We hear a lot about the pineapple giants that once dominated Hawaii’s economy. But what about the mom ‘n pop farms?

Yahoo’s family business blog has put together a nice video profile of Hawaiian Crown, a tiny company with less than 20 employees. 

It is “the last and only family-owned commercial pineapple farm in the state.  But what Hawaiian Crown lacks in size, it more than makes up for in spirit.  Even though Lisa and Craig may be outgunned by produce giants, they have still managed to invest more than $3 million and 20 years of research and development.”

More excerpts: 

“Pineapple has a very special place in Hawaii as a symbol of hospitality,” says Craig Bowden.  Yet, quality and quantity has “declined relative to cheaper, lower cost sources around the world.”

Disappointed in the fruit they found in supermarkets, which they say is a product of outsourcing and mass farming methods, the Bowdens, along with a childhood friend, developed their own variety: a low-acid, golden colored pineapple that’s a throw back to their youth — and it’s stimulating a resurgence of the popular fruit.

Read the full story, and be sure to check out the video that goes with the piece. 

Hawaiian pineapple, by Flickr user Mafue.