How time flies. I last wrote about buying a macadamia nut farm on Hawaiʻi Island over a year ago in late 2022, and I said “stay tuned.” As it turns out, decent macadamia nut properties do not come on the market for sale very often, but there is one I like very much recently listed. In addition there was good news for macadamia nut farmers coming out of this yearʻs session of the Hawaiʻi state legislature.
This well-manicured macadamia nut orchard on 5 acres with a 3 bed/ 2 bath renovated residence is ready to go for a new owner – MLS 709072
Macadamia Nut Farm on 5 acres With Home for Sale in Hawi
Most homes that come on the market with some acreage planted in macadamia nuts will need a lot of TLC on the orchard, as I explained was the case with the property I purchased. It is rare to find a properly maintained macadamia farm with an experienced work crew in place. The new macadamia nut farm listing in Hawi has 180 established macadamia nut trees, a processing building right near the entrance to the 5 acres, and a renovated home at the top of the property for privacy.
Agricultural shed houses macadamia nut farming equipment – this is the entrance to the property, and the home is at the top, above the orchard.
It is important to note that in 2023 the Hawaiʻi County Council amended the section of the code relating to property tax benefits for agricultural use. The phrase is actually “active and continuous” agricultural use – and in order to continue to qualify the macadamia nut trees must continue to be harvested and sold.
Macadamia Nut Labeling Bill Passes at the Hawaiʻi State Legislature
An example of a small farm that produces both 100% Kona coffee and 100% macadamia nuts for sale. You could also sell in local shops and online!
The problem for many owners of small acreage macadamia nut farms is that with prices for raw nuts dropping to their lowest levels since 2012, unless the owner can do the back breaking work of harvesting themselves, it might not even be profitable to harvest (larger operations can use machinery rather than workers for their harvests). The alternative for Hawaiʻi-based small mac nut farms, as for small scale Kona coffee farmers, is to brand a premium product. Much as the coffee industry in Hawaiʻi has fought the practice of large coffee producers labeling coffee as “Kona coffee” when the blend contained as little as 10%, much of the macadamia nut product (especially chocolate covered candies) sold in Hawaiʻi, the stuff you take home as a souvenir when you visit, may be made from foreign-grown nuts.
A bill passed this year by the Hawaiʻi State Legislature will require labels disclose if the macadamia nuts were not grown in Hawaiʻi. Please support local agriculture and when you shop seek out small production macadamia nuts from Big Island macadamia nut farms!
PS – I also recommend joining the Hawaiʻi Macadamia Nut Association if you are or would like to be a macadamia nut farmer. The annual conference is coming up on June 7, 2024 and is FREE for members!
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