Ka'u Coffee Mill Develops Hydroelectric Energy

The sugar plantation's old water system came down the mountain in wooden flumes to transport cane to the mill. Now in pipes, it is used for irrigation and will be used to produce energy. Photo by Julia Neal.

Olson Trust is using abandoned sugar plantation water resources and Keaiwa Reservoir to produce hydroelectric energy for farms along Wood Valley Road. Olson Trust workers recently laid pipe, drained the reservoir to repair it and set a course down the hillside to give the water the drop it needs to make electricity.

Keaiwa Reservoir drained for repair. Photo by Julia Neal.

Olson land manager John Cross said the goal is to make the new Ka`u Coffee Mill and macadamia husking plant totally “green and using only renewable energy.” Cross said that Olson also plans to use the excess water for additional agricultural projects such as growing watercress and a loi system to grow kalo – taro – and perhaps make poi. The irrigation water is already used for coffee trees, taro, and truck crops grown by farmers leasing the Olson Trust land.

Kathleen Kam Wins Cover Art Contest

Detail of Akebono Ka`u, Kathleen Kam's winning
art for The Directory 2012 cover, showing
plantation history and the new
independent agriculture.

Kathleen Kam, a local artist who was recently commissioned to paint two large murals at the Ka'u Coffee Mill, has won the cover contest for the 2012 Ka'u Directory, the community and resource guide and phone book for the district. Kathleen recently taught art at Na`alehu School and painted the murals at Punalu`u Bake Shop in Na`alehu, Kilauea General Store in Volcano, the Keauhou Bird Sanctuary in Volcano, KTA in Hilo and Kamehameha Schools on O`ahu. She has also provided artwork for signage and displays at Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. The selection of The Directory artwork was made through public voting at the Ka`u Federal Credit Union.