When Michael and Amy Domeier bought the Rare Hawaiian Honey Company from longtime owner Richard Spiegel, they were ready for a change. They got one.
Lots of new responsibilities went with the purchase in addition to maintaining the high standards and excellent reputation that the company had enjoyed for years. In the 10 years since their purchase, they have also managed to expand their honey business in several new directions.
After 30 years of tending the hives and marketing Volcano Island Honey, Richard was ready to pass on his hives as well as his knowledge and expertise. Michael and Amy met Richard on a trip to the Big Island in 2011 and kept in touch. He contacted them when he was thinking of selling his honey business. In this pair, he found the perfect match.
The couple were living in Fallbrook, California, where Amy was designing jewelry from a studio built onto their house, and Michael was settling back into his role as the director of the nonprofit Marine Conservation Science Institute after resigning from a National Geographic Channel series about his great white shark research. They also kept bees on their property and they were running a small honey company to share their overflow.
As a scientist with a Ph.D. in marine biology, Michael was particularly fascinated by the life cycle and social behavior of their bees. At first Amy was not sure keeping bees was a great idea, since she feared she might be allergic to bees. Shortly after Michael convinced her to give beekeeping a try, however, she was reaching for the hive tool and smoker and pushing him out of the way. With some prodding from Richard Spiegel, Michael and Amy realized that neither of them had a business that tied them to a place. They began to think that taking on this small organic honey company in Hawaii might be a rewarding challenge.
In 2013, they bought Rare Hawaiian Honey Company and began managing the bees on the 1,000-acre kiawe forest in Puako. About half of the acreage is owned by the state DLNR and the rest is privately owned. A fire in 2007 had burned nearly half of the forest but the trees were coming back. According to Michael, “Kiawe trees are very resilient and lots of new trees are now producing flowers.”
The threats to kiawe honey production continue, however, including insects like the varroa mite and small hive beetle that attack beehives. Development also encroaches on these areas, reducing the size of the forest. Preserving the kiawe forests is an important protection from desertification in this area while also providing an ongoing habitat for Hawaii Island’s bees.
Naturally drought-resistant, kiawe trees have deep tap roots that find underground aquifers of fresh water in this dry desert area with little other vegetation. The lack of other plants in the Puako forest means that the bees here collect kiawe nectar almost exclusively from the abundant yellow inflorescences that hang from these trees. This nectar is nearly 100% monofloral, almost entirely from the kiawe flower.
In a recent West Hawaii Today article on the kiawe tree, I referred to the Rare Hawaiian Honey Company as one of the few producers in Hawaii to feature honey that comes from the Puako bee hives. The rare and high- quality honey from this kiawe flower nectar is exceptionally pure and distinct in appearance and flavor.
In describing their honey, Amy points out, “Kiawe honey is truly unique. It’s creamy texture, white color and delicate tropical flavor, distinguish it from most other honeys.”
At Rare Hawaiian Honey, processing is designed to produce the highest quality possible. Precise timing is important in their process. The honey is best extracted from the combs when it is fully ripe but before it crystallizes. When the timing is perfect, heat is not needed to extract the honey. Heat can not only destroy its beneficial enzymes but can also radically alter the color, taste and texture of the honey.
The small, dedicated production crew at Rare Hawaiian Honey manages the beekeeping as well as honey harvesting, processing and packaging. Their office staff takes over from there to make sure customers are well served, satisfied and happy with their purchases.
Michael and Amy remain dedicated to producing delicious raw, certified organic honeys from Hawaiian nectar sources while following healthy business practices that serve the local community and our environment. Their dedication to the environment is apparent in their Great White honey which celebrates both their rare white honey while honoring the rare visits of the great white sharks. The connection was an obvious one to a marine scientist like Michael. Ten percent of the proceeds from the sale of this honey goes to shark research.
In addition to their rare white honey, they have also added a few other interesting honeys. Several include added flavors like chili pepper, lavender and lilikoi to their white honey. Other popular Hawaiian honeys including macadamia, lehua and a special white clover honey are now offered in their shop as well as online at rarehawaiianhoney.com.
One of their new additions is the Chilean Ulmo honey. On a trip to Patagonia in Chile, they found this local honey that had properties comparable to the medicinal properties of Manuka honey. They now carry this special honey in their shop and online order center.
Kiawe Honey cannot be produced year-round, so they move the bees to other nectar sources when the Kiawe stops blooming. In the years since taking over the Rare Hawaiian Honey Company, Michael and Amy have started a new honey brand, called Sweet Aloha, as a source of affordable, local raw organic honey. Sweet Aloha is a blend of many different types of honey, including eucalyptus, lehua, wildflower, and some surplus kiawe honey from Puako.
The company continues to expand. Their next project is to create a Visitor Center in Pu’uanahulu. This will allow them to move from the small office they currently have in Waimea to a space where they can offer more information and include honey tastings. Watch for it in late 2023.
In the meantime, you can find out more about Rare Hawaiian Honey by checking out the website or visiting them in Waimea at 66-1250 Lalamilo Farm Road. Give them a call at 808-775-1000 or email them at info@rarehawaiinhoney.com to check on their hours of operation. By all means, don’t miss the chance to taste Rare White Hawaiian Honey wherever you find it. It will certainly expand your experience of honey flavors and you may find that it is your new favorite.
Diana Duff is a plant adviser, educator and consultant living part time in Kailua-Kona.
Gardening Events
Saturdays: “Work Day at Amy Greenwell Garden” from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Meet at the Garden Visitor Center across from the Manago Hotel in Captain Cook. Come with a mask and be prepared to practice social distancing. Volunteers can help with garden maintenance and are invited to bring a brown bag lunch. Water and snacks provided. Visit the website www.amygreenwell.garden/get-involved/volunteer-1/ and sign up for the weekly email for more information on work days.
Monday, Oct. 31: “Coffee Cupping Competition” entries deadline is 4 p.m. Submissions for the 2022 Kona Coffee Cultural Festival must be 100% Kona Coffee. Entry fee $100. More information and registration online at www.konacoffefest.com at 2022 Festival tab.
Nov. 3: “Worker Protection Standard Webinar” from 4 to 5:15 p.m. online. Learn how to keep yourself and your workers safe with the proper use, storage, handling, application and disposal of pesticides. The current Worker Protection Standard (WPS) provisions and requirements will be covered. Free to all agricultural owners, managers and their employees. Register at hawaiiCoffeeEd.com/wps2.
Nov. 4-6: “Tropical Fruit Growers Conference” at Royal Kona Resort. Schedule and registration at htfg.org.
Nov. 5: “Arbor Day Plant Giveaway” from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Amy Greenwell Garden in Captain Cook at 82-6160 Mamalahoa Highway. 250 native Hawaiian plants to give away. The Friends of the Garden Annual Meeting starts at 1 p.m. A Hawaiian lunch will be available and many plants will also be offered for sale.
Farmer Direct Markets
Wednesday: “Ho’oulu Farmers Market” at Outrigger Kona Resort &Spa
Saturday: “Keauhou Farmers Market” 8 a.m. to noon at Keauhou Shopping Center
“Kamuela Farmer’s Market” 7:30 a.m. to noon at Pukalani Stables
“Waimea Town Market” 7:30 a.m. to noon at the Parker School in Waimea
“Waimea Homestead Farmers Market” 7:30 a.m. to noon at the Waimea middle and elementary school playground
Sunday: “Pure Kona Green Market” 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Amy Greenwell Garden in Captain Cook
“Hamakua Harvest” 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Highway 19 and Mamane Street in Honokaa
Plant Advice Lines
Anytime: konamg@ctahr.hawaii.edu; Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to noon at UH-CES in Kainaliu at (808) 322-4893. Walk-in from 9 a.m. to noon Mondays, Tuesdays, and Fridays at the UH-CES at Komohana in Hilo or call (808) 981-5199 or email himga@hawaii.edu