Hawaii is renowned for its breathtaking landscapes, including pristine beaches and clear waters. This draws in many tourists each year. Hesston Geddes admits the opportunity to live and work in Hawaii’s lush tropical backdrop enticed him to travel to Waipahu, to take on the manager role at Cloverleaf Dairy, the last commercial dairy in Hawaii. However, beyond the state’s natural beauty, the Idaho native dairyman says his new job has sharpened his skillset in more ways than one.
Cloverleaf Dairy
Cloverleaf Dairy has been a longstanding dairy on Hawaii’s big island, and after years of struggling, was recently acquired by Bahman Sadeghi in 2022 who is also the owner of Meadow Gold Dairy, a dairy products manufacturer in Hilo. Sadeghi reached out to Geddes soon after to help turnaround the stressed dairy.
Not long after Geddes started as Cloverleaf’s active manager, Geddes realized that there are stark differences milking cows in tropical Hawaii versus the large commercial dairy scene he was accustomed to in Idaho.
Logistic Challenges
“The biggest difference in Hawaii is it is just so isolated, which makes logistics a big challenge,” he says, noting that getting anything shipped from the mainland takes a lot of foresight and preparation. “You must always prep for emergencies because you’re more on your own. We are at least 7-plus days from something being shipped across the ocean.”
When it comes to ordering, Geddes shares that not only does it require thinking ahead, but also ordering in larger quantities because of the cost of shipment.
“Whether that is chemicals, filters, foot bath products, or whatever, we just really try to stay ahead of what we need, or you end up in a bind and there’s no bailout,” he explains.
According to Geddes, putting together a feed order, for example, is no small task, as it takes coordination with a lot of different people. Products like compressed alfalfa and grain are shipped in cube containers.
In addition to grazing pastures, Cloverleaf Dairy feeds TMR once daily during the noon hour and then the remaining feed is put in troughs out in the pasture.
“We’re mixing grass bales that have pepekeo in them, along with compressed alfalfa cubes, molasses and sweet potatoes that are rejects from the Hilo farm,” he says.
Weather Challenges
The dairy milks 360 cows through a double-9 herringbone twice daily and Geddes shares that the housing is very minimal, especially compared to modern dairying in the states. He describes the milking parlor as more of a pavilion than a barn.
“That was one thing I was kind of surprised by. There are some trees but no real cover or really need for cover,” he says, sharing that temperatures don’t fall below 60 degrees and there is always a breeze to provide comfort. Although the location of Cloverleaf Dairy provides two different climates.
“The wind always blows, coming in from the east and that’s why on this island we have a wet side and a dry side,” he says. “It is a very severe rain shadow effect, and so half of our farm is wet, while the other is dry. Our weather varies extremely because our farm stretches about two miles up the hill down to the to the ocean.”
Geddes says that growing up on an Idaho dairy, he always felt like there was one way a dairy should operate.
“That was because that is all I knew,” he says. “Out here, agriculture has a very different culture and I really like it. It takes a lot of effort and creativity to get around certain challenges.”
Another challenge that Hawaiian farmers are faced with is the high population of Ferrell hogs. Geddes shares that they are destructive and prolific.
“We hunt them to keep the numbers down because they are so costly due to the destruction they cause,” he says.
Leaning on Technology & Genetics
Geddes says his No. 1 focus right now is to improve the herd genetics and that is why he has relied on technology, like CowManager, to improve heat detection to get cows bred on a timelier basis. He shares that installing technology at first presented challenges because of their pasture-based system, but overall, the tech support has been good.
“Being able to get cows bred at the right time has been awesome,” he shares, noting that previously the dairy used bulls to breed cows and so technology like CowManager offers so much insight and data, including the precise recommended timing to breed.
“I’m looking at genetics that can help with our specialized environment and become more efficient with the pasture and the low-quality feed we have,” Geddes says, sharing hopefully this will spell more consistent returns in terms of milk production from the cattle.
Geddes shares that many think of Hawaii as a relaxed environment, after all the location spells vacation for many. He says that while it is a small community, the people take their work very seriously and his team of employees are far from relaxed, as they work extremely hard.
Although Geddes notes that locals support agriculture, especially on the big island.
