A Year In Review by Director of Agriculture Operations James Twigg-Smith
Farming Operations
Production is blooming at Pacific Biodiesel’s Kaumakani mill and farming operation. Over the course of the last 12 months, the Ag Operations has successfully grown and harvested:
• 200 acres of sunflower, marking the largest total seed harvest to date
• 100 acres of grain corn for animal feed, sparking increased local interest in food crops
The sunflower harvests didn’t come without their fair share of adversity! Two attempts at growing sunflower in January and in March each resulted in significant crop damage to the young and tender plants from pigs and birds and cutworms. Farming is fixing, as they say, and we were able to make the corrections and still realize two robust sunflower harvests for the year.
Conceptualized in 2024, the notion of growing grain corn for animal feed became reality in 2025! The team was able to put together the largest field of grain corn ever grown on Kauaʻi at 100 acres. This remarkable feat represents a new crop for the Ag Division, and one that holds great potential for fostering expansion of our Kauaʻi operations. The crop will be consumed by local poultry and beef operations.
Feed corn, a new crop for the Ag Division, holds great potential for fostering expansion of our Kauaʻi operations.
With the year-round growing conditions we are fortunate to have on Kauaʻi, we must look to responsibly cultivate crops in rotation to achieve long term farming success. The addition of corn complements existing sunflower plantings, and the two crops account for roughly 80% of a fiscal year. In the spirit of maximizing efficiencies, a third crop will be introduced to the rotation and will round off the year. Beginning in January 2026, Canola will be planted post sunflower, and will be evaluated for oil and high protein meal production.
Milling Operations
Construction and commissioning of the milling production process on-site on Kauaʻi were completed in 2025. Core functions of the mill include seed storage, seed conveyance equipment, mechanical oil extraction, and oil filtration and storage. In addition to the oil produced, the co-product created is a high protein press cake which holds significant value for local beef and poultry operations.
The assembly and commissioning of the Kauaʻi mill was a true team effort. It was made possible by Pacific Biodieselʻs
highly skilled team of fabricators and millwrights, who primarily operate out of our Hawaiʻi Island and Oʻahu processing plants. A huge mahalo to those who sacrificed personal time while spending back-to-back days on Kauaʻi to complete the customized build-out of the press operating system including the decanting centrifuge, filtration, pumps and piping to steel storage tanks among numerous other sub-systems.
The milling operation includes the mechanical seed press and bottling operation for Kuleana® Hawaiʻi Grown Oils.
Food Security Benefits
A common theme has emerged over the course of the year. While our primary area of focus for the agriculture division has and continues to be the production of locally grown renewable energy, it has become increasingly obvious that we are producing local feed crops at the same time. A common misnomer is that producing energy from local agricultural sources comes at the expense of local food production. In fact, it is quite the opposite: the production of local energy in the form of oilseed crops relies on the complementary production of food crops for both humans and animals, and when coupled, forms a foundational model for commodity scale production of food and energy within the state of Hawaiʻi. As we look to 2026, we stand firmly in our belief that Hawaiʻi can and will become food and energy independent!
Introducing Kuleana® Hawaiʻi Grown Oils
Another milestone this year was the recent launch of new branding for the culinary oils produced by Maiden Hawaiʻi Naturals, LLC – a company created in 2015 by Pacific Biodiesel founders Bob and Kelly King. The all new Kuleana® Hawaiʻi Grown culinary oils include Sunflower Oil and Macadamia Oil in dark-glass bottles with pour spout and bulk “bag in box” options for restaurants, food manufacturers, spas and cosmetic formulators. For information and to purchase online, visit KuleanaHawaiiOils.com and watch the video below.
