Rooster Farms on Big Island
Big Island grown turmeric root has no detectable lead in it like unfortunately much of the world's turmeric does. We grow our roots certified organic together with our coffee and they are good friends, helping each other grow better :)
You Grow Coffee, And Turmeric??
Coffee Crop Friends
Rooster Farms is the oldest certified organic farm in Hawai'i. We began as a Kona Coffee farm and also grow certified organic turmeric. Initially we began growing Hawaiian turmeric, or 'Olena as it is known in Hawaiian, to address soil and disease issues which have been affecting the coffee in the region. Coffee is sadly very susceptible to fungus; Turmeric is a potent antifungal and since co-planting both crops we have gained huge amounts of control over the issues that plague coffee and turmeric crops globally; our Hawaii, Kona-grown coffee and Turmeric work very harmoniously well together. We grow turmeric via permaculture to co-support our Kona coffee, and our turmeric benefits from the rich soils and heavy rains in the Big Island high mountains.
Big Island Grown
Turmeric root has an unfortunately unique ability to draw heavy metals out of the earth as it grows. The large majority of turmeric products for sale in the world, even if certified organic, unfortunately have metals such as lead in the root. Turmeric root is either banned or heavily regulated in some places in the U.S. such as in California where they require labeling that warns the consumer of the lead content.
Being labeled as organic only approves the inputs in farming methods for a product; lead can still be found in organically labeled turmeric as it has no control over what is naturally found in soil such as heavy metals.
Big Island / Hawai'i Island is such a young island at 0 to 500 years old in most parts ( and continually forming! ), that there has been no time for metals such as lead to form in the soil. At 300,000 years old in the oldest corners – the next youngest major island in Hawai'i is up to 1.3 million years old. Hawai'i Island/Big Island is the youngest of all the major Hawaiian islands supported by agriculture.
The turmeric on our farm is tested to be confirmed lead free, below the detectable limit of .05mg/kg. It is domestically produced turmeric and contains high levels of micronutrients.
Fresh!
We harvest only to order and ship roots fresh as soon as they are cured and cleaned.