Ranch to Reef
Kualoa raises beef, oysters, shrimp, fruits, and vegetables — sustaining Hawai‘i with local flavors and a commitment to food security.
(Photo courtesy Kualoa Ranch.)
Thanks to Whole30, keto diets, and TikTok influencers, grass-fed beef is having a prime — yes, pun intended — moment. Cattle on the ultimate low-carb diet are valued for their higher levels of antioxidants and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), along with a healthier omega-6 to omega-3 ratio than most grain-fed beef.
On O‘ahu’s windward coast, Kualoa Ranch (kualoa.com) is raising grass-fed, grass-finished Angus cattle across 1,700 acres of lush pasture. The ranch employs low-stress handling and an intensive rotational grazing program, moving cattle frequently so they feed on the most nutritious part of the grass before the ground is overgrazed. This quick rotation allows pastures to regenerate, prevents erosion and runoff, and ensures that the herd is sustained entirely on grass grown on-site.
Angus cattle, celebrated for their marbling and flavor, take on a different profile when finished on grass. The beef is leaner, but instead of the buttery sweetness typical of grain-fed, grass-finished Angus delivers a pure, clean flavor that reflects the land itself. Kualoa Ranch manages a herd of about 500 cattle and harvests five animals every two weeks, prioritizing a steady year-round supply of beef for the local community.
Established as a ranch in 1850, Kualoa has remained in the same family for more than 175 years, balancing conservation and stewardship with innovation. Its 4,000 acres have served as the backdrop for blockbuster films, but tourism is only part of the story. Diversification has been key to sustainability: in addition to raising cattle, pigs, and sheep, the ranch produces oysters and shrimp from its restored fishponds and grows a wide range of fruits and vegetables. Together, these efforts reflect a larger mission to reduce Hawai‘i’s reliance on imports and support the islands’ capacity for increased food security.
(Photo courtesy Kualoa Ranch.)
(Photo courtesy Kualoa Ranch.)
“Since I was a kid, I always loved any sort of food production — seeing tangible progress and the impact it has on community and family,” says Taylor Kellerman, Kualoa Ranch’s Director of Diversified Agriculture and Land Stewardship. Born and raised on the windward side, Kellerman has been with the ranch for more than a decade. He says that balancing tourism with agriculture has been key to keeping the ranch sustainable. Until the 1960s, Hawai‘i produced most of its own beef, but as pineapple and other agricultural industries declined, so too did cattle ranching. More than a decade ago, Kualoa made the switch to 100% grass-fed beef to help strengthen local food security and resiliency.
Kualoa’s grass-fed, grass-finished Angus is available through its KualoaGrown Market, where the connection between land, stewardship, and community comes full circle.
That same demand for clean, sustainable protein is also fueling innovation on Hawai‘i Island. In partnership with the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawai‘i Authority (NELHA), a new aquaculture venture is betting that consumers’ appetite for pure, traceable products will extend to seafood. Kona Butterfish Co. (konabutterfish.com) is harnessing the lab’s deep, cold ocean water to raise hirame (flounder) and black cod. The company’s focus is on producing fish free of parasites and chemical inputs, addressing growing consumer concerns about mercury and microplastics in wild-caught seafood.
According to co-founder and EVP Hiroshi Arai, Kona Butterfish Co. will be one of the first operations to farm the omega-3 rich black cod. The company is preparing existing tanks purchased from a former NELHA tenant to begin raising hirame later this year, while also building new, deeper tanks designed for black cod. For Hawai‘i, the project represents not only a technological advance but also another step toward greater food independence — one that, like Kualoa Ranch, reflects a deeper vision of sustainability rooted in the islands’ future.
For Hawai‘i, the project represents not only a technological advance but also another step toward greater food independence.
(Photo courtesy Kualoa Ranch.)