KONA COFFEE
Kona Coffee is the market name for a variety of coffee (Coffea arabica, Var. kona typica) cultivated on the slopes of Mount Hualalai and Mauna Loa in the North and South Kona Districts of the Big Island of Hawaii. Only coffee from the Kona Districts, 22 miles long and 2 miles wide, can be described as "Kona".
Coffee requires a very specific combination of sun, soil, and water. It is successfully grown in only a limited number of locations around the world. The Kona weather pattern of bright sunny mornings, humid rainy afternoons, and mild nights create favorable coffee growing conditions. Pure Kona coffee is considered one of the premium specialty coffees of the world.
History
The coffee plant was first brought to Kona in the nineteenth century by Samuel Reverend Ruggles from Brazilian cuttings, although it was not until much later in that century that it became a consistent and worthwhile crop. It was grown on large plantations, but the crash in the world coffee market in 1899 caused plantation owners to have to lease out their land to their workers. Most of these workers were originally from Japan, brought in to tend and harvest sugar cane. They worked their leased land parcels of between 5 and 12 acres as family concerns, producing large, quality coffee crops.
The tradition of running family farms has continued throughout Kona. The Japanese-origin families have been joined by Filipinos, mainland Americans, and Europeans. There are approximately 600 Kona coffee farms, with an average farm size of less than 5 acres. In 1997 the total Kona coffee acreage was 2290 acres and green coffee production just over two million pounds.
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