Earning the Orchid Isle name

From left, Betty Matsuo and Joyce Hancock of Kona Daifukuji Orchid Club were honored at the June 27 Hilo Orchid Show for their work mounting orchids outdoors all over our “Orchid Isle”; Tom Greenwell and Jennifer Greenwell, owners of Greenwell Coffee Farms in Kealakekua, are the recipients of The 2019 Orchid Isle Award; and Julie Goettsch, is award presenter and Chairperson of the Hilo Orchid Society’s Orchid Isle Project. (Courtesy photo)
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What’s in a name?

A lot of effort and beauty when it comes to the Hawaii Island, an island with various monikers.

One of those is The Orchid Isle, and in order to promote the Big Island as such, members of the Kona Daifukuji Orchid Club (KDOC), and the Hilo Orchid Society have been providing businesses and others with orchids for mounting in trees outdoors.

For over five years, the Greenwell Coffee Farms has been building their orchid collection outdoors around their visitors’ center and all around their Kealakekua property for the enjoyment of kamaaina and malahini alike.

“Greenwell’s has even started growing vanilla plants, which most people don’t know is a species of orchid,” said Joyce Hancock from KDOC. Greenwell’s is also the only American producer of table pepper.

Tours of the working coffee, vanilla, and farm are available free of charge daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Website: greenwellfarms.com