Island Hemp & Cotton

"I really liked this shop and only wish they had more styles that worked for me. I did buy a kantha quilt and a skirt that you definitely won't find at a big-box store, and everything else seemed well-curated and of high quality. I was hoping to find a website once we returned home so I could check back from time to time, but found only a Facebook page. I'll at least be stopping by next time we're on Kauai."

"The staff was very welcoming and super nice. Everything was reasonably priced! Lots of great stuff and gifts"

"Kills some people to just say " hi welcome, let me know if you need anything." Store is very small, made it even more awkward."

"This store has been around for more than 20 years, but has kept itself in good shape and the stocks a nice variety of items. It’s probably dominated by women’s clothing but I wandered in looking for a hemp wallet and was surprised to see that they had a pretty large selection. The wallet I chose was $29 but it looks like it will last a long time, and had a beautiful Hawaiian design. It’s made in California by HempStar. They also had a selection of wallets made by Hempys. I didn’t stick around long but now I wish I had because nice hemp clothes (even socks) are hard to find, so now I’m curious to know what else the stocked. The owner was very friendly and respectful, so I think it would be a good place for a browse. I’m giving them 4/5 “green stars” for social and environmental responsibility. This is largely based on the fact that they specialize in hemp. It’s interesting that Kappa, for such a small town, contains the best selection of stores that specialize in sustainable materials that I’ve ever seen. There’s this place, then across the street there’s Bamboo Works and A Ell Atelier, and also the Kauai Plantation Store, beside Kauai Pasta, which carries a line of Flax clothing. Fun facts about hemp: Most ship sails were once made from Hemp. Levi Strauss originally made jeans from hemp for San Francisco gold miners. The word canvas comes from the Dutch pronunciation of the Greek word “Kannabis.” The cannabis plant can be divided into three highly useful parts – the highly nutritious seed is a “complete” protein alternative to animal products; the core of the stalk (the “hurd”) is mostly cellulose and could be converted into biofuels and other bioproducts or made into paper; and the outer fiber of the stalk is used to make textiles, like my new wallet. Hemp needs no chemical herbicides or pesticides – you could say that it grows like a weed ;) It’s also a high-yield crop that leaves the soil in good shape. In terms of environmental impact, hemp is far superior to cotton, which is responsible for almost one quarter of global insecticide use (and some nasty ones too) and over one tenth of pesticides. Cotton also requires much more land and water compared to hemp. Why haven’t we been growing more of it? Politics – the navy shifting to cotton sails and the rise of chemical farming; prohibition; the 1970 Controlled Substances Act; etc. It used to be grown a LOT – and looks like it’s starting to turn around again. As far as the store goes – there’s a mix of hemp and cotton in most of the items – it’s a pity that they don’t use more organic cotton."