Kona’s original coffee pioneers established a tradition of excellence that
each new generation of coffee farmer aspires to uphold. Quality, Kona’s
industry standard, started with the introduction of the arabica variety
of coffee noted for its superior flavor and typically reserved for gourmet
labels.
Officially classified as a
bush or shrub, coffee is
referred to as a “tree.”
The first Kona coffee
farmers often grew
coffee trees that
reached up to 30 feet a
difficult height to handharvest.
To gather the
prized red cherries,
farmers used a naturally
hook-shaped coffee
branch with a rope tied
to one end to pull down the tall limbs. Aptly-named kagi, Japanese for
hook, farmers would step on the rope to hold the branch at a lower
height, freeing both hands to pick coffee.
Noted for their self-reliance and creativity, Kona coffee farmers used
everything they possessed to develop their success and keep the
industry thriving. Today, most coffee farmers prune their trees to seven
or eight feet to keep them more manageable but even at these heights
the kagi is still a useful tool.
Within the past 25 years a resurgence in Kona
coffee farming has brought many new farmers,
along with some new farming methods, to the
district. Each coffee farmer adds a new
dimension to Kona coffee heritage, cultivating
higher and higher standards that keep Kona
coffee a gourmet product favored worldwide.