HAWAIʻI FOREST FARMS
A 30-acre agricultural master plan for a vertically integrated māmaki enterprise.
Agricultural Master Plan | ʻŌlaʻa Ahupuaʻa, HI
The client was a 30-acre agroforestry enterprise in the tropical highlands of the ʻŌlaʻa ahupuaʻa on Hawaiʻi Island. The farm was initially established as the largest supplier to Shaka Tea, a Big Island-based beverage company. This productive conservation farm plan centered around the cultivation of māmaki (Pipturus albidus), a high-value endemic, stingless nettle with deep significance to the Hawaiian culture. The design phase strategically relocated and thinned out existing hapuʻu ferns to facilitate commercial-scale installation of māmaki in the native forest. The design was implemented in manageable phases, enabling a steady scaling of production while restoring a critical habitat for the native pulelehua butterfly.
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