View looking down grassy farm road, with coffee trees on right and kukui trees on left, ocean is visible on horizon, with blue skies and white clouds above

Kaʻū Farms Management

Logo in outlined green rectangle, with two line breaks, inside reads, stacked, colored dark blue and brown, in all caps: KAʻU FARMS MANAGEMENT

Ka‘ū Farms Management holds responsibility for nearly 9,000 acres of agricultural lands in the district of Ka‘ū, managing water systems, a hydroelectric plant, macadamia nut orchards, and agricultural leases.

close up of young coffee plants, starting in outdoor nursery, blurred background with fence, trees and blue sky .jpg

Providing Farmers With Land

Agriculture was the lifeline for Ka‘ū until the closure of sugar operations in 1996. For many people, the alternative to unemployment became work at the Kona-Kohala resorts, a daily four-hour commute. Today, farmers in Ka‘ū find new opportunities through agricultural leases on Ka‘ū Farms Management lands. Approximately 20 tenants, some with more than one lot, are already successfully farming a variety of crops, including coffee, taro, asparagus, brassica, and greens. Cattle ranchers lease an additional 7,000-some acres for pasture lands.

lover 2/3s show calm water in a reservoir, with black lining on far edge, then clumpy grass and a few trees, blue cloudy sky above

Restored Water Systems

Historical sugar plantation irrigation ducts and reservoirs high up in the forests, built in the 1920s and before, have been carefully restored. These water systems benefit farmers and their families in the district of Ka‘ū, as well as the growing of coffee and macadamia nuts for Olson Trust companies.

Inside industrial plant, with white walls, two blue machines and gray tubes and circuits

Kaʻū Hydroelectric Plant

With the restored water systems came the ability to generate clean power. The Kaʻū hydroelectric plant, which incorporates historical materials, now generates enough power for Olson Trust’s Ka‘ū Coffee Mill and macadamia nut husking operations. 

Macadamia nut orchard with bushy tops and stout trunks, strip of grass goes between thick trees, blue sky above

Growing Macadamia Nuts

Ka‘ū Farms Management farms more than 1,300 acres of macadamia nut orchards, with harvests topping 4 million pounds of nuts annually. Harvested nuts are processed and available for sale through Hāmākua Macadamia Nut Company.