In a new upcountry Maui farming venture, Maui Land & Pineapple Company has planted 25 acres of agave.
The first phase of planting is complete, with more than 12,000 blue agave plants in the ground. The company operates 120 acres in the area.
The company is using former pineapple lands to grow the drought-tolerant crop using sustainable farming practices.
“We're in the middle of climate change, we have less water availability,” said Darren Strand, the new director of agricultural operations for the project, who also serves as president of the nonprofit Hawaiʻi Farm Bureau.
“The community wants a different priority for the water systems, and that's really created a situation where we have this very fertile, beautiful pieces of land all across Maui that we're unsure on what the best crops to grow on them is, and agave is really the perfect crop for that.”
Strand said the plant is well-suited to the environment, in part because it does not require a lot of water.
“It grows really well at this elevation. It grows really well in the type of soil that we have, and we're finding out that we have the people and the resources on Maui that really understand how to do this well.”
He said the operation has already created local jobs and will produce high-quality spirits.
Maui Land & Pineapple’s last pineapple harvest was in 2009. Since then, the company has transitioned from operating commercial agriculture to leasing land to tenants who are still actively farming or ranching on the company’s landholdings.
The company said launching the agave farm is part of a shift to use its land to meet community needs.
