Bula, Forum! As some of you may know, I'm currently hopping around the south pacific, with the goal of talking to as many people in the kava industry as possible about the health and future of kava worldwide. Of course, finding some new kava sources is a goal as well- You all know how much we love introducing new kava products to the market. I'm in Fiji now, my last full day here, and it's raining cats and dogs. I'm trapped inside so I figured it would be a good time for a quick update.
My first stop was in Hawaii. Having lived on the Big Island, I still have a lot of connections there, and was happy to be able to attend the wedding of one of my best friends. Of course the whole thing was a business expense because there was quite a bit of kava talk and drinking while there. I visited a 500 acre farm growing all 13 Hawaiian kava varieties owned by a friend of mine. He's been growing for decades but only recently began heavy planting, whereas he previously just grew enough for local use. He's doing this in response to the growing popularity of kava and he has many 1-3 year old plants in the ground, along with some fully mature plants. We talked some about me possibly investing in his farm now, basically adopting some younger plants, to help with fertilization, weeding, etc. In a couple years we would have a rotating stock of Hawaiian kava.
Next stop was Fiji. After a long three flights from Kona, I had a single night in Nadi. I stopped at the Digicel counter at the airport for a local SIM card for my phone. They asked what I was doing in Fiji and I told them about my kava business. Immediately they told me that one of their co-workers grows and sells kava. This would prove to be a theme in Fiji. Everybody grows, or knows someone who grows kava, and they all want to supply overseas. Unfortunately most growers don't grow enough kava to export it, and even when they do, very few have the capability and knowledge to do so.
When I got to my destination island, Taveuni, I settled into my campground before being taken to a large kava plantation, which had been arranged in advance. I was immediately impressed with the kava and the entire, very professional operation. The family owned company had quite a bit of land and is heavily invested in the health of the community. 98% of kava on Taveuni was destroyed during Cyclone Pam, but this plantation includes some more inland crops that mostly survived. They plant in the traditional way among native plants, which is important for the health of the soil, and it makes the kava grow better. The kava they grow is amazing. It's potent, tasty, and 100% noble, as all Fiji grown kava is. Our vision for the continued viability of the kava industry meshed very well and I'm happy to say they've already begun processing our first order. They grow multiple cultivars and at first the shipments will be mixes. Over time, we plan to sell the cultivars individually for more customer choice.
Over the next couple days I spent a lot of time with locals here, talking story, especially about kava and its role in their lives. I've sat around many tanoas, and even shared some Nambawan- bringing kava as a gift is tradition in Fijian culture. Locals always ask what I'm doing in Taveuni and give me wide eyes when I tell them that I sell kava in the US. It's just so novel to them. They can't believe it when I tell them how popular it is with "Westerners" and how much we go through.
Although I've been busy here, I have sneaked a little play time in. I had an amazing two scuba dives a couple days ago, and have had some time to relax in a hammock on the beach.
I head to Samoa tomorrow where I have a meeting with a man who has been in the kava industry for years, promoting responsible practices and growing kava. If I'm not careful I'm going to finish this trip committed to a couple tons of new kava. A good problem to have, I suppose.
Stay tuned for updates.
My first stop was in Hawaii. Having lived on the Big Island, I still have a lot of connections there, and was happy to be able to attend the wedding of one of my best friends. Of course the whole thing was a business expense because there was quite a bit of kava talk and drinking while there. I visited a 500 acre farm growing all 13 Hawaiian kava varieties owned by a friend of mine. He's been growing for decades but only recently began heavy planting, whereas he previously just grew enough for local use. He's doing this in response to the growing popularity of kava and he has many 1-3 year old plants in the ground, along with some fully mature plants. We talked some about me possibly investing in his farm now, basically adopting some younger plants, to help with fertilization, weeding, etc. In a couple years we would have a rotating stock of Hawaiian kava.
Next stop was Fiji. After a long three flights from Kona, I had a single night in Nadi. I stopped at the Digicel counter at the airport for a local SIM card for my phone. They asked what I was doing in Fiji and I told them about my kava business. Immediately they told me that one of their co-workers grows and sells kava. This would prove to be a theme in Fiji. Everybody grows, or knows someone who grows kava, and they all want to supply overseas. Unfortunately most growers don't grow enough kava to export it, and even when they do, very few have the capability and knowledge to do so.
When I got to my destination island, Taveuni, I settled into my campground before being taken to a large kava plantation, which had been arranged in advance. I was immediately impressed with the kava and the entire, very professional operation. The family owned company had quite a bit of land and is heavily invested in the health of the community. 98% of kava on Taveuni was destroyed during Cyclone Pam, but this plantation includes some more inland crops that mostly survived. They plant in the traditional way among native plants, which is important for the health of the soil, and it makes the kava grow better. The kava they grow is amazing. It's potent, tasty, and 100% noble, as all Fiji grown kava is. Our vision for the continued viability of the kava industry meshed very well and I'm happy to say they've already begun processing our first order. They grow multiple cultivars and at first the shipments will be mixes. Over time, we plan to sell the cultivars individually for more customer choice.
Over the next couple days I spent a lot of time with locals here, talking story, especially about kava and its role in their lives. I've sat around many tanoas, and even shared some Nambawan- bringing kava as a gift is tradition in Fijian culture. Locals always ask what I'm doing in Taveuni and give me wide eyes when I tell them that I sell kava in the US. It's just so novel to them. They can't believe it when I tell them how popular it is with "Westerners" and how much we go through.
Although I've been busy here, I have sneaked a little play time in. I had an amazing two scuba dives a couple days ago, and have had some time to relax in a hammock on the beach.
I head to Samoa tomorrow where I have a meeting with a man who has been in the kava industry for years, promoting responsible practices and growing kava. If I'm not careful I'm going to finish this trip committed to a couple tons of new kava. A good problem to have, I suppose.
Stay tuned for updates.
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