How did coffee cultivation start in Hawaii?
The coffee plant was first brought to Kona in the nineteenth century by Reverend Samuel 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 (20,000 m2). In 1997 the total Kona coffee area was 2,290 acres (9 km2) and green coffee production just over two million pounds.
