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| Entrance to the farm |
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| Red cherry ready for picking |
While this land has been producing coffee for over 100 years, Jimmy and Cat Perry have owned Perry Estate Farms for the last 17. His knowledge of this land dates back to the 1970's when it was originally planted by Dillingham Corporation. When Dillingham closed down they gave those that worked the land the first option to buy and at that time an elderly Japanese gentleman purchased the land (his name has since been forgotten). This elderly man continued to work the coffee farm until he was well into his 90's and in 1994 sold it to Jimmy.
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| Perry Estate Cherry |
Much about Perry Estate Farms is old school method. The trees here are not planted in perfectly measured and manicured rows, but are instead planted everywhere. While on a tour of his farm you feel as if you are actually on a a jungle tour dodging branches, stepping over huge pieces of lava rock jutting from the ground, and doing your best not to trip over enormous tree roots.
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| Green & red cherry |
Coffee trees are intermixed with enormous avocado trees (producing avocados the size of your head), mango trees and other Hawaiian vegetation. In addition to planting, Perry Estate uses and old school "Kona Style" method of pruning, where each tree supports vertical shoots representing a number of different years.
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| Jimmy showing us his pulper |
His coffee cherry is hand-pulped, hand-washed and sun dried on a small hoshidana (coffee drying platform). Since Jimmy purchased his 3.5 acres (only 3 of it has coffee planted on it) he has quadrupled the production of the farm. He is also the proud first place winner of the Gevalia Cupping Contest.
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| Jimmy on his hoshidana |
It is extremely rare for Perry Estate to share their green coffee. If we weren't family friends I'm pretty sure we wouldn't have been able to get it for you. I am honored and privileged to be able to feature this truly special coffee in our very first month of the MeloMelo Coffee Club.
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| Neige picking cherry |
I was there and yes, she really picked. Neither of us will be entering any coffee picking contests in the future.....When you see the work involved - again - you have a new appreciation for the beans! Simply the best.
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