“How do you tie your shoes? What socks do you wear? Should I tuck my pants into my socks or wear them over my boot? What about gaiters? Do you go velcro in or out? Do you wear them all day? How much dew is there at night?”

Within minutes of meeting Tim, in person, a few years ago, I knew the authentic and exceptionally curious person I had been listening to for years via his podcast was the exact same person in real life.

Tim Ferriss is a renowned author, entrepreneur, and investor, who has cultivated a large and dedicated audience through his books and podcast, "The Tim Ferriss Show". The show is known for its in-depth interviews with high-profile guests from various fields, ranging from business and technology to art and sports. He has millions of listeners worldwide, and when he called to say - let's sit down to do a podcast - I was equally as nervous as I was excited for the opportunity to share our story with so many people. 

Our talk-story covered a lot of ground, from the history of agricultural in Hawaiʻi, to the origins of Maui Nui, to how we hire and get the best out of our incredible team. We even delve into ‘ohana stories around parenting and staying as present as possible through it all.

Mahalo nui Tim! We are grateful to have had the opportunity. 

One of the most expansive words in our ʻōlelo, in our language, is our name for the land as well as the soil, which we call ʻāina.

On the slopes of Haleakalā, Maui, ʻāina is uncommonly rich. Also called Andisols, which cover less than 1% of the planet, ʻāina here is made up of volcanic soil characterized by high fertility, high water-holding capacity, unique mineralogy, and high nutrient retention (including iron, calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, phosphorous, and sulfur.) Across Hawaiʻi, Andisols occur on the steep slopes of our volcanoes helping to sustain fragile ecosystems, providing essential nutrients and regulating the water cycle. 

There are 3 broad categories for Andisols in Hawaiʻi (Udands, Ustands, and Torrands). All of our work at Maui Nui takes place on the leeward slopes of Haleakalā, which are rich in Ustands, an Andisol that is the least weathered of the three, offering up the highest fertility and and accounting for just .05% of Earthʻs soils.

We are beginning to clue in on the process by which soil health translates to flora health that translates to fauna health. For us, the incredible nutrient density found in Mauiʻs Axis deer is a testament to the nutrition of place, to the health of ʻāina.

Beyond images of land and soil, ʻāina - a contraction of ʻai (meaning to eat) and ʻana (a present participle) - also translates to that who feeds or nourishes. More meaning is unearthed when we learn that ʻāina names not only the soil that grows food, but also extends to the food itself. When we, in turn, partake of that nourishment - we too are ʻāina. When we maintain and build soil, when we grow, produce or eat food, we enter into a manifold relationship. The health of all forms of ʻāina are then inexplicably linked. 

The beauty of our ʻōlelo is that one word can hold, buried within it, a multitude of words - of thoughts, feelings, postures, prayers. ʻĀina - just four letters, two syllables, but so rich in instruction of how to live in our places in mutual health, so rich in invitation to feed and be fed. 

In the pursuit of better and better, we have spent months doing R&D to improve both the taste and the texture of our Venison Sticks. Our latest formulas call for higher densities of venison, which translate to more protein per ounce. While our packaging is yet to be updated across the board, here is a little sneak peak… 

After our most recent testing, we now know that the Venison Sticks weʻve produced over the last two months contain more protein per ounce than what is being reflected on your packaging at home.

For our Original Sticks, protein per ounce has jumped from 6 grams to 9 grams. Likewise, our Peppered Sticks will now come in a super-simple-to-add-up 10 grams per ounce!

We continue to learn how important protein intake is for building and maintaining muscle mass and we are committed to helping you pack in the protein, easily and deliciously, day in, day out.