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Macadamia nut production in lava is a much different way to grow tree nuts approach to tree nuts compared to almond, pistachio, walnut, and pecan production on mostly flat ground in California, Arizona, and New Mexico.
The farm’s lava base was created by eruptions of the Mauna Loa volcano, the largest volcano on the planet which is still active. According to the website www.basicplanet.com, the first documented eruption of Mauna Loa was in 1843 with 32 eruptions since then. The last eruption occurred in 1984.
As the crow flies, MacFarms is 21 miles from the volcano. The Big Island has three volcanoes with Kilauea the most popularly known by tourists.
Nixon says MacFarms of Hawaii is the largest single contiguous macadamia nut ranch in the world, and owned by Buderim Ginger Limited of Australia.
The elevation from one end of the farm to the other is 1,200 feet to 2,600 feet above sea level. This steep incline makes the mechanical harvest of macadamia nuts virtually impossible.
