Sustainability Profile: Kuahiwi Ranch

Kuahiwi Ranch began in 1993 by the Galimba family just after the sugar cane industry on the Big Island shut down. The ranch is located on 10,000 acres in the southern-most tip of the island and is currently managed by founder Al Galimba and his daughter Michelle. There are 400 Kuahiwi cattle grazing the pasturelands and no antibiotics or artificial hormones are used to speed up their growth. The cattle are fed an all-natural plant-based supplementary feed consisting of wheat grain, wheat germ, barley, corn, and cottonseed. However, using this feed comes at a high cost to cattle ranchers in Hawaii as it takes resources to ship the feed over from the mainland. Indeed, even reducing transportation plays a big part in impacting sustainability in Hawaii.

Michelle Galimba encourages all food producers to form good relationships with the greater community. “We all need to help each other become more sustainable in our living.”

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*This is a multi-part installment as part of the Hawaii Sustainable Agriculture Project. Learn more about the project and the 12 participants here

By the Numbers

  • 1993 Year the ranch was founded. 
  • 400 Free-ranging cattle on the ranch.
  • 10,000 Acres the ranch is comprised of. 
  • 100% Free of hormones and antibiotics.
  • 4 First original cows introduced to Hawaii.