Sponsored by Hawaii State Department of Agriculture
Now more than ever, it’s so important to help our small businesses by buying local! On this Seal of Quality Saturday, HI Now hosts Kanoe Gibson and Kainoa Carlson are taking a look at some of the offerings from Tai Shan Farms on the Big Island.
Nestled at 2,800 feet on Mauna Loa Volcano of the Big Island, Tai Shan is a boutique farm specializing in farm owned beehives and dragon fruit in white, pink and red varieties. Tai Shan Farms produces dragon fruit using only organic and bee-friendly protocols and has recently started to expand and diversify its crops.
Kevin Begemann bought Tai Shan Farms at a farmer’s market. He was visiting the island and was looking for a new adventure. He didn’t know he wanted to be a farmer until he did. He knew it when he was captivated by the magical Tai Shan and the endless possibilities he saw.
The farm aims to make Hawaii more self-sufficient by bringing locally grown food to a wider audience. All of the products are produced on the farm in their own commercial kitchen. The ingredients are either grown there at the farm or are sourced locally as much as possible. All the packaging is also either biodegradable, compostable or recyclable!
Tai Sharn Farms offers hot sauces, cocktail mixes, vinaigrettes, baked goods, jams, and even honey. These products are available online at taishanfarms.com and at local farmers markets on the Big Island.
Making Tai Shan products is a labor of love for Begemann and his wife Esther. Their common goal is to make good food to “feed the people.” It truly makes them happy to give people something good to eat. They have always wanted to do this on a grand scale and Tai Shan is the perfect vehicle for this to be accomplished.
To learn more about how you can get the Hawaii Seal of Quality on your products, get more information here: sealofquality.hawaii.gov.
For more information: taishanfarms.com