Maui Land & Pineapple Company, Inc. (MLP) has leased over 1,000 acres of land in West Maui to Ka Ike Ranch, a family-owned business, to reactivate its agricultural lands and strengthen local food sustainability. Ranching operations have already begun, with the first phase of fence construction and the addition of 62 head of cattle. Since securing the lease, Ka Ike Ranch has also received grant support to expand operations and explore new ways to contribute to agricultural resilience and land stewardship in the region.
“Ranching has been a part of our company history for generations, and it’s great to see the Ka Ike family focused on West Maui to create new agricultural jobs on the land, provide locally-sourced food, help lower wildfire risk, and provide renewed connections for local families to the land,” said Race Randle, CEO of Maui Land & Pineapple Company. “This is a wonderful example of our mission to put land to productive use and meet the needs of the community.”
“This lease provides a place for our families to share the knowledge of paniolo culture that we hope to instill in future generations,” explains Ryan Wendt of Ka Ike Ranch. “Ka Ike Ranch is a partnership of four ranching families from Maui who are passionate about local food production and ensuring sustainable ranching while caring the land and the cattle.”
Ka Ike Ranch is made up of four ranching families. Pictured above: Lee Peters, Jasen Ka‘imikaua (a friend of the ranch), Ryan Wendt, Warrick Dutro and Pierre Rousseau.
MLP’s ranching legacy began with Honolua Ranch in 1889 and continued with the Keahua Ranch Company in 1909. Over the years, ranching evolved alongside pineapple cultivation, forming Maui Pineapple Company in 1932. As MLP expanded across Maui, it remained committed to balancing agriculture, conservation and land stewardship. Today, MLP carries this legacy forward by integrating sustainable ranching into its operations, supporting food sustainability and fire mitigation.
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