Aloha Chocolate Fans! This is the glow from the Maunaloa volcanic flow, seen from our backyard on the night of Saturday Nov 26th, the day after it erupted after a 38 year rest! We are safely way over on the flanks of Maunakea, which is sleeping, aka dormant. We were shocked to be able to see this from where we are; we can't see the actual lava, this is merely the glow of this massive flow, reflected in the clouds above.

Here's where we are - Kulike Farm up in the northeast, on Maunakea. The red squiggle shows the active lava as of November 30th within the range of Maunaloa, outlined in periwinkle blue. We are in a very safe zone from Maunaloa's flows, as well as any others. Hawaii island is made up of 5 volcanoes, and right now two of them are active! (Kilauea's eruption is at a more low-key, habitual level, contained in its caldera to the southeast on the island.)

A stroll around one of our organically tended trees.

In the first few days of the eruption, our usual northeasterly tradewinds had stalled and we had a lot of vog (volcanic smog), which is a haze of sulfur dioxide and other volcanic gasses. It doesn't seem like it was thick enough to do any damage to our trees. The cacao crop this year is great, and our trees are thriving!

In our new upper orchard, the young trees are protected in shade cloth from sun, wind, and beetles. For stakes we use one fencepost and then three stalks of the running bamboo that surrounds the orchard. Each tree has compost and woodchips made here on the farm, and pigeon pea bushes are interplanted for shade and nitrogen.

Get Special Cacao Treats with a Monthly Subscription!

When you sign up for a Hakalau Chocolate subscription, each month we will send you a free cacao goodie produced on our farm such as:

• baggie of pure nibs*

• baggie of roasted whole beans*

• sample of a unique honey in a bar

• sample of a limited edition flavor bar

• baggie of 100% dark cacao mass*

• baggie of cacao husk tea*

   

  Go to our farm store and select any variety such as "assorted 6-bar bundle" and under price options, choose the subscription and then "subscribe now."

   

  *All of these pure forms of cacao can also now be ordered from our online farm store.

   

  That's all for now!

  Much aloha,

  Dan and Rachel