Mahalo to all who attended the tour and donated to support student success!
Grove Farm’s hardworking staff who participated in hosting the “Look Back Through the Sugar Era” tour of Kōloa Mill as part of this year’s Kōloa Plantation Days recently presented Kōloa Elementary School Principal Leila Kobayashi with a check for $1,500.
Every year, tour attendees have the option of making a donation with proceeds benefiting Kōloa Elementary School. Grove Farm Company Foundation matched all donations dollar for dollar. Principal Kobayashi intends to use these funds for bus fees for field trips and other student activities.
Kōloa Mill Tour – Learning About the Past, Looking to the Future
On July 25, during the Kōloa Plantation Days annual festival, about 70 people made their way to the old Kōloa Mill on Kaua‘i’s sunny south shore. The mill ceased operations in 1996, and stands today as a relic of the plantation era that brought a diverse mix of cultures to the islands.
As part of the tour, locals and visitors viewedt photographs and old relics of the past. Our sesquicentennial book titled, “Grove Farm: 150 Years of Stewardship and Innovation,” was available to purchase, with book proceeds and tour donations benefiting Kōloa Elementary School. At 9 a.m., the crowd engaged in a talk-story session led by Jan TenBruggencate and Allan Smith. Following that, Kauaʻi ATV — a longtime Grove Farm tenant that provides guided outings in the South Shore backcountry — led a tour around the old sugar lands near Waita Reservoir and to the entrance of the historic Wilcox Tunnel.
Jan grew up on a pineapple plantation on Molokaʻi and is the author of our 150th anniversary book as well as the book “Līhuʻe Mill: Grinding Cane and Building Community.” Allan grew up here on Kauaʻi, on a plantation in Waimea, and served in various leadership positions in the sugar industry before retiring as Senior Vice President of Grove Farm.
A big mahalo to the Grove Farm Museum for graciously lending us their collection of plantation-era items, and to Oli from Kauaʻi ATV, who provided transportation for our guests to the tunnel. We also want to express our heartfelt appreciation to the entire Grove Farm staff, who worked tirelessly to ensure the success of the event.
