Bokoa Farms

Bokoa Farms is a veteran-owned, family farm and forest near Ninole, HI, on the Hamakua Coast of the Big Island.  We own 150 acres and lease an additional 150 acres on the slopes of Mauna Kea, the famous snow-capped mountain on a tropical island. We bought this land in order to live a more natural and peaceful lifestyle than we had previously led on the mainland. Our goal is to make a living by operating a farm that is healthy for the land, beneficial for our community, and good for us. 

Part of our philosophy is an awareness that in the long view, we don’t really own land, but we are caretakers for the time that we are here. Since this land will be here long after we are gone, we have a responsibility to treat it with respect and take good care of what has been entrusted to us. 

Our Name

The word Bokoa is a combination of David's dog's name, Bocephus, and the koa tree. Bocephus was a remarkable dog who was known for his human-like facial expressions, his huge smile, floppy ears, and his constant attempts to talk.

The word koa, which means “brave” and “warrior” in the Hawaiian language, embodies Bo's spirit of resistance to the cancer that he fought for six years.  Bo's legacy reminds us to always be strong by maintaining a cheerful and positive attitude, no matter the circumstances.  

Restorative

We are not just a “sustainable” farm, as that term does not go far enough. Instead, we are a restorative farm. The term sustainable implies maintaining equilibrium or status quo. Restorative implies improving upon something. If you borrow something from a friend, like a car, you should give it back in better condition than you received it, i.e. washed, with a full tank of gas, etc. Likewise, when we leave this place, we will have made this little slice of Earth better than it was when we were entrusted with it.

So , we try to practice restorative forestry and restorative farming, as every action we take in our forest must do more than be sustainable: it must improve the land.

We have created an amazing product that allows us to work with nature; taking what is available in surplus, and growing more of what is being lost.