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FARMING, SERVING MEDICINAL HERBS DECEMBER 14, 2016 Please tell us about your business. Doug: We are a medicinal herb farm serving tea, powders, culinary spices, hydrosols and salves. We grow more than 70 different botanicals on the property. Genna: Everything is planted from seed, harvested and handcrafted on our Kilauea farm. What kind of remedies do your herbs provide? Genna: We have herbs in our blends that can help in many ways, like boosting circulation, aiding digestion and calming the nervous system. We grow the comfrey plant, which is really good for bone, muscle and ligaments. Doug: The teas calm the system, and bring unique and diverse vitamins and minerals into your system. Genna: Basically, we grow herbs for every type of ailment or injury. We're trying to bring back the lost art of plant medicine. Can people use these herbs on a daily basis? Doug: We create products that can easily be integrated into your lifestyle. We've created all of these products comprised of herbs like lemongrass, tulsi and ginger that are used in diets around the world daily. And so, for us, those are the kind of herbs that make their way into all of our teas, then we layer in the medicinal nature of our teas. That way they can be drunk daily. Genna: And because some of us are really busy, we can't always maybe brew a pot of tea, so we make culinary spices you can sprinkle onto food that can give you a boost of energy throughout the day, like our Green Energy powder. We also have hydrosols, like Tulsi hydrosol that's amazing for calming the respiratory system, and Comfrey hydrosol that helps our bones and ligaments, and our Tea Tree hydrosol, which is antibacterial. You can use them topically or aromatically.
Genna Wolkon of Kauai Farmacy is committed to sharing the benefits of plant medicine with as many people as possible Coco Zickos Photos Why did you decide to open up this business? Doug: When we moved to Kauai from the East Coast, we started this farm because we believed in the power of the plants and we believe they have the power to heal people, specifically if grown on Kauai. What's the most rewarding aspect of your business? Genna: Being empowered to have plant medicine at our fingertips for our wellbeing and our children. I can't even tell you how many times we've relied on the plants to get us through situations. Doug: And shipping it abroad and seeing our friends, family and others heal from the teas. Also, we have about eight people working here and we always have a couple of volunteers - these are people who dream of doing this but there aren't that many opportunities. That's another rewarding aspect - that we're providing that opportunity to be part of a local medicinal and botanical movement. Where can people purchase your products? Doug: Saturday morning at the farmers market in Kilauea. We also have a few teas in all the health food stores, like Papayas and Harvest Market. We also are in restaurants, including JO2 and Hukilau Lanai, and we do a significant amount of online business.
Kauai Farmacy sells an assortment of products made with fresh, healing herbs Are there ways can people learn more about your business? Doug: We have a YouTube channel. We're trying to create transparency so you can learn where your plant medicine is coming from. Genna: We're being really candid and open about sharing everything from seed to harvest to how we dehydrate. We use the videos to educate people about how the herbs help and how people can use them. kauaifarmacy.com 828-6525 -Coco Zickos
One acre, 60 plants!
Doug says "Heal yo' self!" I love this T-shirt, I sport mine all the time!
Cacao pods—money does grow on trees.
Tea tree; Bele spinach (AKA hibiscus)
The dehydrating system.
The giant dehydrators and racks of herbs.
Genna, constantly radiating a smile.
Their standout products:
In a setting that overlooks the spectacular Mount Makana, the 'Auinala Ki Afternoon Tea is an occasion not-to-be-missed at The St. Regis Princeville Resort. The delectable menu combines the diverse exotic ingredients and delicacies of Kauaÿi with traditional fare, truly making it an experience like no other.
It was Caroline Astor, mother of St. Regis founder John Jacob Astor IV, who elevated afternoon tea to a new level by introducing the ritual at dignified gatherings at her house in Manhattan in the late 19th century. It’s a tradition that The St. Regis celebrates worldwide, however in Hawai'i, it’s given its own unique island-inspired twist.
The 'Auinala Ki menu ranges from the more familiar terrain with the ÿOhana Ki (family tea) to epic fusions in the Ali'i Ki menu, inclusive of a glass of sommelier selected Champagne or The St. Regis Princeville Resort’s signature Aloha Mary, notable for its inclusion of exotic sea asparagus, which adds a salty punch. The option for a private Champagne sabrage (uncorking by saber) is available upon request, adding to sense of occasion.
The delightful Scones Collection is elevated with the choice of guava, pineapple, and coconut macadamia varieties served with liliko'i (passion fruit) curd, along with the traditional favorite, Devonshire Double cream.
The innovative Sandwiches Collection is the perfect way to enjoy a sampling of fresh island fare, such as Kamuela Tomatoes from Hawaiÿi Island, Maui Onions, garden fresh arugula, basil, seasonal vegetables and goat cheese from Kaua'i’s own Kunana Dairy. Local preparations inspire the sandwich selection from huli (rotated in a flame) chicken to delectable lomi-lomi (literally massage) where sea salt is massaged into raw salmon with tomatoes and onions.
The eye-popping and stomach-pleasing Pastry Collection honors local fruits, nuts, seeds, and, the local staple poi (taro), distinct to Hawai'i in the form of granola bars. Decadent coconut and guava macaroons, mango, lime, and pineapple tartlets and Hawaiian chocolate cake complete the authentic spread of Pacific regional desserts.
Superior tea, unlike any in the world, is the crown jewel. Kauai Farmacy has created a special blend for The St. Regis Princeville Resort. The signature Guava Kai is “a mildly tart and fruity blend of invigorating and alkalizing herbs.” Owner of Kauai Farmacy Doug Wolkon says, “Nothing is more powerful than the 'aina of the Garden Island to produce our teas.” Calming, energizing, medicinal or detoxifying—whatever your pleasure, you will find a tea that satisfies your desire in a setting like no other.
'Auinala Ki Afternoon Tea is served daily from 3pm to 5pm. Reservations are required at least one day in advance.
-By Mary Troy Johnston
As my husband Dan and I walk through a thriving garden with exotic herbs including tulsi, mamaki and ashwagandha, The gardener pours Tropical Hibiscus tea from an insulated teapot into metal mugs. Stevia makes the tea sweet, and roselle, guava leaf, star fruit leaf, lemon-grass and tulsi lend a bright, tangy taste. We are at Kauai Farmacy, an herb farm in Kilauea that grows, cures, presses and blends medicinal teas. After two years of research and development, Doug Wolkon, his wife Genna are rolling out fresh tea with maximum medicinal value.
Doug Wolkon in front of the solar-powered, ventilation-based drying system.
Daniel Lane photos Kauai Farmacy makes a line of medicinal products for the kitchen and bath “We grow a diverse range of herbs using organic fertilizers,” explains Doug, “and we use a ventilation-based drying system, which maintains medicinal value.” Walking past cinnamon and allspice trees, Doug explains the intricacies of blending tonic herbs, which are herbs that can be eaten regularly and promote general health throughout the body. Powerful herbs are beneficial on their own, but Kauai Farmacy’s tea blends are synthesized with complementary herbs. “Two plus two equals five,” says Doug, as we brush past billowy edible hibiscus leaves. “Lemongrass is great. Tulsi is great. But together, they’re superpowers!” After admiring a tulsi bush with tiers of tiny, pale-lavender flowers, I point out an enormous shrub with fat green leaves and purple veins. “That is a special mamaki plant,” says Aaron of the endemic plant that native Hawaiians use medicinally (for more information on mamaki, see this week’s Farmers Market column). “We grow four varieties, two of which are not so common.” The two-stage drying area is just past a span of comfrey, gotu kola and lemongrass. Herbs wilt on outdoor drying racks, which hang from the ceiling. Later, they are placed in a solar dehydrator that Doug and Aaron made. The intricate system is designed to safely dehydrate plants in high humidity. Large tins filled with dry herbs and spices fill the shelves in the blending room. Doug opens a tray of dried chili peppers, and I take a whiff. They smell fresh and pungent.
