Lewers St. is roughly a half-mile walk from Waikiki Beach.

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