Foods That Grow in Hawaii
Thanks to its mild climate all year round, Hawaii is an agricultural paradise that can support many different types of crops. In fact, farmland makes up about 40% of the land on the islands, and at the time of USDA's 2017 Census of Agriculture, there were 7,328 farms in the state. Scroll through the slideshow to learn more about eight foods that grow in Hawaii.
SEE MORE: See What's Growing With This Hawaii Produce Calendar
Papaya
Native to Central America, papaya cultivation in the Pacific islands didn’t begin until the 1800s. Today, however, Hawaii is one of the main exporters of papaya in the world, and most of Hawaii’s papayas grow in the rich volcanic soil on the eastern end of the Big Island. In fact, almost all papayas consumed in the U.S. come from this region!