Who Is Makaira?
Aloha! I’m Makaira, part owner of our family-owned Kona Kava Farm, where the best (I think!) kava in the world is grown. My family comes from a long line of ‘awa growers. Many people ask if the woman on the labels of our products is a real person, and yes, it is me. My father paints pictures in his “off-time” from the farm, and one day he painted me drinking a half shell of ‘awa by the ocean. He made it into our very first commercial labels. I then did a few photo shoots for our website (I think the poses from that photo shoot are a little silly!), and found myself in the family business in a way I hadn’t planned.
So, I was born right here on the farm during the summer of 1966. I have traveled the world extensively in search of unique strains of kava, as well as prized seeds of coffee, cacao, hoodia, maca, and a few other plants that we love to grow on our estate, but I always find myself coming back to this stunningly beautiful island where I have many friends and family.
I believe in diversifying our product line and our crops just a bit, to help spread the word about this safe and effective herbal supplement, that often has mystery and rumor surrounding it. (Click the links on the right for important articles on kava, several of which point to specific studies showing that kava is safe.) But, we are as particular about any herbal product we carry as we are about our kava, so nothing except the absolute best and most potent hoodia and maca we can find and/or grow, as well as the tastiest vegan chocolate that has ever passed any of our lips, is good enough to put our name on.
We then use these same high quality herbs to carefully craft into our small batch recipes for our drinks, concentrates, and extracts. Be brave and pick up an instant drink or a concentrate in addition to your kava powdered root purchase!
My own, personal section of the blog, entitled The Mind of Makaira is where I share with all of you events that happen in my life, books and articles I read about kava… basically anything that comes across my mind. You can comment on the blog too, so please fire away! I promise to respond to each and every one of you! There are also news articles about kava interspersed within the blog. You can find them by going to Kava News directly.
There is also a section contained in the blog called Ask Makaira where you can ask me anything you wish; from questions about kava, to our culture, to anything else your heart desires. I adore kava and everything about it, and enjoy finding comments and questions for me to answer. And don’t worry; you won’t have to wait forever for a reply; I promise I will get back to you within a day or two, so check back here often! Please email any questions to me at makaira(at)konakavafarm(dot)com.
Also, feel free to contact the farm with any questions or comments you might have; we want to be sure that your experiences with Kava will be positive ones. You can reach us via e-mail at kavashop(at)konakavafarm(dot)com, or you can call anytime as well, and a knowledgeable and friendly member of our Chicago processing facility will gladly assist you.
Aloha no,
Makaira
{ 13 comments… read them below or add one }
I’m a big fan of organic wellness & natural healing. I’ve been frequenting Kava Roots Cafe in salt lake city Utah for the kava, positive vibrations, the Polynesian art, and live roots music. The healing spirit of kava has touched my life and I am grateful. Mahalo kava, kava roots cafe & konakava.!!
Karrie,
We have a lot of information on the website on how to prepare the Kava powder for yourself. Our Kava Recipes page is probably the best place to look, since it offers our favorite recipes as well as a number of favorites submitted by customers.
Traditional preparation of Kava is explained above, but it’s explained using powdered Kava root. Due to restrictions by the FDA, we’re unable to offer whole roots and we’re unable to offer fresh roots to our customers. And fresh roots are what are used for traditional preparation of Kava drinks that will knock your socks off! We discuss Kava Traditional Preparation on our website as well in case you’re curious!
Hope this helps!
Peace, Love, Aloha,
Makaira
Makaira, do you give instructions on how to prepare the powdered mix? I am new to kava. I just placed an order for capsules, to give it a try. I am very interested in how to prepare it as close to traditional manner as possible. I to have gotten away from pharmaceuticals for relaxation. Too many side effects and not enough positive results. I am looking forward to receiving my kava. Thank You.
Mahalo Nui Loa (which means “thank you very much!”), TJ! Stories like yours are the kind that make all of our efforts worth it. You probably have no idea how much it warms our hearts whenever we hear that someone else has discovered the joy of this plant that our family and culture have held so dear for many thousands of years. To us, the positive vibes and the love that is the spirit of ‘Awa is what makes Kava so unique. Don’t forget to check out the many recipes we’ve got on our website to help make your powdered root experience even more palatable and enjoyable. And, please don’t hesitate to contact us if there’s anything you need. Look to your e-mail as well for a special thank you from us for your next order as well. Aloha no, Makaira
so makaira, i had my second experience with kava tonight… and i have to say thank you. this has been an incredible experience for me. i didn’t even know my package had arrived today until my brother told me it was sitting on the counter around twelve or so in the evening. i mixed it up with some milk (sadly not soy milk, my family is all about that two percent haha) and went to town on it… i found the banana vanilla flavor to be very very pleasant in taste. it definately has a flavor all it’s own and i instantly fell in love. but the feeling makaira, the feeling this kava has given me was one that simply blew me away. it was positive vibes all the way and i felt so relaxed and smiley
thank you and your family for everything you do and for bringing this kava into my life. i’m getting all of my friends to try it as well and have been linking friends to your website… so hopefully you will be receiving some orders from them as well. i hope your farm and family continue to prosper in every way possible and continue spreading this beautiful thing around the world to as many people as you can. i’ll definatley be ordering some more kava very soon… next wednesday to be exact… and i’m going for the straight root and no flavoring this time.i want to see what it tastes like without the different flavors. i’m sure it will be just as amazing 
once again thank you so much.
peace and love to you and yours,
TJ
Hello Makaira,
I’ve been occasionally drinking Kava for about a year now and have had yet to try Kona Kava Farms kava (aside from the paste my friend received).
I cant wait to try it.
I’ve noticed Kava helps me focus a lot and because i get stressed out fairly easily, it helps calm my nerves without intoxicating effects , Kava is a miracle for me and i’d like to thank you all for doing what you do.
Steve,
And feel free to keep Kona Kava Farm in mind when you need product for your Kava Bar. It’s a thrill when we see Kava Bars opening in the United States mainland, and we’re proud to say that we supply several Kava Bars already with Kava from Kona Kava Farm. Our combination of freshly-packaged root, our Kava Chai, as well as our instant drink options gives any new Kava Bar an instant wide variety of Kava products to offer their customers. We look forward to your success no matter who supplies you with your Kava, though!
Aloha no,
Makaira
I have had pretty severe anxietey for years. I had been taking a regular dose of xanax. About nine months ago, a new neighbor moved into the house next door. He is from Hawaii and introduced me to Kava. I have been off of xanax now for six months and my anxietey is no longer a problem. Together, my neighbor and I have already procured a location and started construction on a kava bar. I love kava not only for the calming effects, but the opportunity to build unity with loved ones while honoring my family, ancestors, and mother earth.
Much Love
Steve
I have now placed 3 orders from this wonderful company and the excellent service they provide is the best! The organic kava they grow is fantastic and great for unwinding
at the end of the day and especially helpful to calm a person in a nervous situation.
I found the lovely Makaira to be so very kind and understanding with a mix up in an order placed, and she went out of her way to make everything perfect. Thank you so much
for providing this informative website and for the great products you sell! A repeat customer for life from Canada……..
I just ordered some Kava from you and look forward to receiving it. I have never tried it but will do so with enthusiasm as I have had chronic back pain. In fact I am writing this as I visit Mayo Clinic. I will let you know how it effects my situation.
Yes, what Dawn said–thank you, thank you, thank you! Kava is wonderful and has helped me to stop drinking alcohol so much. My sister told me about kava when she went to Fiji last month. I am so glad I found your website and ordered the product. It gives me peace of mind to know that your farm is family-owned and grows organically. I have told all my friends about this (I am from Utah of all places!) and the great experiences I have had. I’m sleeping better and I find my moods are more stable (I’m bipolar). Who knew that a simple herb could be so very powerful?
Love,
Amanda, a loyal customer
Dawn,
Stories like yours lift our hearts and bring us all here at Kona Kava Farm great joy (truly!). We work hard at what we do, and believe ever so deeply in this plant that’s such an integral part of our tradition, culture, and family. No matter how stressful our individual lives become, fresh Kava root can often act as the “glue” that helps us relax and to remember that there is nothing more important than family and friends in our lives. And, now that you’ve discovered the joy (not to mention the healthy benefits of Kava), you get to share it with your friends and family! Aloha no, Makaira
Hello!
I had recently tried a bowl of kava at a local hookah bar and found it beautifully relaxing, so I Googled around and found your Kona Kava site to be the most highly recommended source for pure kava.
I ordered on Friday and received my kava on Monday!! Wow, that was fast! By Monday evening I was enjoying a bowl that made the cafe’s kava shrink in comparison!
This is such a wonderful plant! I tend to get stressed by the noise and rush of daily living, but with kava as my nighttime friend, I forsee a whole new way of unwinding at day’s end. Thank you and your family for keeping this tradition alive and well!!
Big love to you-
Dawn