Blog
I went to the mill today
I went to the mill today. I answer an important question (see Below) Occasionally, someone will ask me what a coffee farmer does. “I’ll find out and get back to you.” is my answer. So I started to write down what I do so I can give an better answer. Here are my...
Know your farmer, Know your coffee!
Whether you are eating food or drinking beverages, most of the raw products we consume come from farms. Farming practices can be important to the quality of the product because what goes into it will affect the taste. Most people prefer healthy, tasty, and wholesome...
The Beautiful Birds of Hawaii
There is a big colony of red crowned parrots that roost in a large Ohia tree at the end of our field. These bright green red-heads pair-up and move out to the jungle to feed in the morning and return in the afternoon. They make a squawking raucous noise when they...
New Coffee Trees!
We plant new trees when existing trees get old or if their production declines. Many trees remain productive for 25 years or more, while others are past their prime or not as robust for a variety of reasons. We have been planting mostly grafted trees on our farms....
Water is the most essential element of life, because without it you can’t make coffee.
There is a unique inter-relationship between water and coffee that goes way back. Being a coffee farmer and a barista, the difference between these two is simple. The farmer takes all the water out of coffee, and the Barista puts it all back in. I also noticed that...
Nurture
Our coffee plants get individual attention. Every month we walk the rows and inspect each and every tree. Some need weeds pulled from around their trunks. Others need to be gently pruned by either trimming away vertical sucker shoots or lateral branches that have...
Why is Kona coffee so unique compared to other coffees?
The “Kona Coffee Belt” Currently there are only about 3,000 acres in the “Kona Coffee Belt” producing a coffee crop. The limited supply makes it a very in-demand commodity, and for good reason! Additionally, coffee plants produce one crop a year, allowing only a...
Does coffee offer health benefits?
Answer From Donald Hensrud, M.D. "Studies have shown that coffee may have health benefits, including protecting against Parkinson's disease, type 2 diabetes and liver disease, including liver cancer. Coffee also appears to improve cognitive function and decrease the...
What A Difference A Year Makes
The renovation of the Mauka farm after pruning in 2017 to new growth of 2018. The pile in the meadow is chipped up coffee tree pruning. We spread it on the bank in the foreground and it grew squash!