About Makani Mills

Throughout history, every community had a farmer, a miller and a baker that served as the center of the local food system. That's what we strive to be at Makani Mills--a link in the food chain connecting our farmers to our community through our unique, hand-crafted baked products featuring the best of locally grown ingredients. 

We have all heard the statistics: upwards of 85 percent of the food in Hawai’i is imported. The fact that 100 percent of the ingredients I need for my bread business are grown elsewhere has never sat right with me. I want Makani Mills to be part of the solution to food sustainability in Hawai'i rather than part of the problem. This is why we made canoe crops like kalo, 'ulu, 'uala and 'olena at the heart of what we do. 

In 2025, Makani Mills purchased over 500 lbs of kalo from local farmers alone to make our flour for our signature taro-based bakery goods. And this year we are on track to significantly increase that amount. That's money that is staying in our community and supporting our local agriculture and food producers. Even on a small-scale like our microbakery, this support can make a big difference for our future. 

It's not just a business model, it's a belief system. It's pilina-our connectedness with each other, with the 'āina and with the systems that support us. Food and culture are inextricably connected. It's a direct thread from our present to our past and to our place. And that's what I want Makani Mills to represent--an honoring of Hawai'i's culinary diversity and history in each of our products. 

Makani Mills is a community microbakery in Waimea, Hawai'i Island since 2023. It is owned and operated by baker Betsy Tranquilli, a 20 year educator residing in Waimea.