Hawaii is the only place in the U.S. that has the right conditions for coffee growing. Although Hawaii's coffee yield is comparatively small, it is excellent coffee.  Coffee was first introduced to Hawaii in 1825, the plants transferred from Brazil. The Kona district is on the slopes of the active volcano, Mauna Loa, on the Island of Hawaii. "The Big Island." Kona coffee is grown at altitudes of  1,000 - 2,500 feet. (Much lower than many other plantations around the world; they need to stay below Hawaii's snow fields.)

The soil that Kona coffee is grown in more than makes up for the lack of altitude. It is actually volcanic lava, and holes are dug into the thick, hard packed substance in order to plant the trees. Then soil from other parts of the island are added to the holes. Hawaii enjoys gentle rainfall on a daily basis and a misty cover of fog nearly every evening. The plantations are protected from sea winds by the mountains. Hawaii's coffee trees are also incredibly  healthy, sturdy, disease free trees. These combined conditions make Hawaii's coffee fields the highest per acre yield in the world.

Thankfully! Because as we mentioned, the yearly crop is small and in great demand. All Arabica; Kona coffee is aromatic, flavorful and mellow bodied. Much of Kona's yearly yield is sold and enjoyed on the Hawaiian Islands. Be aware that because of it's popularity, Kona is often sold as a blend, and you may be getting 10% Kona and 90% something else. When you can find Kona unblended, we suggest you don't hesitate in purchasing it.

UNITED STATES:

The United States leads the world in coffee consumption. The largest exporters to the U.S are Brazil, Mexico and Colombia. The major port of entry for green coffee is New Orleans. Although the U.S. imported nearly 20 million bags of coffee in 1993, that is down from the estimated 23 million bags in 1992. This trend seems to be continuing, as added competition from the soft drink market, iced tea’s and bottled water fight with coffee for consumer attention.
A five year" International Coffee Agreement" (ICA) went into effect in October 1994 and is to run until September 1999, which will attempt to take measures to balance the world’s supply and demand for coffee. The United States, however, is not a member of the ICA, so it is speculative at this point as to whether or not this agreement will affect the U.S. market.