Greenwell Farms has been growing and roasting Kona coffee on the Big Island Hawaii since 1850. Some of the original coffee trees planted when the farm first started are still harvested and used to grow more trees today. If you ever get Kona coffee back on the mainland, there’s a good chance this is where it came from.

It rains every day on this part of Kona. The weather is almost eerily predictable. Sun every morning. Rain every afternoon. It’s the perfect environment for growing coffee, but also makes it all the more labor-intensive.

Everything done on the farm centers squarely on the dramatic weather routine. The drying beds seen at the top of this article must be hand-cranked mid-day every day so that they are in the sun during the morning then pushed under their roofs for protection before the rain starts.

All of this is worth it. The coffee from Kona is exquisite and truly one of a kind — the volcanic soil blesses Kona coffee with rich, soul quenching flavors and tasting notes. You can taste mother nature in each sip. And the labor of love and attention to detail make the coffee all the more perfect for any serious (or not so serious) coffee drinker.

Giving Back: as part of our initiative of sustainable travel, we invite our readers to give to the communities and places we visit. It’s part of Seek Out’s “Give Back Pledge”. Please consider ordering some delicious coffee from Greenwell Farms from their website (you won’t regret it). Also, we invite you to join us in donating to the The Hawaii Conservation Alliance, an important organization dedicated to protecting and preserving Hawaii’s environment and nature.

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