Kona coffee is one of the most desired coffees in the world. But what makes it so special? Well, what makes everything about Hawaii so special? The singular answer, almost always: the climate. And for Kona coffee specifically, it’s the Kona coast micro-climate that occurs due to the relationship of the ocean and the mountains. The typical Kona weather pattern of sunny mornings, shady or rainy afternoons and mild nights creates excellent coffee growing conditions. And the young, rich volcanic soil of Hawaii’s Big Island is unlike any other in the world and helps give Kona coffee its distinct strengths; a full, but creamy smooth essence – with a lightly sweet finish.
To experience a real Kona coffee farm, visit Greenwell Farms on the Big Island. Here you’ll find an active and growing coffee farm that welcomes visitors with an easy and casual tour experience. It’s not uncommon for your tour guide to be farm manager Tommy Greenwell’s wife Jennifer, his niece or nephews. At the Greenwell Farms Store you will have the opportunity to see and taste the various coffee products and shop for other merchandise and Hawaiian made products.
The Greenwell Farms legacy began in 1850 when Henry Nicholas Greenwell left England and first set foot on the fertile soil of rural Kona. Together with his wife, Elizabeth Caroline, Henry spent the next forty years farming, ranching and perfecting his Kona Coffee, soon exporting it to Europe and the Americas. In 1873, the President of the Kaiser's Exposition awarded the Greenwell’s a "Recognition Diploma" for their Kona Coffee at the World’s Fair in Vienna, Austria.
Today, Greenwell Farms is situated adjacent to the ancestral home of Henry and Elizabeth, which is now occupied by the Kona Historical Society and Museum. Managed by direct descendants of Henry and Elizabeth, Greenwell Farms grows its own coffee on a portion of 200 acres of the most productive land in the Kona District; purchases coffee cherry from nearly 400 selected Kona farmers; and manages other farms for landowners within the Kona region. From the growing, processing and roasting to the final cup, everything about the excellence that is Kona Coffee and Greenwell Farms can be traced back to the high standards set so many years ago in 1850.
Tours run continuously from 8am through 4pm Monday through Friday and 8am through 3pm on Saturday.