Navarro Coffee Farm is located in the remote and peaceful Moa’ula Cloud Rest Area that lies on the eastern slopes of Mauna Loa, one of the largest active volcanoes on earth. It is part of the Ka'u region of Big Island, with the farm situated at an elevation of 2,100 feet.

In 1995 Nette’s grandfather was one of the first farmers to plant coffee in the Ka’u region. With the closure of the Ka’u sugar mill farmers were given land and encouraged to grow coffee which was picked and then driven to Kona to be processed and sold. By 2010-12 the farmers in Ka’u were starting to get recognized for the quality of coffee they were producing. The biggest buyer at the time was Starbucks who set protocols for the washed processing of the coffee and all the farmers in the area processed their coffee all the same in this protocol. When it was time for Nette’s grandfather to retire Delvin, Nette’s Husband, who had spent his life around agriculture and learnt how to farm coffee at the Olson Trust stepped up to manage the 20 acre farm. Delvin who was newer to coffee farming and not tied down by protocols and traditions started to experiment with some alternative coffee processing. In 2020 Delvin submitted a naturally processed coffee from the end of the season into a cupping review and blew the judges away. This was the affirmation he needed to throw away the rule book and start pushing boundaries on what coffee from Ka’u can be.

What is Tropical Washed?

Almost all coffee in the world undergoes a fermentation step, which can range from a few hours to several days, depending on the producer's goals. Traditionally, fermentation was kept as short as possible—just long enough for microbes to break down the sticky mucilage covering the parchment layer, after which it would be immediately washed and dried. Only recently have farmers and processors begun to explore the profound flavor implications of fermentation on the final coffee product.

This process is a powerful tool that, when carefully managed, can create a unique expression of the coffee bean. In this specific case, Delvin used an ale yeast, originally developed to bring out tropical fruit notes in beer. This choice has resulted in a cup with distinct yellow stone fruit notes, such as apricot, alongside a sweet, caramel-like sweetness. Delvin’s successful experimentation with processing to create unique coffee expressions culminated in him winning the overall best coffee in the 2025 HCA Cupping Competition. We are always eager to taste and showcase his great work each season as he refines and pushes the boundaries of Hawaii-grown coffee.

Producers Name: Delvin Navarro

Farm Name: Navarro Coffee Farm / Hawaiian Monarch

Location: Moa’ula Cloud Rest Area, Ka’u, Hawaii Island

Harvest: Hand picked Summer 2025

Altitude: 2100ft

Variety: Typica & Caturra

Process: Tropical Ale Yeast Washed

Drying Method: dried on raised beds

This is a relationship coffee started in 2021 .  We purchased 100lb at $28 per pound with 100% of the money going directly to Delvin.