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Our Legacy |June 19, 2019

Tom Greenwell Spills The Beans On New Premium Kona Coffee Varieties From Kopiko Farms

New Opportunities for Greenwell Farms

Greenwell Farms President, Thomas Greenwell, and his cousin Eugene Clapp, along with Eugene’s wife and family, have embarked on a new passion project. It consists of transforming the 200-acres of Kopiko Farms land,  used for sugar and cattle production in the late 1800’s, into harvested 100% Kona coffee. The purpose of this coffee is to supply more variety and steady production of Kona coffee beans to Greenwell Farms. For Tom, this project is something that he can make his own, as most of the Greenwell Farms land was developed alongside his father, Norman Greenwell. This tropical land brings out Tom’s inner artist, giving him an opportunity to visualize and map out the picturesque Kona coffee farm. Tom can also make his unique mark in the established family legacy.

“I get to create something. I sit back and look at the land and say, ‘Okay, we need the field to come out this way and we need trees over there.’ It’s been a lot of fun being with Mother Nature,” Tom states. His venture aligns with the vision of his great grandfather, Henry Greenwell, who began harvesting crops on the heart of the Big Island in the 1850’s. Back then, coffee was planted between 1,000- and 1,500-feet, the highest elevation Kona roads would allow. This new land soars at 2,600- to 2,800-feet, with cooler temperatures and greater morning sunshine that adds more sparkle, acidity and boldness to the coffee’s flavor.

More Coffee Variety

Kopiko Farms

There are currently six different exotic and traditional varietals growing, three of which will be available for customers this calendar year! The first, Geisha, is a high-end, very aromatic and floral cup of coffee. Contrastly, the new varietal K7 will offer a more acidic, bright flavor. Lastly, Red Bourbon will provide coffee drinkers a sweet taste and fruity overtones. Jeni K, Elizabeth J and Mamo are familiar coffees also being harvested. “This will help us expand our current popular coffees that are already available to the public,” Tom says.

Other than the coffee being planted, everything on the farm is native to the area, Tom proudly says. Very little, if any, herbicides will be used when farming and most practices will be 100% ground cover. Due to the higher elevation, September through May will be the main harvest times for the coffee grown on Kopiko Farms. This is different from the typical Kona coffee harvest season of August through January.

The team is constantly clearing and prepping land. They hope to start what they call the ‘third planting’ in about two months. The goal is to fill 150-acres of the 200-acre property with coffee. Some may doubt Tom’s decision to plant coffee on such a high elevation, two miles from the highway. Tom, however, thinks of his process as breaking the mold.

“If they tell me I can’t do it, I do it,” he said. Tom’s desire to bring new Kona coffee varietals to customers and his willingness to try new things results in one of the highest coffee farms in Kona: Kopiko Farms. Follow us on social media and sign-up for our newsletter to be the first to know when these new varietals become available!

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