12/14/2021
Yesterday as I was driving home, I passed a neighboring coffee farm and the trees were filled with fragrant coffee blossoms. The beautiful, white blossom reminds me of my mom. Whenever she would see coffee flower on our trees she would describe it as Kona snow.
Picking coffee was a way of life for my mom and dad as I grew up as a child. I remember we would visit various coffee farms to help family and friends pick the coffee cherry, which would later be taken to a mill to be processed and sold. It was a way for my mom and dad to earn some extra money too.
At retirement, my dad was given a 3-acre coffee farm from the Greenwell family. He would cultivate and maintain the farm until he passed away in 1999. The legacy continued with my mom, who loved being outdoors in the coffee field. During the coffee season, I remember seeing her outside picking coffee as early as 7 AM.
Hawaii is rich in culture and history, and Kona Coffee is just a small portion of local families present, past, and future.
