Pangaia is situated in a volcanically active zone on the Big Island of Hawaii. In 1960 the area was covered by cinders from a volcanic explosion. This left the area uninhabited and very fertile. Only the largest mango trees survived this cataclysmic event.

On these eastern shores, the Pacific Ocean trade winds first hit land, supplying extremely clean, oxygen-rich air and generous rainfall. We receive about 80 to 100 inches of rain per year. It’s a moderate tropical climate, 60/80 degrees F from November to April, 70/85 degrees F from May to October.

Pangaia was founded by Manis Martin in 1991 with a simple dream: to grow and eat his own food while living as close to Nature as possible. Here, on Hawaii, there was much to learn from the native culture and from teachers of the Aina (Hawaiian word for "the land"). The vision soon expanded into building a community with like-minded people: our family, our Ohana. Together, we have been pulling dreams into reality.

The original land of Pangaia is a 3 acre parcel. For years, we were working and living on this parcel, planting trees and increasing the fertility of the soil. Directly behind our land was a large lease lot. The owner of this land, an older Hawaiian man, saw the work we were doing and saw how we respected the aina. In 1997, he offered Pangaia a 100-year lease of his 60 adjoining acres: old abandoned papaya fields overgrown with 10-foot high elephant grass. In the years since, we have been working this land intensely. Here we have orchards of durian, cacao, avocado, citrus, bananas sand mango (to name a few); we have spaces for our chickens and goats, a pond, living structures, and so much more.

These “back acres” are our new playground and our gift to the next generations.