The Big Island Farm Bureau has teamed up with local farmers to create
Hawaii AgVentures—a way to learn about and sample the diverse
tastes and agricultural splendors of Hawaii Island. Visit farms that
grow lavendar, vanilla, bananas, macadamia nuts, cacao beans, and
more. Talk to an orchid grower, or learn how to make a lei. Explore
cattle ranches and coffee plantations. Sample tropical fruit wines
where they’re produced. Enjoy a BBQ dinner with a cattle-ranching
family, or a tea tasting of island-grown Camellia sinensis.
Group tours include
Chocolate Treats & Tropical Temptations
(Kona Joe coffee plantation, Original Hawaii Chocolate Factory);
Pele’s Bounty
(Kalapana Tropicals orchid nursery, Hilo Coffee Mill, Green Point
Nursery;
Mauka to Makai
(Parker
Ranch, Honopua Farm,
Merriman's Restaurant, and the Natural Energy Lab of Hawaii, whose
research includes the farming of abalone and lobsters); and
Taste of Kamuela
(Waimea Homestead Farmers Market, Honopua Farm, a Hawaiian lunch and
hula, Kahua Ranch).
Hawaii AgVentures can also assist you in putting together an itinerary
for solo visits targeted to your specific interests. Some farms and
other sites are open to the public, but others are available only by
appointment. Among the many interesting sites:
Cacao Pod and
Beans
The
Original
Hawaiian Chocolate Factory produces the only 100% Hawaiian
chocolate on the planet—grown, harvested, processed, and packaged
right on the Big Island. Cacao beans are grown on volcanic soil in a
6-acre, 1300-tree orchard surrounding the owner's Kona Coast home.
After cacoa pods are harvested, the beans are removed, fermented,
dried on racks for up to 28 days, and then roasted. From there the
resultant cocoa nibs are combined with cocoa butter and other
ingredients to produce chocolate.
Hawaiian Vanilla Company cultivates, hand-pollinates, and
distributes Hawaiian vanilla on the Hamakua Coast (the in-depth
presentation on how vanilla orchids are grown is fascinating). A
gallery and gift shop are on site, and you can indulge in various
repasts, from upcountry tea brunch to a gourmet four-course luncheon.
The Kona Coffee Belt is a must for coffee-lovers. This narrow stretch
of land on the western slopes of Mauna Loa and Hualalai, about 2 miles
wide, runs parallel to the ocean and contains more than 700 Kona
coffee farms. Many are open to visitors, offering a chance to learn
how coffee is hand-picked and roasted. At the
Kona Coffee Living History Farm you’ll stroll through coffee and
macadamia nut orchards and tour an historic farmhouse, while costumed
interpreters answer questions about the daily lives of early 20th
century Japanese coffee farmers. Or visit East Hawaii, which once
boasted 6,000 acres of coffee. Now the area’s
Hilo Coffee Mill is giving those local coffees—100% Ka'u, Hamakua,
and Puna varieties—a new life.
Jar of White Honey
The honey produced by
Volcano Island Honey Company (VIHC) has been called “a miracle”
and “some of the best honey in the entire world” by celebrated figures
of the culinary world. The company’s rare Hawaiian organic white honey
is harvested a unique forest of Klawe trees with exceptional
qualities.
More
info:
Hawaii AgVenture.
