Vanilla Bean Farm Learning, Lunch and Legacy
Hawaiian Vanilla Company delivers a memory all generations can enjoy and never forget!
Grandma Found This One!
Kristen’s mom heard of the Hawaiian Vanilla Company and suggested we all go.
That’s kind of the whole point of multi-generational travel, isn’t it? Left to our own devices, we would have defaulted to the beach. But Grandma did what Grandmas do—she dug around, found something none of us had heard of, and said “we’re going.” This was easy to agree with because Kristen’s mom was a legendary vacation designer.
So three generations piled into the car and drove 45 minutes to the Hamakua Coast to a bright yellow building in Pa’auilo to eat lunch at a vanilla farm.
It was one of the most memorable experiences we’ve had.
It was the rare vacation activity that genuinely worked for our kids, adults and grandparents. We learned new stuff, tasted yummy food and toured the farm with easy walking for all ages.
That’s the memory-making sweet spot.
For Multi-Generational Families, Run By a Multi-Generational Family
The Hawaiian Vanilla Company isn’t some corporate farm tour with bored teenagers handing out samples. It’s a family-run, working vanilla farm in Pa’auilo—a tiny town on the Hamakua Coast between Honoka’a and Hilo.
Jim Reddekopp founded it in 1998 after his in-laws (orchid enthusiasts) told him vanilla comes from an orchid. That one dinner conversation turned into what became the first—and still the only—commercial vanilla farm in the United States. Sadly, Jim passed away on Valentine’s Day 2020. His eldest son, Ian, now runs the operation, and Jim’s widow Tracy still develops the recipes.
The farm sits in an old coffee mill, which is fitting as the Hamakua Coast has cycled through sugar cane, coffee, and ranching over the decades. Vanilla is the latest chapter.
They cap the luncheon at about 24-28 guests per sitting. It’s an intimate, two-hour experience that combines a real meal, a presentation on vanilla production, and a walking tour through the vineyard. Reservations are required because it fills up.
The Experience (What Actually Happens)
You arrive at the bright yellow building and immediately get a choice: Vanilla Lemonade, Vanilla Iced Tea, or a “Jimmy Boy” (half and half—named after Jim himself).
