Ka `Io is the name of a hawk
native to Hawaii and found only on the Big Island.
Ka `Io Farms found itself
in possession of one of the old-fashioned Japanese coffee farms in Kona
in 1990. On the farm were a hoshidana (drying deck) and pulping
mill. The pulping mill machinery was homemade, with much of it constructed
of wood. Our coffee is still processed using the "wet method," in which
coffee beans are carefully fermented in a soaking tank overnight (for 12
to 14 hours) before being washed in clear water and dried. We are still
drying our coffee on the hoshidana deck and raking the beans by hand to
insure even drying.
Recent improvements to the
farm include increased drying capacity and controlled-environment storage.
This allows Ka `Io Farms to store coffee until needed for roasting just
prior to shipment to our customers. The farm has become the headquarters
of a fruitful enterprise of growing, processing and selling roasted Kona coffee.
Most of the coffee is sold wholesale to stores as WINGS OF THE MORNING, or bulk roasted products.
WINGS OF THE MORNING 12-ounce bags are now available for direct sale through the internet.
