As we left Bay View Farms, we saw hillsides covered with old lava flows - and contributors to the unique growing soil. Kona has rich volcanic soil that drains well, with warm mornings and (up near the top of the hills) afternoon cloud cover. This makes it one of the few areas that has perfect conditions for growing arabica coffee plants. The more common one is robusta, which is easier to cultivate, produces more coffee, and can be machine picked. Robusta is more labor intensive and harder to grow (usually due to the environmental conditions).