Be prepared to get muddy! Welcome to our Mālama Experience! Kalo (taro) is an ancient plant and holds great cultural significance for native Hawaiians. Kalo has been an important traditional food crop for centuries. The kalo patch we'll be visiting today is nestled in a scenic valley, providing the ideal conditions for growing this special plant. Our guide will share the history of how Hawaiians first cultivated taro and its role in their diet and customs. Did you know that Kalo is considered our staple crop and is so integral to our culture? We will also explain the planting and cultivation process, which is entirely done by hand even today. We'll have a chance to walk through the fields and get an up-close look. Pay attention to the various stages of growth as some patches contain smaller plant starts while others have towering mature taro plants with heart-shaped green leaves. Be sure to notice the underground corms and roots that are the actual part we eat. At the end of the tour, you'll have a new appreciation for this humble but culturally significant plant that has sustained the Hawaiian people for centuries.