Islands Cafe

Hawaiian Coffee 

Ka‘anapali Coffee Fields

In 2013 I went to Maui for a year to reconnect with Hawaii, the ocean, and some old friends. I ended up living in Lahaina and going on long runs through the Ka'anapali coffee fields. It reminded me a lot of picking coffee  in Waimea on The North Shore. Our coffee comes from here and I can't say ive seen a nicer coffee field. The nutrient rich soil is from ocean attrition sending  lava dust into the atmosphere and the on shore winds deposit that lava dust into the coffee fields, which supplies the coffee plants with nitrogen. This natural supply of nitrogen is amazing for plant growth and is the main nutrient needed to produce amazing coffee beans. The reason Hawaiian coffee is considered the lowest in acidity which promotes bitterness is due to the large nitrogen deposits unique only to this region of the world. 

History

The Ka‘anapali Estate coffee fields are set amidst the Ka‘anapali Coffee Farms community located on the West Maui Mountains near the historic town of Lahaina. The 500-acre farm grows several varieties of Arabica coffees to suit a multitude of palettes. The theory of “quality from seed to cup” best describes the thought that went into the planning of this operation.James (Kimo) FalconerJames (Kimo) FalconerMauiGrown Coffee, Inc. was established in 2003 by James (Kimo) Falconer. From 1988 through 2001, the farm was operated as Kaanapali Estate Coffee, a diversified agricultural project of Pioneer Mill Company. As director of agricultural research for Pioneer Mill at the time, Kimo was instrumental in the genesis of this coffee. After Pioneer Mill Company and Kaanapali Estate Coffee closed their operations in 2001, it was Falconer’s dream to revive the coffee farm. His hard work and dedication led to MauiGrown Coffee Inc. harvesting its first crop in 2004.Today, MauiGrown Coffee is the largest individually operated coffee grower in the U.S. and the original and only major producer of 100% MAUI Origin Coffee in the world. Their four coffee varietals – Yellow Caturra, Red Catuai, Typica and Maui Mokka® – continue to receive raving accolades from industry experts and consumers; and their coffee yields and sales markets continue to grow with each passing year.