Kona Earth - Our Story
Kona Earth owners Steve and Joanie Wynn
Our journey began at the height of the pandemic when Steve and Joanie Wynn paused to consider their next chapter.
They'd had a great 30-year run with their Emmy award-winning production company Bayside Entertainment. They had traveled the world together, producing myriad projects, from documentaries and television content to marketing videos for large corporations like Sony and Lucasfilm. They also produced passion projects like Journeys for Good, a public television program exploring the joys of volunteer travel. Still, they felt restless for a new challenge.
They had always dreamed of making Hawaii their permanent home. When Steve stumbled on the idea of coffee farming, they were intrigued. They began researching the Kona coffee industry and searching earnestly for the right property. When Kona Earth came on the market, they felt they'd found just the right fit: an existing farm and business with room to grow.
Time for Reinvention
Transitioning to the Kona coffee business isn't as strange as it may seem for this husband-and-wife team. Steve’s family owned a vineyard in Sonoma, and, as a young man, he loved working in the fields and learning about farming. So, as much as he loved shooting and editing video, he relished this opportunity to work on the farm, endlessly endeavoring to make it better. Every day, he's out in the fields mowing, pruning, weeding, fertilizing, and tending to his coffee tree "babies." Sound like a lot of work? It is! But Steve is loving every minute of it.
Joanie translates her years in production to oversee Kona Earth's business operations. She handles sales and marketing, order fulfillment, and customer support. She finds the new challenge stimulating. She loves forging relationships with fellow coffee farmers and learning the ropes of e-commerce.
Got a question or problem? Joanie's the one you'll be talking to, and she strives to live up to the five-star ratings that equal happy customers.
A Chance to Give Back with Care In Every Cup
In their video business, pro bono projects were the Wynns' way of giving back and supporting worthwhile causes. At Kona Earth, they continue that tradition with "Care In Every Cup."
Care In Every Cup is Kona Earth's give-back program. The program donates a percentage of every purchase to Big Island non-profit Kohala Center. The organization does important work advocating for fragile ecosystems, including the reefs, cloud forests, and agricultural communities. Recently, donations have focused on supporting reef preservation efforts at Kahalu'u Bay with Kahalu'u Bay Education Center and its ReefTeach program. In addition to monetary donations, the couple is committed to raising awareness for Kohala Center programs through Kona Earth social channels and customer outreach.
The First Five Years
The Wynns arrived in Kona in late June of 2021. They dug in immediately to the big task of undertaking such a momentous new venture. By September of that year, they were ready to tackle their first coffee harvest.
Steve and Joanie focused heavily on improving farm infrastructure and operations. They made significant capital investments for items like a new tractor, commercial dryer, chipper, fertilizer spreader, and sprayer. They've expanded the processing area and improved the green coffee storage area, adding temperature and humidity controls to preserve green bean freshness.
They bought a large truck to transport coffee to the mill and lovingly named it the Big Kahuna.
One essential add-on was their Mill City 10K roaster, which allows them to micro-batch roast on-site and ship farm-direct. This offers them tremendous flexibility and supreme freshness when shipping to customers.
Recently, Steve received a Global Coffee Award for his roasting, topping the origin roasted category in Hawaii for his Kona Classic and Hawaiian Espresso roasts.
Farmhouse Facelift
Another important priority was refurbishing the farmhouse. They painted the outside a cheerful yellow, and Joanie spruced up the interior. The goal was to make it a welcoming place where visitors could relax on the lanai and take in the view with a delicious cup of Kona coffee.
Fair Wage and Sustainable
As a USA-grown coffee, Kona Earth is committed to fair wage labor for its farm workers. It is also implementing sustainable farming methods wherever possible, including using water catchment and composting, and recyclable shipping materials.
Though Kona Earth isn't an organic farm, the Wynns implement sustainable farming methods wherever possible. Farmer Steve never uses glyphosate (aka RoundUp) on the trees. Having learned how it leeches into the crops and our food supply, he's determined to find organic ways to control the weeds, no small task in the tropical environment. Kona Earth uses
Paradise Found
The Wynn family is settling into their new lives as Kona coffee farmers. They love watching the farm develop and improve, and enjoy expanding the business. At day's end, they always take a moment to appreciate the beauty around them, especially the stunning Hawaiian sunsets. It's a beautiful life.
