| Ali’i Kula Lavender opened in February 2002 and incorporated a business model that included as many local businesses as possible. The intention was to “empower” and help others grow their businesses rather than “compete” against them. That effort to create value-added products through partnerships with other businesses has had a major impact on the agriculture business in Upcountry Maui. | |||||
| Ali’i Kula Lavender thrives and grows on Maui as we continue to partner with other home-based businesses. Promoting value-added products enhances the delivery of Lavender to the general public. Ali'i Kula Lavender has taken a relatively unique plant and made it a very viable commodity that when added to the local home-based producers of products, such as honey, dressings, seasonings and jellies, represents a unique way to build a community economy and to market those products to local and global customers. Our businesses partners reported revenue increases from the production of the lavender products that afforded them new equipment and much |  |
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needed labor. Businesses such as Maui Upcountry Jams & Jellies, who already grow the fruit, and had the bottling and cooking facilities. Maui Upcountry Jams & Jellies make our Lavender Lilikoi Jelly, Lavender Strawberry syrup and Lavender Scone Mix and a spicy, sweet Lavender Strawberry Pepper Jam. All strawberries used come from Kula Country Farms located right down the street. Upcountry Specialties kept their home business growing by producing added value products such as the Lavender Herb Dressing, Lavender Pepper, and the ever-popular Lavender Gourmet Seasoning. Rainbow Ridge Farm, operating out of their home in Olinda, Maui, partnered with us to make Lavender Goat milk soaps and Lavender lip butters. | ||||
| Jeanne the Bread Lady, who has baked homemade breads from her Kula home for over 15 years, makes 15,000 Lavender Scones for the Lavender Farm alone each year. Maui Tropical Apiary supplies the Maui honey for the Lavender infused honey. Kula Country Farms supplies all of the sweet Kula strawberries used in the Lavender Strawberry Syrup and Pepper Jam. Pearl White Salt entered the picture from Molokai, produced by Hawaii Pacifica Inc, that was blended with Lavender for a unique, high quality Lavender Salt. | |||||
Larger name brand companies who have also benefited from becoming our partners are; Big Island Candies who make our Lavender Chocolate Brownies, and the Lavender Chocolate Truffles. Kauai Kookie Company partnered to make the Lavender Shortbread Cookies. Maui’s own, Roselani Ice Cream also partnered with the Lavender Farm and created the Lavender Mango Sherbet and Lavender Pineapple Sherbet. Hawaiian Fudge Sauce Company in Kapolei, Oahu has created the Lavender Fudge Sauce. So ono, that one jar has been known to be a |
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| single serving. Our newest partner is the Hawaiian Chip Company, voted as the “Favorite Snack of the Day” by Rachel Ray of Food Network, now makes our Lavender Gourmet Sweet Potato/Taro Chips as well.Currently, 82% of the Lavender Farm’s overall revenue comes from these value-added products. Without these products, the farm could not survive. Creating a value-added business at our home-based operation has been very rewarding, exclaimed Lani Weigert. Passion and the vision to see the future of agriculture grow has kept the momentum for Ali’i Kula Lavender at top speed. Adding Value to the Lavender Farm is not their only passion. The true passion is to teach other farmers how to “add value” to their farms as well. An example of that passion is Kahuku Farms on Oahu’s north shore . The owners of Kahuku Farms, approached co-owners, Lani Weigert and Ali'i Chang, from the Lavender Farm, to help them diversify and bring more value to their farm. Ali'i helped in suggesting the type of plants and site layout that would work for that farm, while Lani helped with the product branding as well as marketing. Kahuku Farm is scheduled to open to the public for educational walking tours, on site farm fresh refreshments and value-added take home products in Spring 2008. Click here to see a list of organizations we belong to. | |||||
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1100 Waipoli Road | Kula Maui, Hawaii 96790 | 808.878.3004