How Hawai’i Found Sanctuary for Hundreds of Cows

A look at what happened next when an enormous dairy farm on the Big Island was closed for waste violations

The tropical state of Hawai’i typically conjures a certain set of images for most people — white sand beaches, vibrant blue water, and fruity umbrella cocktails. Of course that’s not all there is to this diverse island chain, and one thing the Aloha State rarely elicits is images of factory farms. Sadly, paradise isn’t immune to the horrors of the dairy industry, and Hawai’i Island (also known as the Big Island) was long home to an enormous dairy farm that housed more than 2,500 cows and calves. Because of the devotion of community activists, Big Island Dairy is now closed.

For years, Big Island Dairy dumped animal waste in nearby waterways that flowed to the ocean through waste ponds that repeatedly overflowed. Community members in the tiny coastal town of O’okala got tired of constantly having to see and smell the discharge from the dairy and filed complaints to the Hawai’i State Department of Health. No improvements were made by the dairy, and in May 2017 the dairy received a Notice of Violation of the Federal Clean Water Act. A lawsuit ensued, resulting in the dairy announcing the closing of its operations. They closed their doors in the spring of 2019.