Farmers
Every meal is prepared farm fresh.
Meet the farmers that grow our delicious produce.
Hirabara Farms
Big Island
Owners Kurt and Pam Hirabara are two very special farmers, who through Kurt’s deep science background, and her dedication to quality and style, have been providing Merriman’s with baby lettuces and other specialty produce for about two decades. On less than two acres, Hirabara Farms manages to produce their specialty lettuces, a mix of 13 types, varying in color, shape and flavor at a rate of 350 pounds a day. Merriman’s receives a mixed variety of lettuces, including: Red Oak, Lollo Rossa, Frisee, and Cocarde, just to name a few.
Counter Culture
Oahu
Counter Culture is located in Hale‘iwa on the island of Oahu. Operated by four friends who share a passion for organic farming and fermented foods— Rob Barreca, Daniel Leas, Laarni Gedo, and Gabe Sachter-Smith. Rob, a graduate of GoFarm Hawai‘i and has been involved with urban agricultural, fermented food production, and brainstorming how tech can help farmers and the food system. Daniel, the jack-of-all-trades, has a background in carpentry, ranching, building, farming, and creating fermented foods including cured meats. Laarni, the flower and herb grower, also handles accounting, marketing, and sales. Gabe is a banana expert; kimchi, wine, and tempeh fermenter; farmer; and a master of enthusiasm.
Hawaii Island Goat Cheese
Big Island
Hawaii Island Goat Cheese (now know as Big Kid LLC) goats freely graze on the lush grasses, bamboo, ginger, ti, and banana plants of the vibrant Hamakua Coast, yielding sweet, creamy milk. Notably, they recently introduced a groundbreaking, locally made goat cheese that boasts the title of the world’s first methane-neutral goat cheese, a sustainable achievement in partnership with Blue Ocean Barns and Merriman's. Co-owner of Hawaii Island Goat Dairy, Carl McKinney, remarked, "It's the same exceptional goat cheese we've always crafted, now with added environmental benefits." You can now enjoy this eco-conscious cheese at all Merriman's locations throughout the islands.
Small Kine Farms - Organic Mushrooms
Oahu
Since 2009, nestled in the heart of Waimānalo, Small Kine Farm has been crafting organic mushrooms on 4.7 acres with total Aloha. Evolving from a green recycling company, their journey now sees them using compost and innovative methods to grow premium mushrooms, all while prioritizing taste, texture, and sustainability. Founder Yang's vision, inspired by nature, shines through in the farm's commitment to diversity and community benefits. From the delightful Keiki Portabella to the beloved Tūtū Portabella, their mushroom varieties cater to a wide range of palates. With a mission anchored in sustainability and flavor, Small Kine Farm not only supports local agriculture and communities but also embodies Merriman’s principles. A heartfelt mahalo to Small Kine Farm for their dedication to excellence, their Aloha spirit, and for delivering their fresh harvests straight to our tables!
Waialua Estate Farm
Oahu
Nestled on the former sugarcane lands of Waialua Estate on the Wahiawa Plateau, overlooking the North Shore of Oahu, lies a hidden gem for extraordinary coffee and cacao production. The 155-acre coffee farm, perched at around 700 feet above sea level, boasts a picturesque setting amid the majestic Waianae and Ko'olau mountain ranges, with Mt. Ka'ala casting its shadow. In harmony, the 80-acre cacao plantation thrives along the Kaukonahua River near Waialua town, benefitting from the region's warm, mild climate and ample rainfall. This unique environment serves as the fertile foundation for the premium cacao used in Merriman's renowned restaurant dishes like our Signature Chocolate Purse.
Ma`o Organic Farms
Oahu
MAʻ O Organic Farms is located in Lualualei Valley with abundant sunshine and a rich tradition of food production led by Gary Maunakea. Through the farm enterprise they train and mentor youth who work on the farm as interns and apprentices to become entrepreneurial community leaders. These youth co-manage the farm, growing and processing a wide variety of high quality organic fruits and vegetables sold to the community through farmer’s markets, a CSA subscription service, grocers, natural food stores and restaurants such as Merriman's. The farm has grown organically over the years, from a 5 acre plot to an inspiring 281 acres in 2019. Ma`o Farms grows more than 40 different varieties of fruits and vegetables, including salad greens, root crops, cooking greens, herbs and seasonal tropical fruits.
Kualoa Ranch
Oahu
Nestled on the windward coast of O’ahu, the ~4,000-acre Kualoa Ranch boasts a thriving aquaculture operation as part of its KualoaGrown brand. With a team of 45 staff, the ranch cultivates a wide array of crops, tropical flowers, and five types of proteins (beef, pork, shrimp, oysters, and lamb), showcasing one of the most diverse farming operations in Hawai’i.
Malama Farms
Maui
Dave and Lehua Fitch are at the forefront of something beautiful on the island of Maui. Their Berkshire hogs are treated in a way that respects how an animal is meant to be raised and slaughtered. They also show amazing love to the ‘aina by rotating the pens in their own developed system. Merriman’s loves this pig and our customers agree.
Rincon Farms
Big Island
Since 1988, the Rincon Family has been providing patrons with their ruby red strawberries. This farm is very much a family production and therefore, the use of pesticides is very minimal, as with most farmers here. They don’t want to be working around anything that could potentially harm their family or produce. Rincon Farms uses only brief applications of fungicides and organic insecticides. Strawberries have always been their primary produce.
Tropical Dreams
Big Island
Tropical Dreams has been making gourmet ice cream and other related products for a quarter of a century. They produce small batches of custom made super premium ice cream. Super premium means it is made with cream containing 18% butter fat and is “low over run” (the amount of air mixed in during the freezing process), thus producing a dense, rich product. All of the creams used for their ice creams come from local dairies, and they also use as much local fruit as possible in their mixes.