On the slopes of Mauna Kea, on the breathtaking Hamakua Coast, sits an 11 acre farm called Nakihalani.

It is a property with great history where the earliest inhabitants are said to have arrived nearby in 300 AD and flourished with an enlightened spiritual and physical connection to the land that is still felt today.  Fast forward to 1915 during the sugar cane era. Japanese immigrants became homesteaders on this acreage in Kihalani (originally named Nakihalani in the Hawaiian Kings land grants of 1848).  

Renovated by Chicago natives Mike and Jackie Nakamura, their 11 acre farm resides at an elevation of roughly 650 ft. with key plantings being Lilikoi  (passion fruit) and Mamaki Tea which are somewhat ever bearing plants. The farm also grows white pineapples, citrus, sugarcane, avocados and has a variety of ornamental gingers and flowers and herbs such as lavender. The farm currently exhibits the largest square footage of Lilikoi pergolas and trellises in the Hawaiian Islands.

Mamaki is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands and has been used for generations to aid in health and well being.  Lilikoi on the other hand made its way via Australia in the 1700's and has since been hybridized. Both plants thrive at the perfect elevation and micro climate at Nakihalani Farm.

The Nakamura's first taste of the Hawaiian Islands and Lilikoi came in 1995 on a family vacation, and while a long journey finally settling here, was "well worth the wait".  Besides their genuine adulation for the farm they call home, they feel a strong sense of responsibility to both old and recent inhabitants of the land.  

Nakihalani Farm uses natural farming practices, whereby many of the day to day sprays, fertilizers and repellents are made with by products readily available on the farm and are sustainable and accepted as organic farming practices. They seek to assist in supporting sustainable economies, agri-tourism based business throughout the Big Island of Hawaii, and provide learning opportunities for visitors and workers.