Celebrating 160 Years of Being a Part of the Kauaʻi Community
Celebrating 160 Years of Being a Part of the Kauaʻi Community
Next month will mark Grove Farm’s 160th anniversary, and it is amazing to reflect on all that has changed and all that has remained constant since our founding.
The story of Grove Farm begins in November of 1864, when Hanalei-raised George Norton Wilcox took over the lease for Grove Farm and quickly became its sole owner. The first sugarcane crops had been planted just a few years prior. The lands in the Puhi area had changed hands several times, finally being bought in 1856 by Judge Herman Widemann, who cleared the grove of kukui trees to make way for sugar.
When G.N. Wilcox took the helm, he transformed Grove Farm into a major player in Kaua‘i’s economy. In addition to being an enterprising innovator of plantation sugar culture, Wilcox was also a powerful political figure, a community leader, and a philanthropist. Under his leadership, Grove Farm came to be synonymous with innovation, quality and positive economic growth on Kauaʻi. These guiding principles continue to be cornerstones for our company to this day.
Grove Farm flourished under Wilcox’s leadership from 1870 to 1933. Many modernizing changes occurred throughout the plantation, from the construction of an innovative water irrigation system, to the creation of new cultivating machinery and planting methods, to the use of the first mechanized sugarcane seed planter in Hawaiʻi.
The Wilcox family led Grove Farm through the 20th century, keeping the community’s interests and growth at the forefront of their priorities. In December of 1941, Grove Farm became immersed in the ongoing World War II efforts and dedicated large acreages previously used for sugar to grow food for the local population and the military.
In 1948, Grove Farm purchased Kōloa Plantation, bringing together two giants of the sugar industry. Like Grove Farm, Kōloa Plantation had been an industry pioneer, bringing innovation to the growing and processing of sugar. It was the first iron sugar mill in the islands and had extensive irrigation systems, including a 120-kilowatt hydroelectric plant and a massive pumping system to deliver water uphill.
Continuing its tradition of innovation, Grove Farm was the first company to change traditional housing systems for plantation workers. By 1955, 177 of Grove Farm’s plantation employees were able to own a home through a home ownership program, the first of its kind in Hawaiʻi. The residential communities that were constructed during this time period can still be found today in the area that used to be Puhi Camp. While a few of the original structures are still standing, most have since been replaced with newer construction.
During the first 100 years of its existence, Grove Farm spanned approximately 22,000 acres, with about half of its land dedicated to cattle and sugarcane. In 1974, sugar operations ceased and Grove Farm started leasing out its former cane lands to neighboring plantations.
In December 2000, Grove Farm was purchased by Mr. Stephen M. Case, a Hawai‘i-born and raised businessman, investor and philanthropist best known as the co-founder of America Online (AOL). His family connections to Grove Farm date back 80 years. Mr. Case is the grandson of the company’s longtime bookkeeper A. Hebard Case, and his. father had grown up at Grove Farm.
In July 2001, Mr. Case purchased close to 18,000 acres of former Līhuʻe Plantation lands in the Līhuʻe-Hanamāʻulu area after the plantation’s closure. Today, Grove Farm’s landholdings of approximately 37,000 acres are comprised of lands from all three former sugar plantations – Grove Farm, Līhuʻe Plantation, and Kōloa Plantation.
As Kaua‘i’s economy has evolved, so has Grove Farm’s role in supporting the community. In addition to continuing local agriculture, Grove Farm has turned its focus to addressing the critical housing shortage on the island. Building thriving communities also means developing areas for businesses and organizations that provide jobs, programs and resources for residents.
We continue to maintain valuable water resources that serve as the source of the island’s drinking and irrigation water requirements. Our lands also support many renewable energy initiatives. Our land management approach also includes the preservation of historic sites and being a responsible steward of habitats for native plants, birds, and other endangered species.
The Grove Farm Foundation was established as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in 1992, and has provided grants to many local organizations. In addition, the Foundation awards three $20,000 Grove Farm Scholarships every year to assist students graduating from Kaua‘i’s three public high schools with their college aspirations.
We look forward to what the future will bring as we continue to develop opportunities for our community to thrive.
Grove Farm Market and October Craft Fair This Saturday!
Come kick off the fall season with us this weekend at the Grove Farm Market and October Craft Fair! Check out more than 35 vendors, as well as our normal market vendors this Saturday from 9:30 to 12:30.
Join Us for the Annual Pumpkin Giveaway on October 19
Free pumpkins will be available once again at the Grove Farm Market on Saturday, October 19 from 9:30 a.m. while supplies last, thanks to the Hawaii Crop Improvement Association (HCIA). Every year, through the efforts of Kaua‘i’s agricultural community, hundreds of pumpkins are given out to keiki across the island. Come by and pick up the perfect pumpkin for a Halloween jack-o’-lantern or for your favorite fall recipe.
Don’t forget the 11th Annual Harvest Festival the week before on Saturday, October 12 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Kekaha Neighborhood Park! Enjoy rides, music, family-friendly activities, fresh local produce, and handmade crafts. Grove Farm Company Foundation is proud to be one of the many sponsors of this year’s event.
Thank you, Stephanie Iona, Laurie Yoshida, and the hardworking team at HCIA for all that you do for the community!
Kauaʻi Fifth Graders Make A Splash with the Department of Water
Congratulations to the Kaua‘i Department of Water (DOW) on another fun-filled and successful Make a Splash with Project WET (Water Education Today) Festival! This is the 19th year of the event, hosting a record number of more than 780 Kaua‘i fifth graders at the Vidinha Stadium Soccer Field.
This annual project aims to teach our islandʻs fifth graders about where Kaua‘i’s water comes from, water conservation, and many other water-related topics. Grove Farm facilitated a lesson called Healthy Habits that showed how infectious diseases can be spread by water droplets and taught students how to avoid catching a cold.
Grove Farm's Beau Acoba kept the students attentive and actively participating. First, Grove Farm employees including Sharyl Lam Yuen greeted students with a handshake of lotion and glitter representing the “germs.” The “ewws” and shrieks grew louder when Lian Javier of finance ran behind the unsuspecting students with two water bottles spaying “germs” after feigning a big “ahhh-choo” sneeze. The students participated in other fun activities with the help of Grove Farm's Braden Kobayashi and Finance Assistant Mary Jane Omi.