bull pahala plantation

PAHALA PLANTATION = an Emerald in the Rough

By

Colleen Wallis

We all arrived at various times to the Pahala Plantation shop/FCU and were greeted by Julia Neal, our knowledgeable tour guide. She kept us going from the moment we all convened at the shop. Julia explained how all the buildings were sold off to the residents of Pahala and kept “in the local family”. The last to be sold off were the supervisor’s homes because they were the last to leave. She explained how Pahala had escaped the invasion of chain food take-aways and modern day shops. Agriculture is still their main product. The sugar cane once occupied 38,000 acres but now this land is being used to grow coffee, macadamia nuts and other vegetation.

We visited many plantation dwellings and one of the most impressive buildings was being readied for a baby birthday party. The interior bedroom had a lovely Hawaiian quilt and all the door and windows had sliding recesses so nothing open in or out.

Julia showed us several of the cottages which she is in charge of as vacation rentals in Old Hawaii. Each cottage was renovated with some new items but many also utilizes many of the olden day furnishings which make them unique. The school cottages that once housed the teachers are now used as guest cottages that can be rented out by couples, families and also individuals.

Another impressive site was the coffee plantation of Bull Kailiawa which is situated on the slopes of the lovely Pahala range. His coffee was taken to the mainland to compete with coffee from all over the world and he said that his Pahala Coffee made a mark and has placed Big Island coffee on the map. He keeps his label exclusively and takes great pains to keep his separated from other coffees. He grinds his own coffee and takes it to Hilo for processing and roasting. His plantation has abundant wild ginger growing along its edge and Koa trees, Kukui nut trees, as well as eucalyptus trees. His coffee has just been picked recently so the trees were all full of just green coffee beans with a sprinkling of yellow and orange beans here and there on the branches. He is so careful to pick only the red ripe berries. He said that is one of the reasons that the flavor of his berries outshines others.

The backdrop of his plantation is the lovely mist shrouded Hillside with iron wood trees, bananas, Ti plants and wild gingers. The sounds of his Hunting dogs barking can be hard as we toured his coffee farm. On the way back, Julia showed us the coffee mill which was being manned by a welder. The fellow explained that the machinery took a thousand pounds of coffee at a time and a lot of farmers also had their coffee dried in the covered drying platform adjacent to the mill. The new machinery came from Brazil and an engineer from Brazil came with it so he could show the fellows at the mill how to operate it.

The ride to Pahala was long but scenic and this area not being a place I have been to in the past was like going back in history and time to a place forgotten by progress. It was indeed a unique experience that I would like to share with friends and visitors.

Pahala plantation

PAHALA PLANTATION = an Emerald in the Rough

By

Colleen Wallis

We all arrived at various times to the Pahala Plantation shop/FCU and were greeted by Julia Neal, our knowledgeable tour guide. She kept us going from the moment we all convened at the shop. Julia explained how all the buildings were sold off to the residents of Pahala and kept “in the local family”. The last to be sold off were the supervisor’s homes because they were the last to leave. She explained how Pahala had escaped the invasion of chain food take-aways and modern day shops. Agriculture is still their main product. The sugar cane once occupied 38,000 acres but now this land is being used to grow coffee, macadamia nuts and other vegetation.

We visited many plantation dwellings and one of the most impressive buildings was being readied for a baby birthday party. The interior bedroom had a lovely Hawaiian quilt and all the door and windows had sliding recesses so nothing open in or out.

Julia showed us several of the cottages which she is in charge of as vacation rentals in Old Hawaii. Each cottage was renovated with some new items but many also utilizes many of the olden day furnishings which make them unique.The school cottages that once housed the teachers are now used as guest cottages that can be rented out by couples, families and also individuals.

Another impressive site was the coffee plantation of Bull Kailiawa which is situated on the slopes of the lovely Pahala range. His coffee was taken to the mainland to compete with coffee from all over the world and he said that his Pahala Coffee made a mark and has placed Big Island coffee on the map. He keeps his label exclusively and takes great pains to keep his separated from other coffees. He grinds his own coffee and takes it to Hilo for processing and roasting. His plantation has abundant wild ginger growing along its edge and Koa trees, Kukui nut trees, as well as eucalyptus trees. His coffee has just been picked recently so the trees were all full of just green coffee beans with a sprinkling of yellow and orange beans here and there on the branches. He is so careful to pick only the red ripe berries. He said that is one of the reasons that the flavor of his berries outshines others.

The backdrop of his plantation is the lovely mist shrouded Hillside with iron wood trees, bananas, Ti plants and wild gingers. The sounds of his Hunting dogs barking can be hard as we toured his coffee farm. On the way back, Julia showed us the coffee mill which was being manned by a welder. The fellow explained that the machinery took a thousand pounds of coffee at a time and a lot of farmers also had their coffee dried in the covered drying platform adjacent to the mill. The new machinery came from Brazil and an engineer from Brazil came with it so he could show the fellows at the mill how to operate it.

The ride to Pahala was long but scenic and this area not being a place I have been to in the past was like going back in history and time to a place forgotten by progress. It was indeed a unique experience that I would like to share with friends and visitors.

Anna's Ranch

Anna Leialoha Linday Perry_Fiske was known as the first lady of Ranching. She didn't think anything about competing with men. she was her own person and did what she felt right to her. Her lovely home, now a museum, was our first site-based meeting ground.
Her white estate with it's green lawns and beautifully manicured gardens greeted us as we entered through those white gates. Anna was a stickler for cleanliness so she had all the gates and door handle areas painted black to prevent the hand prints that would spoil the appearance of her white walls and doors. This included the gates and barn doors as well.
What first impressed me was the lovely running stream flowing along the visitor's house. There is a large swimming hole behind this structure and it is surrounded by eucalyptus and other vegetation. It reminded me of another time and another place where I had many happy memories.
Anna was an incredible woman with a generous giving heart. She spent her life helping many charities and by having tea parties and inviting numerous guest to her home as a fund-raising event. Her different rooms are a showcase of memorabilia of her family and her life.
Her brother, Charles contracted Hansens disease and was shipped to Kalaupapa on Molokai where he eventually succumbed to the disease and died. Her other brother, Bill wanted to take over the ranch but he lacked the knowledge and skill to run a ranch so Anna's mother wanted her to inherit the ranch. She made sure that Anna became the legal heir to the ranch.
Traveling on the Lurline was one of Anna's passion. She loved to dress up and adorn hats. Her room is not quite large enough to display all of her pretty dresses but there is a fine example of one there.
Her husband, Lyman was an active Shriner's member. He was also known as the best cattle breeder. He was an architect, an engineer and a surveyor. In his twenties, he was also known as the best jockey in town.
As my reflection is solely based on my quick notes, I do hope I have not made too many errors in facts and names.