When Chad Cleveland bought Ahualoa Farms in 2017, he knew he wanted to add the word family to the name.
Chad clearly stated, “I want this operation to be a family business that includes the Honoka’a family of farmers as well as my own family.”
His wish has become a reality. His “family” now includes not only relatives and friends working on the farm, but also over 60 local growers. And, he is buying mac nuts and other produce from farmers all over the Big Island. He has developed a large ohana.
Chad has farming in his blood. He comes from a long line of farmers and began his own agricultural adventure just after getting a degree in agronomy from California Polytechnic State University. While working a day job as a farm manager, he leased 20 acres of nearby farmland. In a few years he was growing alfalfa, corn, wheat, oats and hay for dairy farmers.
Development started taking over farmland in California, and Chad was ready to explore farming in Hawaii. His sister Chelsea, who had previously lived in Kona, encouraged him to find something here on the Big Island. Chad wanted to find a place where his skills and his family could work while serving the local ag community.
After more than two years of looking, their real estate agent introduced the Clevelands to Mike and Linda Watson, who were preparing to sell their mac nut business in Honoka‘a.
The Watsons lived on a small mac nut farm in Ahualoa. They were harvesting and processing their nuts to give to friends when someone suggested they start selling them. At their booth in the Waimea Farmer’s Market, a representative from a local resort offered to buy large lots of their nuts. This meant setting up a commercial kitchen.
They purchased a building on Mamane Street in Honoka‘a and turned it into a commercial kitchen and a gift shop. After several years, they realized their retirement hobby was becoming a full-time job and decided it was time to sell.
Chad met them at this point and thought their business might offer an opening for him into farming in Hamakua. To get the operation up and running, he knew he could count on his family. The first wave included his sister Chelsea and her husband, Ryan, along with Chad’s cousin Justin.
Chad knew the next step was to start connecting with local mac nut growers and to find a way to become one. To best serve the local growers who were selling raw nuts, he also needed his own processing plant.
A rundown and abandoned building on Lehua Street in Honoka‘a sported the deteriorating signage “Hawaii’s Oldest Mac Nut Factory.” Bingo, that was it. Chad bought it in 2017. They immediately began work on the historical site, and by October 2020, they were able to process raw nuts on their newly installed modern equipment.
Honoka‘a had once been known as “the macadamia nut capital of the world,” and a revival was in order. Ahualoa Family Farms proceeded to re-invent an annual Mac Fest to celebrate the mac nut harvest. Held on the grounds of their mac nut factory on Lehua Street. It has been a fun event for local residents and farmers and has become part of the goal to renew Honoka‘a’s mac nut fame.
When Ahualoa Family Farms took over the gift shop and commercial kitchen in Honoka‘a, they were able to continue preparing the high-quality products that the Watsons were offering. They are experimenting with some new recipes to offer as seasonal products, but their flavored mac nuts remain the featured offerings.
Today, the gift shop, lovingly referred to as the Nuthouse, is at 45-3279 Mamane Street. There you can find all of their products and get a chance to taste a few and hear the stories behind them.
They carry 10 different flavors of mac nuts as well as mac nut oil, flour and spreads. They also make value-added items like salad dressings, pancake mix and granola from local ingredients. Their chocolate-covered mac nuts are very popular, but the chili and lilikoi flavored nuts definitely have a following. The nuts coated in Big Island honey or the simple dry roasted ones might be my favorite.
Anxious to start farming in Hamakua, Chad acquired a coffee farm in Pa‘auhau in 2017. This meant they could sell their own Hamakua-grown coffee along with their other products.
When I asked Matt Holmes, director of marketing, to describe Hamakua grown coffee, he was quick to explain, “Coffee grown here on the ‘wet side,’ is very low in acid, never bitter and is known for its unique flavor.” Though he was hesitant to answer my question about “terroir,” I’m pretty sure the mild climate, high rainfall and deep volcanic soil in the region affect the coffee flavor.
You can find all of the products that the Nuthouse carries either online at alualoafamilyfarms.com or at one of the farmer’s markets they frequent. These include the Harvest Market on Sundays in Honoka‘a, the Waimea town market on Saturdays, a market in Kona on Wednesdays and both KCC and Kaka‘ako markets on Saturdays on Oahu. They continue to expand to new markets, so watch for them at your favorite market.
Ohana is important to Chad and his family members and close friends gathered early on to help him get his business going. His wife, Kia, is the creative director responsible for their new logo, colors and the design of their tagline: aloha, ‘aina, ‘ohana. Matt’s wife, Brittany, is onboard working in customer relations. Customer happiness is her mission.
Several people from the community have become part of the ‘ohana as well. All, including the dogs and the henhouse are well described in “our team” on the website. The website is also a gold mine of information about their factory, farms and orchards. Check it out.
During my discussion with Matt, he shared some of the future plans for Ahualoa Family Farms.
He told me, “We are hoping to offer tours of the factory and our farms soon. Our long-term dream is to open a mac nut tree nursery.”
Until then, plan a visit to the Nuthouse and stock up on some of your favorite mac nut flavors or go big and purchase one of their sampler gift packs with an assortment of tastes from the Big Island of Hawaii.
Gardening events
“Pre-order Leaf Resistant Coffee Trees” from UH CTAHR office in Kainaliu. Catimor hybrid seedlings and grafted trees are available. Conventionally grown, not organic. Trees grafted on liberica rootstock (coffee root-knot nematode-tolerant) are $15/ ungrafted seedlings $10. Available first come, first serve basis. Email andreak@hawaii.edu to express interest. A waiver and release form must be signed prior to purchase.
Thursdays through March 2025: “Coffee Related Research and Management Update Webinars.” Starting at noon. Registration is required at www.hawaiicoffeeed.com/coffeewebinars or contact Matt at 808-322-0164 two days prior. Live Q&A follows each session.
Thursday, March 24: “On the Way to Resilience: Data Tools for Resource Managers in Hawai‘i
Speakers: Dr. Ryan Longman, Derek Ford and Cherryle Heu on monitoring and responding to drought conditions in Hawaii. includes discussion, Q&A, and engagement with experts working to enhance Hawaii’s drought resilience. Contact Andrea Kawabata for more information: andreak@hawaii.edu.
Tuesday, April 1: “Hawaii Coffee Association Cupping Competition Registration Opens.” Registration: April 1 to April 30. Cupping Dates: May 27 to May 30. Entry Fee: $100 per sample.
Winners announced: July 18 at the HCA Annual Conference (see below). For more information contact: Abby Muñoz at abby@monarchcoffee.com or Tim Heinze at timheinzesea@gmail.com.
July 17-19: “Hawaii Coffee Association Annual Conference.” More info at www.hawaiicoffeeassoc.org.
Farmer direct markets
(Check websites for the latest hours and online markets)
Wednesdays and Fridays: Ho‘oulu Farmers Market, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Sheraton Kona Resort at Keauhou Bay.
Saturdays: 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 central Waimea; Waimea Homestead Farmers Market, from 7:30 a.m. to noon at the Waimea middle and elementary school playground.
Sundays: 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 Hwy 19 and Mamane Street in Honokaa.
Plant advice lines
Anytime: konamg@hawaii.edu
Tuesdays and Thursdays: 9 a.m. to noon at UH-CES in Kainaliu: 322-4893 or walk in.
Mon., Tues. and Friday: 9 a.m. to noon at UH-CES at Konohana in Hilo, 981-5199 or himga@hawaii.edu.
Diana Duff is a plant adviser, educator and consultant living on Oahu and working part time in Kona.
