The Greenwell Coffee Plantation

My family and I were driving from one side of the island, Kona to the other, Hilo. As we were driving we past a coffee plantation and since my mom and aunt are coffee fanatics we had to stop. It was a very pretty place and I have never learned more about coffee in my life. Plus surrounding the many coffee trees was some great wildlife.

The Greenwell Coffee Plantation has been in the Greenwell family since its opening in 1850. The plantation is owned and operated by the generations of the Greenwell family and many of their coffee trees are over 100 years old. The plantation is extensive and reaches over 2,200 acres.

At the plantation we took a tour and they explained how coffee is made. First, we looked at the coffee trees which at the moment had coffee cherries on them. I travled to Hawaii in April so it was too early for the coffee trees to bloom but you could suck on the coffee cherries, which gives off a strong taste.

After looking at the trees we moved on to how coffee cherries are processed and roasted. First, the cherries go through a machine called the "wet mill" that puts them through a pulper. The beans are then put into 100 lb. burlap sacks to dry. After they sit there for several days they are emptied into the cofffee tanks where they sit for several hours. Then they are pumped into a drying area.

These drying areas are called hoshidanas, which means moving roof. These roofs are very high for close exposure to the sun. To check the dryness of the beans you walk along them and listen to the crackle they make.

Then the coffee is roasted. A light roast takes 7-10 minutes while a dark roast takes 16-20.

We purchased come great coffee and also tried their chocolate-covered coffee beans. While we were sitting there we saw some beautiful flowers. We also saw several birds you rarely see in Wyoming and a wild turkey wandering around. Orange Tree
Wild Turkey

Mango Tree

Red Cardinal