Home On The Range
Local Ranching Contributes to a Greener and More Sustainable Hawaii
Kahua Ranch on Kohala Mountain is one of the most beautiful ranches on the Big Island with 2,100 acres covering 6 precipitation zones stretching from the rain forest at 3,500 feet to the ocean. Raising livestock in multiple micro-climates presents its challenges but Kahua continues to pride itself on raising cattle naturally on open pastures and do not use added hormones. We are committed to caring for the aina (land) and providing high quality, flavorful beef and lamb products.
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Cattle
Kahua Ranch Ltd. is home to one of the largest herd of cattle on the island with over 1000 mother cows at any given time. Originally a Hereford breed based herd, today Kahua is primarily Angus influenced with the use of Charolais as a terminal sire crossbred. With more than 85 years of planned breeding with the last 40+ years using artificial insemination to influence the genetic direction of the herd, Kahua's cattle herd has evolved into lines of animals that consistently set the mark for performance and beef quality.
Waygu – Healthy & Delicious
A relative newcomer to the herd is our Wagyu bloodlines. Best known as the Japanese "Kobe" Beef, today Kahua Ranch has a certified pure bred herd and prides itself in raising and finishing the animals for an exclusive clientele of customers. The Wagyu breed is recognized worldwide for its marbling, tenderness, fine texture and unmatched eating quality. Full-blood or Wagyu-crossed cattle consistently meet or exceed the standards for USDA Prime grade beef.
Not only is it a gastronomic delight, but it’s healthy for you too. Health experts have discovered the mono-unsaturated to saturated fat ratio is higher in Wagyu than in other beef and, the saturated fat contained in Wagyu is different. Forty percent is in a version called stearic acid, which is regarded as having a minimal impact in raising cholesterol levels. The profile of marbled Wagyu beef is more beneficial and healthier to human health.
Sheep
Kahua Ranch is also home to 400 mother sheep or "ewes". A Merino based flock originating in Niihau with Romney, Corriedale, Dorset and most recently, Cooper influence, the sheep are used together with the cattle to graze and manage the lands. The meat production is all locally consumed in restaurant and retail sales; the wool is shorn and shipped to the mainland United States for woolen manufacturing.
Horses
What would a ranch be without its horses? Today Kahua still uses horses in its livestock handling. A Quarter Horse, Thoroughbred, and Morgan cross, the original bloodlines trace back to the early 1900's when the United States Army gave thoroughbred stallions to ranches in return for the ranch raising remounts for use in the Pacific.
Grazing - Caring For The Aina (Land)
With a focus on increasing productivity while keeping in mind environmental impact and sustainability, Kahua Ranch was one of the first adopters of the high density / rapid rotational method of managing grazing lands. Many call it holistic resource management; management intensive grazing and/or knowledge based grazing. The concept is simple, confining the herd into a small area for a limited amount of time and then moving them on. This allows the just grazed area to have the plants recover without further impact and is an effective tool for improved soil protection, improved water infiltration, absorption and retention, minimizing erosion, increased species diversity, improved plant composition, higher pounds of production and overall improvement in ecosystem resiliency. Innovation and advanced techniques have carried the paniolo tradition through generations and will ensure Kahua Ranch produces the finest beef and lamb, superior in tenderness and flavor.
Food That’s Close to Home
At this time our grass finished beef and lamb are available at the Waimea butcher shop in Kamuela. Tasty burgers can be found at the Village Burger in Kamuela as well. Our ranch store is currently closed. Please check back for updates.
Kahua Ranch Ltd. is home to one of the largest herd of cattle on the island with over 1000 mother cows at any given time. Originally a Hereford breed based herd, today Kahua is primarily Angus influenced with the use of Charolais as a terminal sire crossbred. With more than 85 years of planned breeding with the last 40+ years using artificial insemination to influence the genetic direction of the herd, Kahua's cattle herd has evolved into lines of animals that consistently set the mark for performance and beef quality.
Waygu – Healthy & Delicious
A relative newcomer to the herd is our Wagyu bloodlines. Best known as the Japanese "Kobe" Beef, today Kahua Ranch has a certified pure bred herd and prides itself in raising and finishing the animals for an exclusive clientele of customers. The Wagyu breed is recognized worldwide for its marbling, tenderness, fine texture and unmatched eating quality. Full-blood or Wagyu-crossed cattle consistently meet or exceed the standards for USDA Prime grade beef.
Not only is it a gastronomic delight, but it’s healthy for you too. Health experts have discovered the mono-unsaturated to saturated fat ratio is higher in Wagyu than in other beef and, the saturated fat contained in Wagyu is different. Forty percent is in a version called stearic acid, which is regarded as having a minimal impact in raising cholesterol levels. The profile of marbled Wagyu beef is more beneficial and healthier to human health.
Sheep
Kahua Ranch is also home to 400 mother sheep or "ewes". A Merino based flock originating in Niihau with Romney, Corriedale, Dorset and most recently, Cooper influence, the sheep are used together with the cattle to graze and manage the lands. The meat production is all locally consumed in restaurant and retail sales; the wool is shorn and shipped to the mainland United States for woolen manufacturing.
Horses
What would a ranch be without its horses? Today Kahua still uses horses in its livestock handling. A Quarter Horse, Thoroughbred, and Morgan cross, the original bloodlines trace back to the early 1900's when the United States Army gave thoroughbred stallions to ranches in return for the ranch raising remounts for use in the Pacific.
Grazing - Caring For The Aina (Land)
With a focus on increasing productivity while keeping in mind environmental impact and sustainability, Kahua Ranch was one of the first adopters of the high density / rapid rotational method of managing grazing lands. Many call it holistic resource management; management intensive grazing and/or knowledge based grazing. The concept is simple, confining the herd into a small area for a limited amount of time and then moving them on. This allows the just grazed area to have the plants recover without further impact and is an effective tool for improved soil protection, improved water infiltration, absorption and retention, minimizing erosion, increased species diversity, improved plant composition, higher pounds of production and overall improvement in ecosystem resiliency. Innovation and advanced techniques have carried the paniolo tradition through generations and will ensure Kahua Ranch produces the finest beef and lamb, superior in tenderness and flavor.
Food That’s Close to Home
At this time our grass finished beef and lamb are available at the Waimea butcher shop in Kamuela. Tasty burgers can be found at the Village Burger in Kamuela as well. Our ranch store is currently closed. Please check back for updates.