Sustainability
Parker Ranch’s Sustainability Efforts and Principles
The sustainability of Waimea and Parker Ranch are closely intertwined. Parker Ranch is deeply committed to integrating responsible practices into all aspects of its operations, focusing on long-term environmental health and community well-being. The greater Waimea area is endowed with significant natural resources, a large portion of which is owned by the Ranch. As a result, the Ranch is uniquely positioned to enhance and ensure the sustainability of Waimea.
Parker Ranch implements conscientious stewardship initiatives across energy, water, land management, and food production. We continuously evaluate ways to deploy the Ranch’s assets to achieve greater sustainability and economic development.
Energy and Food Initiatives
In an era of increased focus on energy and food sovereignty, Parker Ranch is investing in renewable energy solutions such as solar power to reduce its carbon footprint and enhance energy self-sufficiency for Hawai‘i Island. While we are proud to continue many of the ranching traditions begun nearly two centuries ago, we are also mindful of modern developments that help us protect and maintain the land and the health of our ecosystem.
Parker Ranch, through its subsidiary Paniolo Power Company, is partnering with Innergex Renewable Energy to develop the 30MW Hale Kuawehi Solar Project, which will provide clean energy to approximately 15,000 households on Hawaii Island. This project, one of the first utility-scale solar farms on the island, is a significant step toward reducing reliance on imported fossil fuels, lowering electricity costs, and advancing Hawaii’s goal of 100% renewable energy by 2045. Through this initiative, Parker Ranch is committed to enhancing sustainability and addressing climate change impacts on the Island.
Our goal is to also contribute to a resilient food system that benefits our community, both locally and domestically. Parker Ranch is a scaled producer of locally raised, naturally pasture-finished, grass-fed beef here in Hawai‘i as well as the sixth largest producer of calves in the United States, contributing significantly to the domestically-raised beef supply chain.
shop grass-fed beefNatural Resource Management
Parker Ranch understands the importance of long-term planning and responsible land management to ensure that future generations can continue to enjoy the natural beauty and quality of life that define Waimea. Richard Smart’s Waimea Town Center Plan embodies this vision, aiming to preserve the Paniolo character of Waimea while accommodating thoughtful expansion. Recognizing the Ranch’s pivotal role in shaping Waimea’s future, Smart’s foresight ensured that Ranch lands would guide the town’s development in a balanced, sustainable manner.
Holistic land management has been central to Parker Ranch’s mission since its founding, encompassing conservation, food production, and sustainable land development around Waimea. For many years, Parker Ranch has actively worked to increase stewardship of its forest lands through a range of initiatives and partnerships aimed at improving forest health to enhance the social, environmental, and economic values that forests provide. In 2018 the Ranch created a dedicated team to increase the level of management occurring in our conservation, watershed, and production forests with a range of management actions from seed collection, plant propagation, invasive species control, and targeted forest expansion. Parker Ranch also works hand in hand with a wide range of regional partners to manage forest and watershed resources on a landscape scale for the betterment of the community as a whole.
A partnership formed in 2021 between Parker Ranch and Kamuela Hardwoods, a Waimea based salvage timber company, further emphasizes the Ranch’s long-term commitment to a forest industry on Hawai‘i Island. This partnership allows for the development of a circular forest economy where locally sourced and sustainably harvested timber can be milled, processed, and sold to local craftsmen with proceeds from the harvests going back to support sustainable forest management.
Project List:
- Waipunalei
- Kanea‘a
- Koaia Corridor
- Hānaipoe
- Mauna Kea
Watershed Partnerships:
Community and Education
For 175 years, Parker Ranch’s environmental, economic, and cultural contributions have been a major influence in creating the Waimea we know and love today. Collaborations with local schools and organizations foster a culture of responsibility and stewardship among Waimea’s youth.
Parker Ranch operates under a beneficial trust supporting four Waimea beneficiaries: Parker School, Hawai‘i Preparatory Academy, Queen’s North Hawai‘i Community Hospital, and Hawai‘i Community Foundation’s Richard Smart Fund. Through these beneficiaries, the Ranch directly and indirectly supports numerous smaller educational and healthcare organizations.
By way of these comprehensive efforts, Parker Ranch ensures the preservation of Waimea’s natural resources and cultural heritage, fostering a sustainable future for generations to come.
Innovation for the Future
Remaining true to its origins and legacy has always been an important part of how Parker Ranch operates. But evolving and innovating has also been essential for Parker Ranch to grow and thrive for more than 175 years. Parker Ranch continues to look to new information and methods of ranching in order to continue its legacy and stewardship for generations to come.
One such example is Parker Ranch’s agreement with Symbrosia to test Symbrosia’s seaweed-based food additive that shows promise for reducing the amount of methane, a greenhouse gas, produced by cows during their digestive process.
Learn More About Symbrosia