Kuleana Farms is a Hawaiʻi-based agricultural company that regeneratively farms sunflowers, corn, canola, and other crops on Kauaʻi and Maui at commercial scale.
Founded in 2015 by Bob and Kelly King, internationally recognized renewable energy pioneers who started Pacific Biodiesel in 1995, Kuleana Farms grows and mills crops at scale into high-protein feed-grade meal for Hawaiʻi's livestock industry, feedstock for local biodiesel production, and premium culinary oils. Our farming draws on natural farming principles, and we grow non-GMO crops and use crop rotation to build soil health. Our operations run on 100% renewable energy, from a hydro-powered mill to biodiesel-fueled farm equipment.
Our founders' longtime vision: farm at scale for food, animal feed and fuel, building a community-based model of sustainability that works.
our farms
Kaumakani, Kauaʻi
Waikapū, maui
Waikapū, maui
Our original farm, where Kuleana Farms began sunflower cultivation in 2017. Sunflowers are rotated with other cover crops here to build soil health across the growing seasons, and the harvest feeds into the same operation that's been running since our founders started Pacific Biodiesel on Maui in 1995.
Sunflower
Our newest growing region, added in 2024 to expand sunflower, corn, and canola production and strengthen Hawaiʻi's food and fuel supply across 250 acres (with plans for expansion). Kaumakani is also home to our mill, where crops from both Kauaʻi and Maui are pressed into oil, feed-grade meal, and biodiesel feedstock.
Sunflower, Corn, Canola, RiceKaumakani, Kauaʻi
non-GMO crops grown for a food-secure, sustainable Hawaiʻi
sunflower
canola
corn
rice
feed-grade meal
After oil is pressed from sunflower seeds, macadamia nuts, and canola at our mill, what's left behind is a high-protein meal. We process it into feed for Hawaiʻi's dairy operators, cattle ranchers, and livestock producers instead of treating it as waste. For buyers, that means a consistent, locally grown protein source — one less link in a supply chain that otherwise depends on imported feed.
food-grade oil
Our sunflower and macadamia oils are expeller-pressed — mechanically crushed with no additives or preservatives — and sold as Kuleana Hawaiʻi Grown culinary oils and cosmetic ingredients. We press this way to keep the oil's natural nutrients, flavor, and color intact. For buyers, that means a non-GMO, locally sourced oil with a traceable, Hawaiʻi-grown supply chain, not a blended commodity import.
feed-grade corn
We farm non-GMO corn specifically for livestock feed — it's harvested, cleaned, and supplied whole. We grow it because Hawaiʻi's dairy operators and cattle ranchers need a reliable local source of grain, not one dependent on imported supply. For buyers, that means a fresh, non-GMO corn supply grown and processed in Hawaiʻi, with a supply chain that isn't exposed to shipping delays or mainland price swings.
biofuel feedstock
Oil from our crops also goes directly to Pacific Biodiesel as feedstock for local biodiesel production. We supply it because it's part of the same closed loop that fuels our own farm equipment. For buyers, that means access to a 100% renewable fuel source grown and processed in Hawaiʻi, insulated from the price and supply swings of imported crude.
OIL AND MEAL PRODUCTION — Kaumakani, Kauaʻi
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![A hand holding sunflower seeds with black shells against a dark background.]()
01 - From the Field
Sunflowers, corn, and canola arrive at the mill straight from our farms on Maui and Kauaʻi, along with reclaimed macadamia nuts from Hawaiʻi Island — all harvested and delivered fresh for processing.
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![An industrial filtration or separation system with a clear plastic container filled with dark material, attached to various pipes, valves, and a wooden support structure.]()
02 - Into the Press
Raw seeds and nuts are loaded into the seed cleaner, where they're cleaned and sorted before pressing. This first step removes debris and ensures only quality material moves through the mill.
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![Industrial machine with pipes, valves, gauges, and a motor, labeled 'French USA', used for processing or manufacturing.]()
03 - Through the Press
From the hopper, seeds and nuts move into the expeller press, where mechanical pressure — not chemicals — begins separating oil from the solid material inside each seed and nut.
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![A male worker in safety glasses and a black shirt is working with equipment in an industrial setting, surrounded by pipes, machinery, and a metal structure, with a corrugated metal wall in the background.]()
04 - Expeller Pressing
Expeller pressing uses mechanical force alone to extract oil, with no solvents or additives. It's slower than chemical extraction, but it keeps the oil's natural nutrients, flavor, and color intact.
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![Close-up of a metallic cylinder with a blue label wrapped around it, with the words 'FROM CERTIFICATE' written in black ink and a downward pointing arrow.]()
05 - Clarification Via Centrifuge
Freshly pressed oil still holds fine particles from the seed or nut. A centrifuge spins the oil at high speed, separating out those particles for a clean, clear finished product.
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![Close-up of a person's hand holding a rough, gray rock with an industrial machine in the background.]()
06 - Meal Byproduct
What's left after pressing (besides the oil) is a high-protein meal. Instead of discarding it, we offer it as a feed-grade meal for Hawaiʻi's dairy operators, cattle ranchers, and livestock producers.
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![A person wearing a black glove filling a olive green glass bottle with sunflower oil from a faucet in an industrial or commercial setting. In the background, there is a machine with red and yellow digital displays and bottles of sunflower oil.]()
07 - Bottling and Bagging
Finished oil is bottled as Kuleana® Hawaiʻi Grown culinary oil, while feed-grade meal and corn are packaged for livestock customers — all on-site at our mill in Kaumakani.
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![A man in safety glasses and ear protection working in an industrial facility with large machinery and equipment.]()
08 - Quality Control
Every batch is checked for consistency and purity before it leaves the mill. It's a standard our team holds to on every run — no exceptions, no shortcuts. A third-party COA for each lot confirms compliance with our technical specifications and quality standards.
Located on Gay & Robinson land in Kaumakani, Kauaʻi, our mill stands beside the historic Olokele sugar mill, continuing more than a century of working agriculture on Kauaʻi's Westside. Today, that same land produces feedstock that helps to power Hawaiʻi's renewable energy future and our efforts toward greater food security for the islands.
Our company
Kuleana Farms was created by the founders of Pacific Biodiesel, Hawaiʻi’s award-winning, internationally recognized producer of renewable fuel, which has recycled used cooking oil from restaurants statewide to produce clean, locally made biodiesel since 1995.
As the demand for sustainable biodiesel began to exceed the amount of used cooking oil produced in Hawaiʻi, our founders looked to agricultural products to supplement the existing feedstock. Their first crushing mill, next door to the biodiesel refinery, enabled the extraction of oil from various beans, nuts, and seeds. In 2015, our company began collecting excess macadamia nuts from local macadamia nut processors. After learning that these nuts were being discarded on Hawaiʻi Island, we offered to buy these nuts and process them into biodiesel. As our team learned more about this oil, we realized its many healthful benefits for hair and skin, so we began producing the oil into a premium beauty oil. In 2017, our founders began sustainably farming sunflowers on Maui and in 2024 expanded their agriculture operations to Kauaʻi.
Today, Kuleana Farms produces Kuleana Hawaiʻi Grown Oils. These premium culinary oils are flavorful, versatile, and made entirely with locally grown ingredients, including sunflower seeds harvested from our farms on Maui and Kauaʻi, and macadamia nuts from Hawaiʻi Island.
Kuleana Sunflower Oil and Macadamia Oil are made fresh and produced naturally: an expeller press mechanically crushes the nuts and seeds with no additives or preservatives, retaining the oil’s nutrients, flavor, aroma, and color. Produced and bottled at our mill on Kauaʻi, the oils are non-GMO, cruelty-free, vegan, gluten-free, cholesterol-free and sugar-free.
Meet the director of agricultural operations
james twigg-smith
James Twigg-Smith has spent more than fifteen years building agriculture and processing operations across Hawaiʻi, with a focus on oilseed crops, milling, and renewable fuel feedstocks.
As Director of Agriculture Operations at Kuleana Farms, James led the 2023 expansion of agriculture and processing operations to Kauaʻi, where he oversees the 250-acre farming and milling operation in Kaumakani. He planned and directed buildout of the new crush mill production facility and grain storage operation.
Before that, James spent 11 years with Pacific Biodiesel, sister company to Kuleana Farms, where he directed the development, construction, and operation of a vegetable oil extraction facility on Hawaiʻi Island. He led agriculture operations across Hawaiʻi Island, Maui, and Oʻahu, including the Hawaiʻi Military Biofuel Crop II project, and managed capital projects statewide.
James began his career as founder of Hawaiʻi Pure Plant Oil, an experimental venture testing the commercial viability of Jatropha curcas as a biodiesel feedstock. He oversaw every phase of a 200-acre planting in Keaʻau. He holds a B.S. in Business Administration with an emphasis in accounting from the University of Colorado Boulder, is PCQI food safety trained, and is fluent in Spanish.
MEET THE FARM & MILL TEAM
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![A man standing indoors, smiling at the camera, wearing a blue shirt with a 'Pacific Biodiesel' logo, and jeans, with a wooden structure and a sign that reads 'FRENCH USA' in the background.]()
GEORGE TWIGG-SMITH
OPERATIONS MANAGER
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![Smiling man in sunglasses and a black jacket standing in a sunflower field with a blue sky and ocean in the background.]()
KURT GALATRO
AGRICULTURE SPECIALIST
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![Young man wearing glasses and a navy T-shirt with a logo, smiling and making a shaka sign with his right hand covered with a black glove, seated in front of rows of small bottles of sunflower oil.]()
JORDAN MILLER
PRODUCTION & INVENTORY ASSOCIATE
contact us
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