Why, at Kealanani, making the most of your investment means getting your hands a little dirty.

For the man of means to parlay a bit of private equity into a few hectares of cropland is a tradition that goes back centuries — just look at Thomas Jefferson, who in addition to writing a little Schedule 13-D called the Declaration of Independence and playing CEO of the country for eight years, also reserved a large chunk of his beloved Monticello for vineyards. (A high achiever, that Jefferson.)

Although the tradition has fallen slightly out of favor in recent years — showing up at your next board meeting with fresh manure under your fingernails does not create a good impression — the new Hawaiian residence resort of Kealanani offers boardroom warriors the chance to be a modern-day member of the landed gentry.

Here’s the deal structure: As a condition of buying some of these 2,000-plus acres along the pristine northeastern shoreline of the island of Kauai, homeowners agree to involve themselves in “agricultural activity.” You pick the crops — options range from tea and guava to cacao and mango — and in return receive the massive property-tax abatement that comes from having your seaside mansion serve double duty as a working farm. Should you wish, you can opt to work off a few porterhouses by engaging in some farming duties yourself.

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