As a fourth-generation farmer, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa School of Travel Industry Management (TIM School) alumna Kylie Matsuda-Lum sees her role at Kahuku Farms as more than carrying on a family business. Located on Oʻahu‘s North Shore, the farm represents more than 100 years of hard work, resilience and connection to ʻāina. Today, it has grown into a vibrant gathering place with a farm café, retail products and agritourism experiences rooted in food, community and local agriculture.
“We often say that while ‘farm-to-table’ has become popular these days, in our case, we brought the tables to the farm,” she said.
Matsuda-Lum, along with her husband and sister, saw carrying on the family farm as both an honor and a responsibility. They also understood that sustaining the business would require diversification.
Farming in Hawaiʻi comes with many risks, from rising costs and unpredictable weather to tight margins, infrastructure challenges and food waste. To keep the farm moving forward, they knew they needed to get creative.
Opening the farm café gave the family a way to reduce waste, highlight what they were already growing and turn imperfect produce into something meaningful and delicious. A slightly bruised banana could become a smoothie, a curved eggplant could find its way into a veggie panini and extra lilikoi could become the family’s lilikoi butter, along with jams, dressings and chocolate made from cacao grown on the farm.
Beyond offering fresh food and value-added products, the family wanted to create connection. That passion ultimately became Kahuku Farms’ mission: connecting food, people and ʻāina through authentic farming experiences. Matsuda-Lum says agritourism has become a meaningful way to share the story of local agriculture while helping create a more sustainable future for Kahuku Farms.
Matsuda-Lum’s commitment to Hawaiʻi‘s visitor industry was recognized earlier this year at the college’s annual Celebrate a Legacy in Tourism gala, where she was inducted into the TIM Alumni Hall of Honor. She credits her TIM School experience with helping her build a strong foundation in hospitality, business and leadership. It also helped her see the value and potential in her family’s business.
“Most importantly, it gave me the confidence to step into a leadership role and pursue ideas that weren’t always traditional, but felt authentic to our family, our farm and our vision for the future,” she said.
For the entire story and more stories like this, see the spring/summer 2026 edition of Shidler Business.
