KCFA BOD Meeting
Aug.19, 2014
CTAHR Office, Kainaliu
Call to Order at 3:10 PM
Present: T. Butler, C. Smith, K. Schweickhard, B. Corker, C. Bondera, K. Goschke. S. Shriner and C. Coleman.
Sept. coffee to be provided by K. Schweickhard
A motion was made by C. Bondera and seconded by K. Schweickhard to accept the July, 2014 minutes.
Motion passed.
A motion was made by C. Bondera and seconded by K. Goschke to accept the Treasurer’s Report. Motion passed.
NEW BUSINESS
Priority Review – C. Smith
Board to meet at 12 Noon Sept. 16 to update the Priority Report
Membership Protocol –K. Goschke
The BOD confirmed the Membership Committees member sign up methods, including the
membership form.
Discussion submitted by PR Chair Anita Kelleher regarding Kona Cultural Festival Magazine Ad. A motion was made by B. Corker that KCFA purchase a 1/8 page Ad or none at all. Whatever money not spent will be used to advertise the Holualoa Coffee and Art Stroll or another Festival venue.There were 6 ayes, 1 nay T. Butler and 1 abstention, C. Smith.
COMMITTEE REPORTS for August 19, 2014 Board Meeting
ad hoc Grant Committee- Colehour Bondera
A few points were discussed by the committee at our meeting on August 5. A number of issues are not fully addressed, but are on-going and any changes will be shared as soon as is available.
• Request will be made to HDOA regarding options for early disbursement of next installment of grant funds to KCFA so that the program is not stopped again due to lack of resources.
• Efforts with the partner organization, The Kohala Center, will be made regarding invoice for time used to develop and implement sprayer hui part of program.
• Continued participation of the committee with the sprayer hui component were discussed and attempts will be made to affect the agreements developed by the partner.
• An additional participation event was identified as appropriate, and is tentatively scheduled for the last week of August or first week of September(August 28th is most likely at this time) and will be a complete Refresher Workshop as offered in the past. While coffee season is already happening and though many farms are already involved,there are enough that have indicated interest that another event is important for KCFA to host at this time, so please plan to assist!
-Membership- K. Goschke
Aloha Board,
Membership Approvals to peruse and possible agenda item.
This month we had a group of new applicants that received letters from me asking if they supported our mission and derived 51% or more of their coffee related income from their farm. A few got back to me, a few did not.One said No, and No. I invited him to be on our non member mailing list.No request for that from him. A definite refund along
I request the board’s consideration for formally refunding those not qualified and how to handle those not responding at all.
Two questions are now present on the website seen at the time of registration, so I don't ask the new members those questions while I am sending them the welcome letter after they sign up which I felt was in bad form.
We are currently (08/12/2014) at a total of 403 ! Members.
304 voting, 41 Business, 58 Associate
Kally Goschke
-PR-A. Kelleher
Sent out Newsletter
Education/Coffee Talk– C.Bondera and S.Shriner
Another qualify-for-Voucher Workshop is being planned.
Finance-K. Schweickhard
Aloha Board;
Circulated to Board via Email: 1)Grant Statement,2)Balance Sheet as of 08.13.14, and 3) P&L as of July 31, 2014
As you all know KCFA received first grant installment of $4000 and we have paid all current outstanding invoices.(See Grant statement)Repaid outstanding loan of $1000. KCFA is still expecting pledged receivables from: UH-HNFAS for $750, Expo 2014 ,The Bill Healy Foundation & Kona Brewing: for Insurance reimbursement $168.00.
Social Events – M.Moss and C. Coleman
Met twice with the Holualoa Village Assoc. about the Coffee& Art stroll which will be November 8 th.Nothing to report on the social front.
Geographic Identities- C.Bondera
At the June 4-8, 2014 origin meeting in Guadalajara,Mexico, Beth Barham, the acting Executive Director of American Origin Products Association (AOPA) presented about how geographical identity issues are faring in the US. This was balanced with a US government(Trade Representative office) and it was possible to clarify/correct some of the statements made by the government in terms of how origin products are protected by the US government (which is not very well overall). This is in balance with the AOPA efforts to educate and raise awareness across the US about origin products,which is sponsored by funding from the European Union (EU).These efforts are ongoing and can be reviewed at the website(http://www.aop-us.org/).Further, the EU representative to Washington, DC,Giulio Menato, who is the one who made the funding happen for AOPA activities, was in Hawaii on vacation and took the time to learn more about how Kona coffee is and should be used as an important example in these national and international efforts to educate and influence regarding this important subject area for farmers in Kona, Hawaii,the whole US and worldwide. This kind of recognition adds the price value and protects it for the producers! Mr. Menatos' visit was positive overall, but more-so was critical
CBB Task Force Report- K. Schweickhard
There has been no activity or meeting at the Task Force and nothing to report.
Mahalo, Kurt
Newsletter-C.Wilson
another fabulous newsletter thanks to Editor Clare Wilson and to all who generously contributed!
Branding Committee
Letter sent to inquiry from Oahu about Don Quijote coffee
website-C. Smith
grant work- re-setting up Web links, sending PDFs of Vouchers, etc.
Legislative-(HFUU) B.Corker
LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE
1--CANDIDATE FORUM ON AGRICULTURAL ISSUES
On July 23 the KCFA, along with the Kona County Farm Bureau and the Kona Farmers Union, co-sponsored a two-hour candidate forum on agricultural issues. Held at Konawaena Elementary School,the forum included candidates for State House of Representatives for Districts 5 and 6. KCFA member and Holualoa coffee farmer Sandra Scarr moderated the forum.
The forum was important in introducing the candidates to a wide range of issues of concern to West Hawaii farmers—and in showing that agricultural issues will be important in our voting decisions.
2—MEETING WITH THE AGRICULTURE ATTACHE FROM THE EUROPEAN UNION
Giulio Menato, the Agriculture Attaché from the EU to the UnitedStates,and his family were hosted by the KCFA Geographic Origins and Legislative Committees in Kona on August 7. Despite dire
warnings of Hurricane Iselle, the Menato family joined Lisa and Bruce Corker and Colehour Bondera for a tour of the Corkers’coffee farm in Holualoa--and for a discussion of European and American perspectives on promoting and protecting regionally identified products like Kona Coffee, Champagne, Idaho Potatoes and Parmesan Cheese. Mr. Menato praised the work of KCFA in vigorously defending the “Kona Coffee” name, and singled out the KCFA Boycott of Safeway for deceptive labeling as an example from which other American producer organizations can learn. This unique opportunity resulted from KCFA’s membership in the American Origin Products Association (AOPA) with which Mr. Menato maintains close ties. Colehour and Bruce are members of the AOPA’s Board ofDirectors
Adjourned at 4:45 PM
Minutes recorded by Sec. T. Butler
