We believe a meal on Kauai should be unique and represent the abundance, flavors and cultures of the island.! Our experience offers a showcase of what grows on Kauai in our regenerative food forest: A collection of exotic and delicious foods brought to Hawai`i from all corners of the globe. Coffee, pineapple, tree tomato, kava, mamak'i, heart of palm, papaya, bananas, and more! More importantly it demonstrates a model for how food can be grown in harmony with nature, planted in concert so there is no need for imported fertilizers and pesticides. The tour concludes with a family style meal to savor and enjoy while celebrating the delicious diversity that exists on Kauai all while exploring our mission here at Common Ground. 100% Island sourced because it should be, from the cooking oil to the seasonings. Feel free to grab beer or wine from the bar to relax into a perfect island evening in a beautiful tropical farm setting.
Posted By : Sandra_O
Enjoyed walking the grounds and seeing the actual farm. Learned some new tips in gardening and enjoyed the food. Tried some dishes I would have never ordered but definitely enjoyed
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Posted On : 2024-05-05 18:32:44 
Posted By : Melina_Q
Educational and tasty! I was inspired to look at my own garden differently and how I can make it sustainable. Recommended!
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Posted On : 2024-05-03 18:24:46
Posted By : orchardviewestate
Overpriced for what it is. I chose this activity based on great reviews, however for $120, I cannot recommend. I love what they are doing with the regenerative farming idea. They just need to be a little more refined in their group experiences.
The tour guide, while quite charming, did not speak loudly or toward the group. He did not wait for the entire group to arrive prior to speaking and did not make time for questions. His voice trailed off at the end of nearly every sentence so, if you were in the back, good luck hearing anything. It would've been really nice to have a handout of the plants he was identifying for us so those of us who couldn't hear would have at least been able to know what we were looking at.
I appreciate how they are trying to serve food grown only on their farm and a neighboring farm however, it was very bland and not worth the price. There were no labels next to any of the dishes so we had no idea what we were eating. The chef made note to mention that he threw some hot chilies in one of the beet salads at the last minute. I'm not sure why he thought this was a good idea. It made one of the limited dishes inedible for anyone with heat sensitivity. If he was going to do that, he should have done it to only half the salad and it should've been planned, not an afterthought. It would have been much better to serve a really good, flavorful meal with all of the foods they hope to grow someday as a tie into their project.
I hope they get these things sorted out. I really do want them to succeed. As-is, this is no more than a $50 experience.
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Posted On : 2024-04-30 01:34:05 
Posted By : lrauzi
The tour itself, though interesting to some degree, was only a tour of a sampling regenerative farm. It wasn’t a tour of a whole farm as it is still in planning process. So we saw a few plants we hadn’t before, but we didn’t find it very educational. Don't get me wrong, the idea and movement they are growing toward is excellent. So we chalked it up as supporting them.
The meal was completely made with ingredients harvested within a small mile radius, so though it was colorful and healthy, it was a little limited in its creativity. Prime rib was excellent and the salad too. Side dishes lacked. Only spicy sauce was provided.
All in all it was good, but not excellent for what you pay.
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Posted On : 2024-04-20 17:30:02
Posted By : briancE4572GP
My family and I really enjoyed our experience at Common Ground. We arrived early and made the easy hike (walk) up to the dam, before returning to enjoy a pre-tour cocktail. The food forest is an impressive example of regenerative agriculture and the guide was very informative. The food at the meal was fantastic. A really impressive demonstration of what can be done with locally grown plants.
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Posted On : 2024-04-15 14:09:20
Posted By : 561stevenz
Went with my wife and some friends. The experience was truly wonderful-the tour through the farm and the explanation of regenerative farming was fascinating. The meal, using food harvested from the farm, was delicious. I would recommend without hesitation
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Posted On : 2024-04-12 16:08:08
Posted By : PDXer59
The farm tour was excellent and very informative and the meal was truly delicious. The setting and views were beautiful.
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Posted On : 2024-04-05 03:57:49
Posted By : Paripatetico
I am not a raving environmentalist. I am not a member of Greenpeace. I try to “reduce, reuse and recycle” as much as possible, and encourage others to do the same. So I was a little out of my element here.
The thesis is plausible: unless Hawaiians learn to change their way of doing food production, the islands will always be dependent on food imports and will not attain food security. They will continue to suffer the ravages of foreign “mono-crop” industrial giants, as exhibited by the pineapple and sugar cane plantations of the past millennium. Our guide managed to sneak in a couple of torpedoes aimed at the golf course industry, with its wasteful use of land for utterly frivolous purposes.
I get the narrative about food security. I get the idea that locally sustainable small farms would improve food security and make efficient and sustainable use of arable land on Kauai. I believe that the industrialization of food production poses some real risks to the long term sustainability of the planet (even while it has made starvation rare, aside from arenas of human conflict).
Here’s the thing: the day before taking this tour, I was treated to a round of golf by a friend. I saw acres and acres of green adjacent to scrubby little bushes and dry grassy areas. The whole thing appeared quite sustainable and environmentally friendly (I didn’t ask about their use of herbicides). While one could legitimately question the scale/quantities of land devoted to a “silly little game” in the bigger picture of ecological health, it came off sounding rather doctrinaire and self-righteous.
So you will be educated, and kinda preached at, too. The ideas are sound; whether or not they are practical remains to be seen. In the meantime, it doesn’t hurt one to rethink one’s assumptions about food and food production, so I will keep an open mind.
Speaking of keeping open, I kept my mouth open for the supper which followed the tour (it’s a very tiny tour, about 100 steps in all). The chef is terrific; this tour passes the taste test with flying colors!
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Posted On : 2024-03-26 22:53:34
Posted By : johnrC2337YC
Very interesting to see how they are bringing back sustainable agriculture and great food grown right there and from the immediate area.
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Posted On : 2024-03-24 18:01:05
Posted By : Thomas_D
Interesting tour. Great food. Friendly staff. Enjoyed hike to stone dam. No insects .
People in our group were from all over USA. It was interesting speaking to them about their experiences.
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Posted On : 2024-03-08 13:57:43
