https://www.hawaiibusiness.com/hawaiian-community-managed-regenerative-tourism/

The Goal: Tourism That Regenerates Hawai‘i, Not Degrades It

HILuxury - August 2023 (oahupublications.com)

Island Fresh: Turtle Bay Resort's Revamp isn't just about the property-- its signature restaurant, Alaia, has also been transformed-. 

The world’s best beach resorts put cultural and environmental preservation front and center.

By Kathryn Romeyn, Devorah Lev-Tov, Margot Bigg, Kristin Braswell

There’s nothing quite like sinking your toes in the sand while listening to the sound of waves crashing on a beach. Ocean retreats are sanctuaries for many travelers, who often come home inspired to protect the marine settings that brought them so much joy and tranquility.

The best luxury beach resorts in the world don’t just deliver ocean views, picturesque beaches, standout design, and activities on the water. They’re also working every day to become better custodians of the ocean through their environmental and cultural stewardship. Learn more about this trend, and read on for the 15 best beach resorts around the world—in no particular order—that are going the extra mile to protect the marine habitats that inspire us all.

On the North Shore of O‘ahu, Turtle Bay Resort is the only hotel of its caliber on this less developed part of the island. Set on a 1,300-acre property—half of which has been set aside permanently for conservation—the 408 rooms and suites all have ocean views and a neutral/blue palette inspired by the surrounding area. The resort’s commitment to environmental sustainability is palpable: Meals are prepared with leafy greens, beets, and other crops from the resort’s own Kuilima Farm, a plot of land five minutes from the hotel with a farm stand and “you-pick” self-harvesting days for locals. Meanwhile, the 18-hole golf course is maintained with gray water treated by the resort’s own plant.

The resort doubles as a wildlife sanctuary. A birding experience via electric golf cart led by Captain Scott Sundby, who runs Shaka Kayaks and has lived on the North Shore for 20 years, offers a glimpse at some of the wild residents. They include the ‘alae ‘ula, or Hawaiian common gallinule, which according to Hawaiian legend got its fiery red forehead from the gods, and Hawaiian monk seals, one of the world’s most endangered seal species. The coastline here is set within the Hawaiian Island Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary, extending more than 1,200 nautical square miles; in the winter, it’s the site of humpback breeding, calving, and nursing.

The 15 Best Luxury Beach Resorts of 2023 - AFAR

The 15 Best Luxury Beach Resorts in the World

Pineapple Awards 2023: Part 1 - Pacific Business News (bizjournals.com)

Ramsey Brown, vice president of diversified agriculture, Pono Pacific

Under Brown’s leadership, Kuilima Farm — 468 acres of ag land owned by Turtle Bay Resort and managed by Pono Pacific — has achieved food safety certification under the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which will allow it to increase food security in the North Shore and surrounding communities.

How would you define “delivering an authentic Hawaii experience” and what did you do to achieve that in the last year? For me, “delivering an authentic Hawaii experience” means being in pono in my own heart and starting from a place of aloha; Aloha for others and for Hawaii. As a farm-to-resort operation, we have the privilege and responsibility of connecting our visitors to Hawaii’s farming history and sharing the importance of local food production for Hawaii’s future. In the past year, we launched our walking tours, volunteer workdays, and hosted our first school group. We are genuinely excited to host people on our farm because it is our chance to share the aloha we have for this land with other people in a tangible and tasty way!

What is your top business goal for 2023? Increase the amount of produce that Kuilima Farm can provide by ramping up our own production and also expanding collaboration with our 11 partner farmers.

What industry-specific trends and/or legislation are you planning for this year? Food safety and food hubs are two important industry trends we’re continuing to pursue. We are a USDA food safety certified farm and continue to work with the North Shore Economic Vitality Partnership to expand our certification. We also see food hubs as an important component in supporting our local farmers, increasing Hawaii’s food security, and increasing the diversity of local produce available for our visitors and our communities.

2023 Pineapple Awards Honoree Ramsey Brown

https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/2023/03/21/keeping-it-organic-pick-your-own-fresh-produce-this-north-shore-farm/

Keeping It Fresh: Pick Your Own Spring Produce at this Turtle Bay Resort Farm 

https://www.civilbeat.org/2023/02/subsistence-or-business-more-local-producers-will-need-to-bite-the-bullet-on-food-safety-as-demand-grows/

Subsistence Or Business? More Local Producers Will Need To Bite The Bullet On Food Safety As Demand Grows

Kuilima Farm looks to increase local produce distribution with new USDA certification | Business | kitv.com

Kuilima Farm Looks to Increase Local Produce Distribution with New USDA Certification 

What is Aloha Harvest? At no charge to food donors or recipients, Aloha Harvest rescues quality excess food from donors which include grocery stores, restaurants, farms and more. Aloha Harvest then delivers that food the same day to food banks and social services agencies who then distribute the food to those in need. For years Aloha Harvest has been making deliveries to our food banks on the North Shore. 

Aloha Harvest is the largest nonprofit doing this work in the State of Hawaii, since 1999 they have rescued over 24 million pounds of quality food which went into hungry stomachs instead of landfills.

Mahalo to Aloha Harvest for being our "heroes" during this unprecedented time. If you would like to partner with Aloha Harvest you will help ease both food insecurity and environmental footprint. Less food in landfills equal less greenhouse gas emissions.

alohaharvest.org/donate-food or 808-537-6945.

Aloha Harvest Rescuing Food to Feed the North Shore Community

Turtle Bay Resort's management team and volunteers from Pono Pacific handed out support kits complete with fresh produce, rice, spam, and eggs along with personal care items like toilet paper yesterday. More than 420 employees participated in the drive-by event at the resort on O‘ahu's North Shore, where they also picked up freshly-grilled hamburgers and hot dogs.

Supplies were purchased by Turtle Bay Resort or donated by local companies like Cackle Fresh Egg Farm and Y. Hata & Co.

Nearly 1,500 pounds of fresh produce like tomatoes and bananas were donated from Kuilima Farms, as part of Turtle Bay and Pono Pacific's newly launched COVID-19 Farmer Produce Purchase Assistance Program.

Turtle Bay Resort hands out fresh produce to its employees

Turtle Bay Resort Hands Out Fresh Produce to Its Employees

Spectrum donated $5,000 to the Hawaii Foodbank, as part of the company’s community philanthropic program, Spectrum Employee Community Grants. The funding will allow the food bank to provide food for more than 12,000 meals to individuals and families in need.

HomeWorld Furniture donated $7,950 to HUGS, Help, Understanding & Group Support, for Hawaii’s seriously ill children and their families. Funds were raised from customer donations through HomeWorld Furniture’s Stressless “Chairity” promotion throughout Oahu, Maui and Hawaii Island.

The Locations Foundation, the independent real estate firm’s charitable foundation, announced the following contributions to local nonprofit organizations that support Hawaii residents affected by the coronavirus:

• 25,000 surgical masks, a $21,000 value, to be distributed to local hospitals and nonprofit organizations that work with the public.

• $5,000 to Hawaii Meals on Wheels, which continues to deliver meals to its most vulnerable clients.

• $5,000 to the Hawaii Foodbank, which has seen a dramatic increase in demand for food.

• $1,750 to Hawaiian Hope to purchase 500 computer mice to complete full computer packages that are distributed to families and children in need of a computer.

Entrepreneurs’ Organization Hawaii, a chapter of the global Entrepreneurs’ Organization, donated $10,000 in protective face masks to The Queen’s Medical Center and other medical providers on Oahu.

Teddy's Bigger Burgers donated 100 meals to The Queen's Medical Center as a "thank you" for its work on the frontlines treating coronavirus patients in the Islands.

Homebridge Hawaii, a mortgage lending firm, is delivering meals to hospital workers on the frontlines of the COVID-19 crisis, in partnership with nonprofit med4ourworld. Homebridge delivered 100 meals to The Queen’s Medical Center. Later this month the privately-held firm plans to deliver meals to several other Hawaii health centers including Pali Momi Medical Center, Straub Medical Center and Kapiolani Medical Center for Women and Children.

To help combat the lack of supplies in the Islands, Ohana Health Plan donated 26,000 units of personal protective equipment to Hawaii Healthcare Emergency Management, which coordinates supplies and equipment for health care providers to be distributed to local hospitals.

To support the farmers of Kuilima Farms and the North Shore community during the coronavirus pandemic, Turtle Bay Resort and Pono Pacific have launched the COVID-19 Farmer Produce Purchase Assistance Program. Over the next three months, Pono Pacific will coordinate the purchase of fresh produce grown on the agricultural lands mauka of the Turtle Bay Resort, which will be donated to the Resort’s team members and North Shore residents.

https://www.bizjournals.com/pacific/news/2020/04/17/corporate-citizenship-companies-giving-back.html

Corporate Citizenship: Companies giving back

Corporate Citizenship: Companies Giving Back

by Olivia Peterkin - Web Editor, Pacific Business News

As a way to support farmers in Hawaii's North Shore communities amid the coronavirus pandemic, Turtle Bay Resort and Pono Pacific Land Management LLC recently teamed up to launch the COVID-19 Farmer Produce Purchase Assistance Program.

As part of the program, over the next three months, Pono Pacific will coordinate the purchase of produce grown on the farm lands mauka of the Turtle Bay Resort, which will then be donated to North Shore residents and the resort's employees. Some of the harvested produce that Turtle Bay will purchase include papaya, tomatoes and cucumber.

"Turtle Bay Resort is proud to partner with Pono Pacific to keep our local farmers growing on the North Shore, and ensure no community members go hungry during this difficult time," said Jerry Gibson, vice president of Turtle Bay Resort, in a statement.

Pono Pacific manages the 468-acre farm and will facilitate product purchases from each farmer, who can receive up to $2,500 a month in credit earned from produce purchases.

North Shore community members can pick up free produce from Kuilima Farms on April 17, and 24, as part of H3RC's Food Drop Fridays, a weekly food distribution program for families and individuals in need. Food Drop Fridays are held at 12:30p.m. next to the Pupukea Foodland, across from Shark's Cove.

Kahuku La Hui Foundation recently received 400 lbs of cucumbers and 120 lbs of tomatoes fromt he farmers for distribution to residents in Koolauloa.

Fresh fruit and vegetables are still available for purchase at the Kuilima Farms roadside farm stand located across from Kawela Bay, open daily from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

"We are gratefull that Turtle Bay Resort is stepping up in this time of great need to support our Kuilima farmers, who work hard each and every day to put food on the table for Hawaii's families and supply local restaurants," said Chris Lee, vice president of farm operations at Pono Pacific, in a statement. "This support enables our famers to plan and plant for the future, ensuring that Kuilima Farms can continue to grow fresh produce for our island communities for years to come."

Farmer produce purchase program aids North Shore communities

Farmer Produce Purchase Program Aids North Shore Communities

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