Mangosteen

In 2002, Troy Keolanui partnered with Ed Olson to realize their vision for a newly acquired, exceptional 500-acre property on Wailuku river in Hilo, long blessed with sufficient rainfall and used for agriculture for over 100 years. Fast-forward just a decade: Under Keolanui’s management, and with just three full-time and two part-time employees, OK Farms specializes in high-quality tree crops such as coffee, macadamia nuts, lychee, longan, citrus, cacao, heart of palm, and a wide variety of other tropical fruits and spices. The farm has doubled in size to over 1,000 acres. 

In addition, OK Farms manages the 160-acre macadamia nut orchard property Hāmākua Orchards II LLC. Macadamia nut tree orchards also cover half the acreage of OK Farms itself. All nuts are processed by Hāmākua Macadamia Nut Company, another Trust partnership. Coffee, which is milled and roasted at the Trust’s Ka‘ū Coffee Mill, has quickly become a market favorite.

With over a thousand producing lychee trees as well as longan, OK Farms can hardly keep up with statewide demand. Farm products are sold to wholesalers and can occasionally be found in stores in Hilo. The property also includes an intake to a hydroelectric plant. 

Complete with scenic overlooks and hiking trails, OK Farms welcomes visitors and educational tours. The farm includes a world-class soccer field, some of Hilo’s most majestic scenic spots, such as Rainbow Falls, and views Mauna Kea, the world’s tallest mountain.