Maris Gardens - Activities On Oahu Mililani, Hawaii

Mari's Gardens is an 18 acre farm located in a residential area of Mililani. They specialize in commercial and residential landscaping, offering a range of plants from succulents to edible fruit trees. They also have a large selection of gazebos, planters, fountains, pavers, and stone fixtures among other garden decor.

There is an acre of land dedicated to aquaponics farming where they produce Manoa lettuce, Green Oak Leaf, Red Oak Leaf, Green onions, Japanese cucumbers, tomatoes, and beets. They also continue to experiment with other crops and fish.

You can find their produce on shelves at Whole Foods, 'Umeke Market, Kokua Market, Down to Earth and at the Kailua Farmers Market every Thursday evening from 5-7:30pm. They now offer a CSA (community supported agriculture) through a prepaid subscription package.

We had made reservations for "The grand" tour which is an hour tour for $25. They also offer "the mini" 30 minute tour for $12. The grand is the way to go.

When we arrived at Mari's Garden it was like finding a hidden oasis! You wouldn't think this large of a farm could be tucked away in a residential area. You have to park outside of the farm fence.

There is a small gift shop at the front of the first building and it looks like that's where you would check in, but there was no one there. We walked around the side and were greeted by Brendon, he and his father Fred Lau opened Mari's Gardens in 2007.

We were introduced to our tour guide and off we went. First they explained how the systems work, why they use the fish and crops that they do, and what they are planning on doing as far as experimenting with other fish and plants and expansion of the aquaponics area.

Then were walked around the commercial production area, got to see the aquaponic systems in action, and asked lots of questions which were thoroughly answered by our guide. He explained how all the plants, fish, and water systems work together.

There is a beautiful outdoor dining area where they host a "Dinner in the Garden" twice per month that includes a tour of the farm and a four course meal prepared by chef Elmer Guzman of Poke Stop Waipahu .

Overall an amazing place to visit! Aquaponics and hydroponics are the future of farming.