Our Story
Our Story
Welcome to Kona Crown Coffee. We are Ted and Pam Darnall. We met in Kona in 1988 and as a newly wed couple we dreamed of having a coffee farm on the slopes of Hualalai one day. Thirty-five years later our dream came true when we purchased an existing 42 acre coffee farm near the town of Holualoa in 2023.
Our Heritage
Our heritage dates back to the 1850's with John Douglas Ackerman, Pam's Maternal Great Grandfather, who came to Waipio Valley, on the island of Hawai'i. John Douglas grew rice for several years before moving over to the Kona District near the town of Kealakekua. The Ackermans started a dairy, raised cattle, farmed coffee and were the first farmers to grow and can pineapple for retail sale to stores in Honolulu.
Pam's father's family, the Cleghorns, is another Kama'aina family. A.S. Cleghorn made his way to Hawai'i in the 1850's. A.S. Cleghorn was husband to Princess Likelike, (sister of King David Kalakaua) and father to Princess Ka'iulani. Ka'iulani was the last heir to the Hawaiian throne.
A.S. Cleghorn was the appointed Governor of Oahu, was a merchant, (who quite possibly sold Ackerman's canned pineapple), and an avid horticulturist. He was referred to as a Scientific gardner, and was responsible for much of the notable landscape at Kapiolani Park, Thomas Square, the banyan at the Moana Hotel in Waikiki. A.S. Cleghorn also had a 100 acre coffee farm in the late 1800's in the Hōnaunau-Nāpōʻopoʻo area.
We are blessed with such a rich heritage and feel responsible to be great stewards of the land while producing some of the finest Kona coffee.
Aloha Nui Loa!
From our family to yours, we invite you to experience the exceptional taste and rich history of Kona Crown Coffee. As you savor each cup, you are partaking in a legacy that began over 125 years ago and continues to thrive. Join us in celebrating the past, present, and future of Kona coffee.
Thank you for being part of our journey. Here’s to many more years of exceptional coffee and cherished traditions. (all women shown in photo are Ackerman, Cleghorn or in my case, both)