Kunoa Cattle Co. – Kalopei, Hawaii

Bobby Farias set out with an ambitious goal when he co-founded Kunoa. He knew that almost all the beef consumed in Hawaii is imported, and he was frustrated watching Hawaii’s fertile lands profit large corporations rather than feeding its people. “Isolated by thousands of miles of ocean, this dependence leaves the local economy vulnerable to swings in pricing and availability,” explains Bobby, the company’s president. “Additionally, with only a few days of supply on local shelves, anything from extreme weather to global political events could cripple the local economy and threaten the safety of all who live and visit Hawaii.”

Bobby, a third-generation Hawaii rancher, is among those leading the push for high-quality, pasture-raised beef, with Kunoa operating both a Kauai ranch and Oahu’s only USDA-inspected harvest facility. In 2019, the company became Certified Animal Welfare Approved by A Greener World (AGW) to showcase the high-welfare practices they use to raise their animals. “Our herds graze in mauka pasturelands on Oahu and Kauai, spending their entire life in Hawaii with no added hormones or antibiotics,” says Bobby. “We work with our herds as well as with other local ranchers to raise high-quality cattle that are especially suited for pasture finishing and subtropical climates and grasses.”

Kunoa Cattle Co. currently raises more than 3,000 cattle on over 4,000 acres of Kauai pastureland, in addition to working with local ranchers to produce and harvest high-quality beef. “Much of our land is former sugarcane plantation land,” shares Bobby. “This presents us with an opportunity to demonstrate the power of regenerative grazing to build soil, store carbon, restore hydrologic function to the landscape, and protect our marine habitats from runoff.”

Certified Animal Welfare Approved by AGW beef from Kunoa Cattle Co. will be increasingly at retailers and restaurants across Hawaii—shoppers can look for the AWA logo. To learn more about Kunoa, visit kunoacattle.com or follow @KunoaCattle on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

ABOUT KUNOA

Founded in 2014, Kunoa manages more than 3,000 cattle across over 4,000 acres of land on Kauai and offers high-quality livestock processing through Oahu’s only USDA-inspected livestock harvest facility. Kunoa is Certified Animal Welfare Approved by A Greener World (AGW) for its ranching and harvest facility operations, and is a Savory Hub candidate with the Savory Institute. Kunoa (meaning ‘stand free’) promotes a food-secure future through a focus on healthy land, animals and communities. Visit KunoaCattle.com for more.