Family Farms and the Early Days of Pineapples in Paradise
The story of pineapples in Hawaii is fascinating and plays out over two centuries, ebbing and flowing like the tides of the Pacific Ocean. In the not-too-distant past, the Hawaiian islands were the world’s epicenter of pineapple growing and exporting, with sprawling fields of pineapple rows alongside the booming sugarcane plantations. It’s unclear when the pineapple first sprouted in Hawaii – it most likely arrived from South America, where it has been a dominant crop for hundreds of years – but it was already thriving by the early 1800s when missionaries arrived, noting its pleasant sweetness. Throughout the 19th century, local farmers slowly expanded their pineapple crops, and by the late 1800s, a modest dozen or so commercial growers produced small amounts of the fruit throughout the islands.
Much like the wine grapes and coffee that still thrive in the rich volcanic soil surrounding our Volcano vacation rental, pineapples were once Hawaii’s “king” crop. And although their heyday has come and gone, you can still taste plenty of fresh pineapple during your visit, a flavor embodying the tropical sweetness of the Big Island.
The Turn of the 20th Century, Mega Plantations, and the Rise and Fall of Pineapples in the Pacific
What was once a network of local “Ohana” family farms all changed when James Dole stepped foot on the Hawaiian islands in 1899, bringing business acumen and a desire to expand the previously small-scale production of pineapples in Hawaii. The Dole Hawaiian Pineapple Company – if you’ve ever bought a pineapple in the United States, you’d recognize the iconic Dole sticker – bought up massive amounts of land, including most of the entire island of Lanai, starting a Pacific Ocean pineapple empire. Along with other global producers like Del Monte, Dole Pineapple and other conglomerates were producing almost all of the world’s pineapples by 1930. Rather than shipping it out fresh and risking spoilage, almost all pineapple yield was canned or sold as fruit juice.
As the world became ever more globalized after World War II, Dole moved their operations to other locales outside the US, like the Philippines and Thailand, where labor was much cheaper. And as quickly as the 20th century had ushered in a hugely profitable pineapple-growing business in Hawaii, by the 1980s-90s, the once ubiquitous plantations had faded into the past alongside the sugarcane economy.
Pineapples in the Current Day, Finding Them Fresh in Hilo, and a Family Farm Tour Nearby
Today, only a few Hawaiian pineapple farms remain, most of them on Maui and Oahu. One such company, the Hawaii Pineapple Company, made their reputation growing the extra gold “Hawaiian Crown” pineapple, a variety so uniquely sweet that the name is even trademarked. Started by two native Hawaiians who met as high schoolers in Honolulu, they brought decades of studying horticulture and tropical agriculture to their homegrown crops, cultivated without GMOs or pesticides. They were featured by Whole Foods Market for their “Love Local” video series, highlighting their hands-on approach to growing pineapples and cacao.
Although the Hawaii Pineapple Company is winding down the pineapple production side of their business, their sustainability-minded and Aloha ethos still carries on at their family farm just north of Hilo. The daughter of Tom Menezes, one of the founders, has now taken the reins at their gorgeous farm overlooking Hilo Bay, keeping the operation within their Ohana and rebranding it as Mahi’ai Made. Plan to visit on a Wednesday, Friday, or Saturday when they offer 90-minute guided property tours at 11 a.m. The pineapples may not be the star anymore, but you can still satisfy your tropical fruit cravings with their freshly harvested cacao, acai, and coconut.
Pineapple farms are a footnote in Hawaiian history nowadays, but you can still find plenty of freshly grown pineapple during your trip to the Big Island. The Hilo Farmers Market is always an excellent place to browse for the best local fruit, with market days happening seven days a week. Right nearby, the Mahi’ai Made shop in downtown Hilo features Hawaii-produced pineapples mixed into some of their artisanal chocolates, made with cacao grown at their farm mentioned above just outside Hilo. Their gourmet dark-chocolate-wrapped pineapple slices will satisfy your sweet tooth, subtly merging pineapple’s sweetness and cacao’s richness.
Stay with us on the Big Island, where the history of pineapples in Hawaii runs as deep as the lava under Kilauea!
