With more water available than on the dry flatlands of Maui's Central Valley, they began to acquire land with farming potential. First with small family plots, then consolidating parcels into larger commercial farms, they began an agricultural base that still exists today. Maui's climate of relatively mild weather year around was good for the small farmers. They could usually count on two, or even three, harvests per year. The farms of Maui grew and exported enormous amounts of green vegetables, mostly to other islands.
Farmers are a persistent lot.
They hang on to their way of life though good times and bad. But, the number of acres in agricultural zoning has diminished from 359,000 to 292,090 acres, with land devoted to cattle grazing, sugarcane, and pineapple dominating the scene. Even with the closing last year of the Pioneer Mill sugar operations on the Westside, sugarcane still dominates the crop lands with some 37,000 acres, mostly in the Central Valley, keeping Maui green. Pineapple is grown on just under 10,000 acres. Drive along the Upcountry roads both sides of the Kula highway and you will see the evidence of Maui's farms.