27 thoughts on “Hawaii Sugar Cane + C&H | Do You Remember?”
Timm T
Thanks for the heat article. We were fortunate to see the mill in Puunene shortly before it closed. Ironically enough, we used to live in Crockett, CA right across the street from the C & H factory!
1
Rochelle h
And I worked in I.T. for C and H way ba k in SF. Beet sugar also helped to phase out Cane sugar from what our management told us.
Vince P.
My father came over in the 60’s to work for HC&S. He designed a majority of the irrigation systems for the company and also worked on other islands as he instituted drip irrigation which was a far better steward of water resource management. I’m not sure where you are getting that the cane industry caused water and air pollution? The “smoke” you refer to in the stacks at the Puunene mill was Steam. This misconception that it was pollution drove my father nuts. At any rate, thank-you for choosing to spotlight Hawaiian Sugar and the historic part it played in Hawaii’s history. Mahalo.
2
Kavika C
Mahalo for a great memory!!
Glory days, they pass you by
Jim
Very memorable! We knew the jingle by heart. But, we grew up in NW Minnesota in American Crystal country whose sugar was produced from sugar beets. A common discussion was about who had the best sugar. Mom always knew the answer, whichever was cheaper.
Now, my favorite rum is Koloa Coconut Rum. Not only for its taste but it tastes better knowing the sugar (as much as possible) is from sugar cane grown on Kauai, environmentally, and supporting the local labor force. And the company is trying to grow pre-western contact legacy sugar cane varieties. Koloa Rum may have to distill a C&H Legacy rum.
2
Kavika C
Koloa Rum Punch also a winner! Good taste you have
Aloha
1
David W
The damage these cane fields did to our lungs and our coral reefs can never be undone. Yes I remember black ash falling all over my lawn and neighbor’s pools, beaches and ocean water in south Kihei. I’m sure it was much worse in north Kihei, and Paia which were much closer to the cane burning, but it seemed the winds would carry the poison across the entire island. We would hardly get more than a few weeks break from this poison during Christmas and then it would start all over again. Many of us with asthma and sensitive allergies were effected much worse and some had no choice but to leave the island for good. Now, we are grateful that this is finally behind us but how can we be sure that we have not suffered permanent harm and how long before our coral reefs recover if ever? This was a far greater problem than climate change but no one seemed to care until it ended on its own once sugarcane was no longer profitable. Now we need to protect ourselves from the next multi billion dollar corporation that wants to use our islands for other hazardous practices such as Monsanto growing dangerous GMO crops.
1
K C
Grew up Kihei and still miss the cane every day. Made our island look beautiful and kept our people employed. Somehow for a hundred years the land and sea still thrived and provided while we harvested cane. So I will have hard time believing it was a problem…people moving from mainland and complain bout the cane was problem. Sad times change not always for better. Just ask anyone born and raised before 1970.
2
Willy P
I worked in the Hawaii sugar industry all my adult life as a licensed professional agricultural engineer, nearly 50 years. We frequently pulled samples of the cane smoke and had it analyzed at a top lab at UC Berkeley. The cane smoke was clean, no pesticides or herbicides of any sort. Water vapor, carbon dioxide, and clean carbon ash, which had the effect of absorbing other contaminants from the air, such as automobile exhaust, as it settled back to the ground. We did not use chemicals on the sugar cane other than the fertilizer that was applied via the drip irrigation systems. Wild varieties of sugar cane that we had found world wide had resistance to the insects and diseases we have in Hawaii, and those were controlled by selecting and breeding that resistance successfully into our commercial varieties from the other wild varieties that had that natural resistance. In addition, the biomass called “bagasse” that was left over after the sugar was squeezed out, was burned in boilers to produce steam, and the entire mill operation was powered by this steam and also by the electricity the steam powered generators produced, and enough electricity was produced to operate all the field operations as well, sending it out via plantation owned powerline distribution systems. It was a clean, efficient biofuel operated process that paid well and enabled thousands of employees to own their own homes and provide well for their families over many, many decades. Ultra cheap labor in foreign countries eventually enabled cheaper sugar to come into the USA when protective tariffs were dropped by the US gov’t. No US worker would ever work for those extremely low wages, but they think they are entitled to buy that cheap sugar produced by those workers in foreign countries.
2
Will F
Great observation Willy… we feel entitled to buy cheap sugar made by poverty wages, but not willing to work like that ourselves. The real culprit is international corporations which arbitrage cheap labor for staggering profits when sold at American prices. Our prices reflect more fair wages manufactured in a somewhat responsible way. China, Vietnam and most of the world the corps operate in have no such compunction.
1
Kim B.
Thank you for this information Willy! I appreciate the work you did to produce a quality product in an environmentally conscious way. We saw the cane and the mills in our early trips to Hawaii; I miss seeing them working now. It’s too bad we don’t see the value in American agriculture. As an agribusiness major in college, I have great respect for those who work the land.
2
Will F
We fondly remember our visit to Maui in 2007. Where we stayed by the golf course had a perfect view of the sugarcane fields, so we could see the fires burning in the night… The Maui bread basket is now condos, houses, and stores. 😢
S H
Thank you for this history on Hawaii. It’s so important to know and understand the Island history.
1
Bob B.
Ah yes remember those wonderful C&H commercials well! Also the C&H Sugar refinery at Crockett Calif.
Didn’t the square rigger “Falls of Clyde” (is it still afloat in HI?) deliver molasses to the C&H Refinery in Crocket, then reload with petroleum products from the local oil refineries to bring those products back to HI in the SAME tanks?
She was very unique ship only square rigged sailing ship ever converted to a tanker with tanks to hold cargo and steam powered pumps instead of hauling the cargo in 5 gal tin cans referred to as “case goods”. When I lived in Tahoe plowing snow for the DOT I worked with the grandson of Capt Klebingat, who saved her from the scrappers many years ago. I was aboard her back in 2000, unfortunately she was obviously deteriorating and no one seemed interested in restoring and preserving her at that time. National Park Service should have stepped in to conserve that unique vessel.
Was invited to spend a week on a pineapple plantation back in 1967 by my high school English Teacher whose parents managed one, along with few other classmates, the others were able to go I had to stay home and shovel cow poop and buck hay bales on the dairy. Will ALWAYS regretted not being able to go to see HI in those days!
Closest to it is watching the movie “Blue Hawaii” for all the background scenes.
The tune used was on the soundtrack of the movie “Donovan’s Reef” I believe. Does anyone know the name of the music so I can look it up to see if I can download it somewhere?
Thanks for the memories!!!!
Also I get no sound with your link to the C&H commercials, may have to search for them on the Youtube site.
1
Beat of Hawaii
Hi Bob.
Thanks for sharing about the sugar cane industry. Just BTW, we checked and the video sound plays fine.
Aloha.
Bob B.
Aloha!
HA!
Somebody needs to make sure their speakers are plugged in before trying to listen to the video!!!! Yep works fine! 😊
Mahalo from ABQ, NM!
Lynn M
We lived in Makakilo on Oahu in the 1970’s and I remember when they would burn the fields down below us near Barbers point. Many of my Filipino friends Dad’s worked the fields.
1
Deb G
This was a walk down memory lane. Thank you so much.
Comments are closed.
Aloha!
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Thanks for the heat article. We were fortunate to see the mill in Puunene shortly before it closed. Ironically enough, we used to live in Crockett, CA right across the street from the C & H factory!
And I worked in I.T. for C and H way ba k in SF. Beet sugar also helped to phase out Cane sugar from what our management told us.
My father came over in the 60’s to work for HC&S. He designed a majority of the irrigation systems for the company and also worked on other islands as he instituted drip irrigation which was a far better steward of water resource management. I’m not sure where you are getting that the cane industry caused water and air pollution? The “smoke” you refer to in the stacks at the Puunene mill was Steam. This misconception that it was pollution drove my father nuts. At any rate, thank-you for choosing to spotlight Hawaiian Sugar and the historic part it played in Hawaii’s history. Mahalo.
Mahalo for a great memory!!
Glory days, they pass you by
Very memorable! We knew the jingle by heart. But, we grew up in NW Minnesota in American Crystal country whose sugar was produced from sugar beets. A common discussion was about who had the best sugar. Mom always knew the answer, whichever was cheaper.
Now, my favorite rum is Koloa Coconut Rum. Not only for its taste but it tastes better knowing the sugar (as much as possible) is from sugar cane grown on Kauai, environmentally, and supporting the local labor force. And the company is trying to grow pre-western contact legacy sugar cane varieties. Koloa Rum may have to distill a C&H Legacy rum.
Koloa Rum Punch also a winner! Good taste you have
Aloha
The damage these cane fields did to our lungs and our coral reefs can never be undone. Yes I remember black ash falling all over my lawn and neighbor’s pools, beaches and ocean water in south Kihei. I’m sure it was much worse in north Kihei, and Paia which were much closer to the cane burning, but it seemed the winds would carry the poison across the entire island. We would hardly get more than a few weeks break from this poison during Christmas and then it would start all over again. Many of us with asthma and sensitive allergies were effected much worse and some had no choice but to leave the island for good. Now, we are grateful that this is finally behind us but how can we be sure that we have not suffered permanent harm and how long before our coral reefs recover if ever? This was a far greater problem than climate change but no one seemed to care until it ended on its own once sugarcane was no longer profitable. Now we need to protect ourselves from the next multi billion dollar corporation that wants to use our islands for other hazardous practices such as Monsanto growing dangerous GMO crops.
Grew up Kihei and still miss the cane every day. Made our island look beautiful and kept our people employed. Somehow for a hundred years the land and sea still thrived and provided while we harvested cane. So I will have hard time believing it was a problem…people moving from mainland and complain bout the cane was problem. Sad times change not always for better. Just ask anyone born and raised before 1970.
I worked in the Hawaii sugar industry all my adult life as a licensed professional agricultural engineer, nearly 50 years. We frequently pulled samples of the cane smoke and had it analyzed at a top lab at UC Berkeley. The cane smoke was clean, no pesticides or herbicides of any sort. Water vapor, carbon dioxide, and clean carbon ash, which had the effect of absorbing other contaminants from the air, such as automobile exhaust, as it settled back to the ground. We did not use chemicals on the sugar cane other than the fertilizer that was applied via the drip irrigation systems. Wild varieties of sugar cane that we had found world wide had resistance to the insects and diseases we have in Hawaii, and those were controlled by selecting and breeding that resistance successfully into our commercial varieties from the other wild varieties that had that natural resistance. In addition, the biomass called “bagasse” that was left over after the sugar was squeezed out, was burned in boilers to produce steam, and the entire mill operation was powered by this steam and also by the electricity the steam powered generators produced, and enough electricity was produced to operate all the field operations as well, sending it out via plantation owned powerline distribution systems. It was a clean, efficient biofuel operated process that paid well and enabled thousands of employees to own their own homes and provide well for their families over many, many decades. Ultra cheap labor in foreign countries eventually enabled cheaper sugar to come into the USA when protective tariffs were dropped by the US gov’t. No US worker would ever work for those extremely low wages, but they think they are entitled to buy that cheap sugar produced by those workers in foreign countries.
Great observation Willy… we feel entitled to buy cheap sugar made by poverty wages, but not willing to work like that ourselves. The real culprit is international corporations which arbitrage cheap labor for staggering profits when sold at American prices. Our prices reflect more fair wages manufactured in a somewhat responsible way. China, Vietnam and most of the world the corps operate in have no such compunction.
Thank you for this information Willy! I appreciate the work you did to produce a quality product in an environmentally conscious way. We saw the cane and the mills in our early trips to Hawaii; I miss seeing them working now. It’s too bad we don’t see the value in American agriculture. As an agribusiness major in college, I have great respect for those who work the land.
We fondly remember our visit to Maui in 2007. Where we stayed by the golf course had a perfect view of the sugarcane fields, so we could see the fires burning in the night… The Maui bread basket is now condos, houses, and stores. 😢
Thank you for this history on Hawaii. It’s so important to know and understand the Island history.
Ah yes remember those wonderful C&H commercials well! Also the C&H Sugar refinery at Crockett Calif.
Didn’t the square rigger “Falls of Clyde” (is it still afloat in HI?) deliver molasses to the C&H Refinery in Crocket, then reload with petroleum products from the local oil refineries to bring those products back to HI in the SAME tanks?
She was very unique ship only square rigged sailing ship ever converted to a tanker with tanks to hold cargo and steam powered pumps instead of hauling the cargo in 5 gal tin cans referred to as “case goods”. When I lived in Tahoe plowing snow for the DOT I worked with the grandson of Capt Klebingat, who saved her from the scrappers many years ago. I was aboard her back in 2000, unfortunately she was obviously deteriorating and no one seemed interested in restoring and preserving her at that time. National Park Service should have stepped in to conserve that unique vessel.
Was invited to spend a week on a pineapple plantation back in 1967 by my high school English Teacher whose parents managed one, along with few other classmates, the others were able to go I had to stay home and shovel cow poop and buck hay bales on the dairy. Will ALWAYS regretted not being able to go to see HI in those days!
Closest to it is watching the movie “Blue Hawaii” for all the background scenes.
The tune used was on the soundtrack of the movie “Donovan’s Reef” I believe. Does anyone know the name of the music so I can look it up to see if I can download it somewhere?
Thanks for the memories!!!!
Also I get no sound with your link to the C&H commercials, may have to search for them on the Youtube site.
Hi Bob.
Thanks for sharing about the sugar cane industry. Just BTW, we checked and the video sound plays fine.
Aloha.
Aloha!
HA!
Somebody needs to make sure their speakers are plugged in before trying to listen to the video!!!! Yep works fine! 😊
Mahalo from ABQ, NM!
We lived in Makakilo on Oahu in the 1970’s and I remember when they would burn the fields down below us near Barbers point. Many of my Filipino friends Dad’s worked the fields.
This was a walk down memory lane. Thank you so much.