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The Water Project
Coming soon.
We’re putting the finishing touches on our fundraiser page. Check back soon, or ask us about the project on your next visit to the farm.
The Water Project · October 2026
Catch the rain before it stops.
Help us build a permanent water system for the orchard before a record El Niño winter Drought.
12,600 of 45,000 gallons caught
$14,000 raised toward $50,000
12,600 gal
Empty
Empty
3 supporters. Updated Oct 19.
Colin’s video, 2 min 40
Why now
chance of a very strong El Niño this winter
chance it becomes the strongest El Niño on record since 1950
of Hawaiʻi’s two worst droughts in a century followed an El Niño
El Niño winters here start wet, then dry out fast. Cacao has shallow roots; a few dry weeks in our rainiest months can kill young trees and set the old ones back for years.
Sources: NOAA Climate Prediction Center, Oct. 2026; USGS Pacific Islands Climate Adaptation Science Center.
What we’re building
Two 20,000-gallon tanks and one 5,000-gallon tank, filled by rain off our existing roofs this fall. Our family holds an easement on the stream that runs through the property; once our permit is approved, the pump and mainline refill the tanks from it whenever the orchard needs water, and we draw only what it takes to refill them. Tanks alone can’t carry 2,000 trees through a dry season. Tanks that refill can.
If the drought doesn’t come, the tanks and the stream connection stay.
Two 20,000-gal tanks and one 5,000-gal tank
$27,500
Foundations, sand pads and excavation
$4,260
Generator and pump for the stream connection
$7,800
1,500 ft of mainline from the stream to the tanks, and drip irrigation materials
$10,025
Campaign goal
$50,000
Line items total $49,585. We buy as money comes in.
Ways to give
Every gift comes with a thank-you. Checks and Zelle carry no fees; details below.
$100
Your name on a tree
A tag with your name on a tree in the orchard, which you can visit on any tour.
Give $100
$500
Farm gift box
A $130+ box of goods from the farm: both craft bars, all three inclusion bars, cacao tea and brew, handcrafted soap and two vanilla beans, plus the gift card and tree tag.
Give $500
$750
Large farm gift box
A $285+ box: everything in the farm box, plus our complete vanilla line (paste, extract and three beans) and twice the craft chocolate, plus the gift card and tree tag.
Give $750
$1,000
Private evening at the farm
A one-time evening of wine, food and chocolate, plus the $285+ large gift box, gift card and tree tag.
Give $1,000
$3,000
4 of 5 left
Dedicated park bench
A steel bench on the property with your name on it, a Lifetime Couples Pass, the private evening, the $285+ large gift box, gift card and tree tag.
Give $3,000
$10,000
2 of 3 left
Name a water tank
Your name on one of the three tanks, a Lifetime Couples Pass, the private evening, the $285+ large gift box, gift card and tree tag.
Give $10,000
Any amount helps. Lifetime Couples Pass: you, or someone you name, and a guest on any of our farm tours, for life. Full terms below.
Questions people ask
Founding Supporters
The family and friends who gave before we went public, and everyone who has joined them since.
Sandra and Bill Gebhardt
[Name 2]
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Anonymous (3)
Give by check or Zelle
No processing fees, so every dollar reaches the project.
Check: Colin Hart, 1533 Puia Road, Hilo, HI 96720
Zelle: colin@honolii.estate
Tell us your level, your tank or bench choice if it applies, and whether we may list you as a Founding Supporter.
Honoliʻi Orchards is a working farm, not a nonprofit; gifts are not tax-deductible.