Farmer Tom has been cultivating Hawaiian Coffee, Cacao and Vanilla at his farm on the Big Island's Hamakua Coast for the past 25 years.  He is committed to promoting these crops and growing the industry by supporting and  mentoring new farmers through education and hands-on experience.​  Many people have visited Sharkey's farm over the years and Tom, a born story-teller, makes learning fun (and tasty!) as he shares his passion for growing in Hawai'i.  Tom's vision is to connect the local cacao community to opportunities and partners that sustain agricultural and entrepreneurial economic development on Hawaii Island.

 

.​"It's a lot of work, but it's work I love because it's constantly changing, growing, evolving".

Sharkey laughs.  "There's a time to sow and a time to reap and a whole lot of other stuff you gotta do in between.  And at the end of the day, you're tired but content because it's really all about doing what you love and passing it on."​