About Us

On the Big Island of Hawai'i, is the scenic Hamakua Coast. On the North end of this 40 mile coast line is the sleepy old plantation town of Honoka'a. Travel 3 miles up old Mamalahoa road and you will be in the rustic ranch lands of picturesque Ahualoa the"long hill." Once on this scenic drive look for the street name Waipahi, take a left, up a ways then another left. You are now on the 3B Half Horse Ranch. Here is the home of the Long Ears Hawai'ian Coffee LLC.

The 3B Half-Horse Ranch began as a mule breeding operation, hence the name "Half-Horse" in 1970 and continues to this day. Our mule factory produced the only registered mules in the State of Hawai'i, sired by a "Gold Star" registered Mammoth Catalonian Jackass named Ozark Red, since he was a dappled red roan. Ozark came to Ahualoa fro Missouri via 747 Jet from Oakland California to Hilo Hawaii, first class we might add. Ozark Red has since passed, but we keep him on our coffee logo and developed a label Long Ears Hawaiian Coffee LLC. This can be a "hole nada story."

The Long Ears Hawaiian Coffee LLC began in October of 2000, quite by accident actually. For years, Arabica coffee trees from Hamakua's coffee glory days fended for themselves on our Ranch while I concentrated on my original passion, being the manager of our "mule factory." It was not until the passing of our beloved Jackass Ozark Red that we began to take notice of all the red cherry coffee on our trees. So, for the heck of it, we started picking and before long we had picked 300 pounds of bright red coffee cherry, now we set out to find someone to purchase or process this coffee for us. But no one had any interest in this coffee from Hamakua for one reason or another. Now, curios to know what is wrong with our coffee cherries, we decided to process this coffee cherries ourselves, all 300 pounds of it. Not knowing anything about the process, and after many phone calls we purchased all the needed equipment, including an old drum roaster. We now had all the needed equipment to process this coffee right to the cup, and did just that, we shared this "brew" with our friends and some old timers who gave us the forgotten history of Hamakua' coffee. This "spurred" us on and we now found ourselves smack dab in the middle of a coffee business, 100% Pure Hamakua' naturally.

Not having enough coffee of our own, we started searching he hills and valleys and found small farms that had coffee trees and would sell us their coffee cherry. We found quite a number of individuals most of them once employed by the Sugar Industry, now self employed farmers trying to support their families. They too had the same problem, no place to sell their coffee cherries, and began to abandon their coffee trees. We started to buy their coffee cherries and began a network of told timers who had small plantings on their land. In some of the remote valleys like Waipio as well as gulches along the Hamakua' Coastline, here can be found "wild" coffee. Hamakua' is no stranger to coffee which has been here since early 1800's and in the 1950's there were no less than 3 large coffee mills processing coffee in the (mauka) upper lands. Come visit, talk story, learn that Arabica coffee came to this Island and was grown in the Hamakua' region before Kona.

These days we, the Long Ears Hawaiian Coffee LLC, are the only coffee processing operation on the Hamakua' Coast that does the entire process on site. We are a family owned and operated business. Like many other small businesses, we are farmers, processors, sales and marketing. Having complete control in management, we can maintain a very high standard of quality control. We do this the old traditional drum roasting, "kind way", which develops the unique flavor of our featured "aged single estate" 100% Pure Hawaiian Hamakua Coffee, which we custom roast upon demand. This too is "a nada story," see, we are not in any hurry, after all this is Hawaii.

The Hamakua Coast is also noted for the big trees that grow in this tropical environment, so why not make use of them? By purchasing a Lucas Portable Saw Mill we do just that. We mill lumber for our farm building, slabs for table tops and custom mill for others whatever the need be. Ask us about he Lucas Mill, come by and check out our buildings, visit our mules or just drop by and visit with us, talk story and drink our "Aged Single Estate" Misty Mountain COffee. You can also try our very unique Kalehua Pea Berry COffee, also "Aged", or even our Long Hill Coffee Berry Tea.

E Komo Mai E Ho'onanea me Kope o Hamakua'
Welcome, come sit, relax and enjoy Hamakua' Coffee with us!
Mahalo! Wendall and Netta Branco

Here a few testimonials:

"I live in Virginia, recently my father visited Hawai'i and sent me a pound of dark roast coffee from Long Ears Coffee Company. I am so impressed with the quality of your products, I would like more" E.W. Blacksburg, VA, USA

"We got 5 pounds of Long Ears Coffee �by the way it's the best coffee we have ever had." J and K.B. Wallkill, N.Y. USA

"We love you beans." J.P. Honolulu, HI USA

"My wife and I have been enjoying some of your coffee from the Hamakua area, you are doing a great job" D.S., Waimea (Big Island) HI USA

"Many of my friends are tasting you coffee now in Japan" K.O., Yokohama, Japan

"We enjoy Long Ears Coffee everyday." K.M. Yokohama City, Japan

"I have tried many types of coffee, so when I say its good it is good!"C.S. Honolulu, HI USA

"Got 2 pounds of Hamakua Coast Coffee, really enjoyed it and am interested in more, love the label." M.H. MO., USA

"Send 2 pounds dark roast,�can't wait..yum, yum, real coffee." W and S.L. Colorado, USA