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"Roots" of Our Website

My love affair with coffee really began some 35+ years ago on the "big island" of Hawaii, and since, has evolved. I am just now recently back to living near the city of my youth, San Francisco, CA.

Essentially I will always remain an islander, knowing this, I had "to keep my hand in." All "roots" must be "nourished" to remain alive, vibrant and growing, coffee for me, was the chosen way to go.

In my time, while not the mainstay, I have grown coffee, picked it and sold it. However, at times, and in order to survive, initially at first, the same could be said as much for taro (mountain) pineapple (turn-flip-throw; very nasty work indeed), papaya, down to the very "able," but humble, breadfruit (Ulu). With lots of climbing, one becomes quite inventive. The true longtime "local" knows what this really means.
 

In those days "Kona" was still "Kona". One could be on any other island, within any island airport and see another with only a pair of "flops" and his or her "a'lu a'lu" shorts (generally the most ragged, faded, baggy and beloved, these would be set squirreled away for special occasions) tucked under the arm, as an only means of "luggage," and one would know without question they were "going to Kona," "in the wind" or rather "holo -holo."

There were still no traffic lights and one could still pull up to any storefront with a vehicle. Most of which were of dubious vintage and nature by their looks, having only three respected requirements then: it had to be able to go "anywhere," the inevitable "pit bull" be tied appropriately with a short leash, and hold all your gear because you weren't sure if you would be back again that night from "from whereva."

Plenty of sand still remained in most doorways of the main drag and "Harry Lyons," when not in his cups, was the town's much loved cartoonist ("always on the loose" with his editorials).

"Aj" McDanold owned Kona Gardens, then located down on Ali'i drive, and it was well understood, before the more formal "farmers markets" came to pass, that on any given Sunday, one could squat down on the side of the road to swap and barter. In my case, it was usually the "limu" fish (small reef fish) I had always "thrown net" to catch,  for the fresh fruits and vegetables that the "aunties" down from the "Filipino Camps" (coffee country) grew between harvest times (plus a little egg money).

And so it began with the coffee...

This then is my attempt, now being back on the mainland and realizing how difficult it really was to find good photographs, solid information and real literature that could interest and educate those to some degree about the romance and mystery surrounding coffee itself.

In truth I have scraped and pulled from every quality magazine, business journal, recommended book,  respected website and "associations" for information (to include those still in the islands and "doing it") in an attempt to pull it together in a manner not readily found at any one place when I first started in (nor will it ever be, because frankly, coffee is one of those "many faceted " subjects, not unlike wine; the more you learn, the more you realize what you have yet to know; it's ever evolving).

So I hope you enjoy the site. I will try to keep it informative without being technical and dry. This will always be a "work in progress" site, meaning it will be evolving as we all learn.

I will no doubt take liberties from time to time and share a story or two about the islands, such as:

• What is "squid eye"? (free diver)
• "Hock grabbers vs. Head grabbers" (wild pig hunting)
• How to "make home" (harvesting octopus)
• "Hawaiian caviar" (the preparation of the black spiny sea urchin)

-He'e (pronounced Hay' A)
(amakua or moniker)

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Na  'AIi'i  i  ka  ho'o  mahele  Palena  ku'i  wahi  mahele  'aina