You can’t go to Hawaii and not run into coffee, pretty much everywhere. On the Big Island, Greenwell Farms makes Kona Coffee and does regular tours if you’re interested in learning a bit more about the history and the process.
The coffee farm is situated on prime land at an elevation of 1,500 feet adjacent to the ancestral home of Henry and Elizabeth, which is now occupied by the Kona Historical Museum.
As far back as the late 1870s, Henry Greenwell launched Kona coffee into the European market. At the time, he devoted himself to the improvement of the Kona District and served as postmaster, store owner, paymaster for school teachers and tax collector of the port of Kealakekua.
Four generations later, farmers Tom and Jennifer Greenwell continue the “Greenwell coffee” tradition.
What’s cool about the farm is that it is a working coffee farm, and their processing facilities highlight the century old Arabica coffee trees. Like so many Hawaiians, they care about sustainable and organic farming. Agricultural Sustainability is practiced today at Greenwell Farms just as it was in the 1850’s. Yesterday’s sheep, cattle and citrus have been replaced with Kona coffee, vanilla, pepper and cacao.
Jeni K is the premiere roast of the Greenwell Farms’ Signature Series, created in honor of the Greenwell family heritage. Grown on the Greenwell Family owned Konawaena Estate, Jeni K 100% Kona coffee is carefully selected from the highest quality trees in perfect climate conditions. This coffee offers a unique taste experience with passion fruit and guava notes, giving it a tropical fruit sweetness, as well as a hint of vanilla and chocolate.
They also offer something called the “Chameleon Blend”, which has a blend of three of their most popular roasts: Dark Roast – providing a bold full bodied flavor, Full City Roast – which highlights the acidity in our coffee, and Medium Roast – exposing the characteristics and nuances of vanilla and caramel. And, they also offer a selection of green bean so that you can create your own roast profile using the same green bean that is used in their 100% Kona Coffee products.
From plant to bean to bag to cup.
I’m a huge fan of Hawaiian coffee and the farmer’s commitment to sustainable agriculture. I’d recommend stopping by for a tour and some coffee if you’re on the Big Island. Greenwell Farms is located at 81-6581 Mamalahoa Highway Kealakekua. You can also order online from their website.
Renee Blodgett is the founder of We Blog the World. The site combines the magic of an online culture and travel magazine with a global blog network and has contributors from every continent in the world. Having lived in 10 countries and explored nearly 80, she is an avid traveler, and a lover, observer and participant in cultural diversity.
She is also the CEO and founder of Magic Sauce Media, a new media services consultancy focused on viral marketing, social media, branding, events and PR. For over 20 years, she has helped companies from 12 countries get traction in the market. Known for her global and organic approach to product and corporate launches, Renee practices what she pitches and as an active user of social media, she helps clients navigate digital waters from around the world. Renee has been blogging for over 16 years and regularly writes on her personal blog Down the Avenue, Huffington Post, BlogHer, We Blog the World and other sites. She was ranked #12 Social Media Influencer by Forbes Magazine and is listed as a new media influencer and game changer on various sites and books on the new media revolution. In 2013, she was listed as the 6th most influential woman in social media by Forbes Magazine on a Top 20 List.
Her passion for art, storytelling and photography led to the launch of Magic Sauce Photography, which is a visual extension of her writing, the result of which has led to producing six photo books: Galapagos Islands, London, South Africa, Rome, Urbanization and Ecuador.
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