For many of us, the best part of getting ready for our day is drinking that first cup of coffee in the morning. There is nothing that can put the appropriate amount of “pep in your step” like your favorite cup of joe to start the day. Most of us have probably even seen coffee popping up as an ingredient in everything from delicious desserts to beer and to even being used in a rub blend for your pork roast. Coffee certainly has a lot of different uses, but drinking it will likely always be the most popular! You’ve probably already guessed that we are going to be talking about coffee verification today. That’s right, our International Certification Services (ICS) division, whom specializes in organic certification, works to verify coffee! So, grab a cup of joe and let’s chat about Kuaiwi Farm and what sustainability and being Certified Organic means to them.
Their Story
It all started back in 1977 when Una Greenway and family made the move to the Captain Cook region of Hawaii. The move to this beautiful region came with the purchase of a 5-acre farm above the Kona coast. The farm was acquired with the full intention of healing the land and bringing it back to a natural state. That’s where Una Greenaway and her husband stepped in to make the necessary changes for the future of Kuaiwi Farm. For more than 4 decades their practices have helped Kuaiwi Farms thrive. Their practices are based on respecting the earth and cultivating the land in a sustainable manner. Today, their five acres are being worked organically and they also create their own amendments, which means they use compost and recycle all of the organic matter from the farm. Una and husband Leon are very proud of what they have helped cultivate in Kuaiwi Farm. So proud in fact that they even provide tours of Kuaiwi Farm to those interested in seeing things up close. In those tours they treat their guests to “Old Kona Coffee” while showing off the many highlights of the farm which include some coffee trees that are more than 100 years old!
Verification
Today, Kuaiwi Farm is an ICS client. As you may recall from our earlier stories, ICS (a division of Where Food Comes From, Inc.) specializes in organic, gluten-free, and other related services. In fact, ICS, founded in 1979, was one of the first organic certification companies in the U.S. Needless to say, they have some experience when it comes to food certification. In order to get Certified Organic through ICS, Kona had to follow specific guidelines within five different steps, including an onsite audit. The team at both Kona and ICS share the same values about Organic practices for the land, environment, animals, and people.
Why Verify
Kuaiwi Farm grows a wide range of crops including Kona coffee, macadamia nuts, avocados, bananas, pineapple, tea, citrus, vegetable gardens and so much more. Just like Where Food Comes From, they want to be transparent with their consumers because the story behind your food matters. Kuaiwi Farm offers farm tours to consumers to learn more about their products and see the organic farm practices firsthand! Come drink some coffee, taste jams, macadamia nuts and chat with the team at Kuaiwi Farm.
Learn more about Kona Old Style Coffee.
Learn more about Where Food Comes From, Inc.
Learn more about ICS.