Pineapples
Pineapple was brought to Hawaii for cultivation in 1813. According to some sources, Don Francisco de Paula y Marin, Spanish adviser to King Kamehamaha I, brought the first pineapples to the islands. Pineapple plantations became common. However, the pineapple really became popular when canning processes allowed preserved pineapple to reach the mainland. By 1930 nine million cases of pineapple were exported. In 1955 pineapple production peaked at 76,700 acres. Today pineapple is not as important to the economy of Hawaii. Pineapples are grown in other countries, including the Philippines, Thailand, and Costa Rica. Idea: Children could prepare and eat fresh pineapple. They could also find out how pineapples are grown.