Coffee Farming on Kauai

The biggest coffee farm in the U.S.A. is on Kauai

A Brief Introduction

Four million coffee trees on 3,100 acres. That’s the size of Kauai Coffee Company’s coffee farm. This is one extraordinary scene of the vast property.

One path among dozens flanked by rows and rows of coffee trees.

Ever since we moved to Kauai in late 2021, Dorothy and I had wanted to take a tour of this coffee farm. We opted for a guided bus tour in mid-June, and we weren’t prepared for sights such as this one. We had thought that Kauai Coffee Company farm was just a small operation nestled into the southeastern corner of our island. How wrong we were!

A sign proclaiming Kauai’s status in growing coffee trees. Kauai is home to just three coffee farms, with Kauai Coffee Company being by far the largest. That’s in contrast to the approximately 650 coffee farms growing Kona coffee on Hawaii Island.

Before our tour began we tasted several coffees at a sampling table. I learned that medium roast coffee beans are higher in caffeine than dark roast beans, but I prefer the flavor or dark roasts.

As we rode through the coffee farm, our guide told us about the farm’s history and the history of coffee growing in Hawaii. She also related how Kauai Coffee Company differed from most coffee farms in being totally run by machines.

Our tour lasted about 1 1/2 hours, and as we got off the bus we learned of a self-guided walking tour. This is well-worth the short walk because the signage is very informative and you get to learn about every step of the coffee making process.

Growing Coffee

It takes 3 to 4 years for newly planted coffee trees to bear fruit. This fruit, or cherries, take about 8 months to fully ripen, turning from green to bright red as they mature. At the cherry’s core is the seed, or bean. Usually two beans come from one cherry; but sometimes just one bean, a peaberry, develops. The ripe cherry itself is sweet and you can eat the fruit.

Ripening cherries in June. They have a few months to go before they’re ready to be harvested.

Once a coffee tree begins producing cherries, its most productive period lasts for 7 to 20 years. At Kauai Coffee Company, one producing coffee tree will yield one pound of coffee beans a year from the once a year harvest.

On a walking tour, you’ll encounter this bit of information.

Coffee thrives in tropical climates and does especially well in volcanic soil. The soil here has a reddish tint. The trees are exceedingly hardy and some live for 100 years.

Acres of coffee trees in volcanic soil.

Growing at near sea level, these trees receive abundant sunshine and warmth. Irrigation comes from the waters of Mount Waialeale, the wettest spot on earth with over 450 inches of rain per year. Located in central Kauai, some of the rainfall is diverted to the Kauai Coffee Company farm to irrigate the coffee trees.

Kona coffee farming on Hawaii Island is entirely different from the Kauai Coffee Farm. In the Kona region, hundreds of family operated farms of just a few acres each make up the coffee belt on Hawaii Islands’ west side, where the elevation is from 700 to 2500 feet. This “belt” is 2 to 3 miles wide and about 30 miles long with coffee trees growing on the volcanoes Hualalai and Mauna Loa. Misty air usually bathes the coffee trees in the afternoons, and natural rainfall irrigates the coffee trees.

Coffee Harvesting

At Kauai Coffee Company, the entire farm is run by machines. It’s such a vast operation that automation is the only way. Huge machines harvest the ripe cherries in one fell swoop. In Kona, the cherries are hand-harvested over a period of time so that only the ripest ones get picked.

The harvester. This is one of many machines used to strip the cherries off the coffee trees. In the Pacific Northwest machines like this one harvest commercially grown blueberries.

Sorting the Harvest

Zoom in to read the text.

The harvested cherries are moved to an area called the “wet plant” where they’re dumped into a very large water bath. The ripe cherries sink and the overripe ones float. The “floaters” are collected, pulped, and used for fertilizer in the orchard. The heavier cherries are transported by water to the production lines for further processing to separate the pulp and skin from the beans. The beans are classified by size and density.

Drying the Beans

Grading the Beans

Once the beans are dried they’re inspected by the Hawaii Department of Agriculture to certify their origin, grade, and cup qualities. Following that step, the beans are ready to roast.

Bagging the Coffee

So many varieties of coffee to choose from! Ask the vendors for recommendations that suit your taste. The regular-sized bags usually contain 10 ounces of coffee.

A Friendly Reminder

Buying Kauai Coffee

Many markets sell Kauai Coffee Farm coffee, but for the best and freshest coffee, you can order online or visit in person. Their coffee is smooth and delicious,