Kona Coffee Farmers Association
Board of Directors meeting
KCFA BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING—MONDAY, January 20, 2020
Yano Hall, Kealakekua
The Kona Coffee Farmers Association’s mission is to promote and protect Kona farmers’ economic interests in 100% Kona coffee, to protect the Kona coffee heritage, and to seek greater legal protection of the Kona coffee name.
CALL TO ORDER— 3:00 pm
Suzanne Shriner, president
Colehour Bondera x
Bruce Corker x
Kay Dixon
Chet Gardiner x
Jeanne Kapela
Jim Monk x
Armando Rodrequiz
Cecelia Smith
Sandra Scarr x
Suzanne Shriner x
Karen Zulkowski x
Attending
John Zulkowski
Cynthia Marynoff
John Kootz
Barbara Anderson (on phone)
GENERAL
Consent Agenda – (5 min)
Approval of November and December Minutes
Approval of Membership Applications
Acceptance of Committee Reports
Motion to accept with editorial changes to November. Motion to accept Bruce and second Chey Motion carried.
Treasurer’s Report – Jim (5 min)
Jim discussed treasurer report. The fees section is not consistent because part of the payment for professional fees was in 2019 and the rest will be in 2020. Jim needs people that have donated to legislative efforts. Jim signed the agreement to the attorneys for legal documents. Jim will discuss with attorneys on Thursday. .Directors liability insurance paid.
Bruce asks about reminders for membership renewal. Chet will send it out personally. Jim asks for someone to go to HCC annual meeting. Held in Rogers office.John Koontz will attend. Sandra and Colehour Motion accepted
NEW BUSINESS
*Report on Oritain Meeting (5 minutes) – Suzanne/Bruce/ArmandoThey do isotope testing of products to determine origin. HCA is entering into contract to sample coffees across the state to map.Can tell you origin and varietal.
*Annual General Meeting: (5 minutes) – Suzanne
Sunday 26 Karen will go to storage for tablecloths and utensils. Sandra and Jim will do check off of members. Election Bruce and Colehour New John Z and John Koontz
Tom Rayson, Barbara Collen Jevens, Cyndy Maryoff.
*Proposed Bylaw Change (5 Minutes) – Suzanne
Sandra and Cea make motion to accept proposed change. Bruce asks who drafted., Drafted by Suzanne. Not supported by Karen and Bruce he feels this will be divisive. Second is history of motion when Suzanne asked Kay to resign. It came out because of her employer. The objective was to keep her off the board. Bruce points out how much time she has put toward the KCFA. Finally hypocrisy Suzanne is paid employee of SHAC and she has a conflict.
Much discussion on meaning. Board does not support this. Bruce will present opposition and Suzanne will do pro.
*Trademark of Logo (5 minutes) – Armando/Suzanne
Pops up by non-members. Armando found an attorney (Culpepper) that could do trademark for $500. Bruce asks if trademarking will help protect the seal. Karen moves to ask for quote and Cea second. Motion carried.
*DBEDT survey re place-based marketing without material ties to Hawaii (5 minutes) - Bruce
Survey result of legislation to study impact etc. Hersch Singer talked to Bruce how they sent the survey out. They sent out 800 surveys. If someone didn’t get one they can send them out to that person. Bruce asks us to send out email to contact if they want a survey.Bruce will compose email for membership.
*Coffee donations to the Culinary School at Palamanui CC (5 minutes) - Bruce
Bruce attended a culinary school lunch but they had a 10% Kona blend. They apologized and asked for donations. One pound is enough for a month. Open dates jan 31 and feb 28. Jim takes 31 and John Z the Feb. They will contact;[email protected]
Pruning Feb 8 at Bob Nelsons farm
Jim and Suzanne will do pruning workshop.
OLD BUSINESS
Hooser and Legislative Update (5 minutes) – Bruce
Bruce and Suzanne had a discussion to reach compromise with HCA. We will emphasize that 51% is compromise We prefer 100%
HCA wants phase in so we propose to 3 year phase in of 20% 30% 51%. Add the list may include foreign grown coffee by weight in blend. The bill has been introduced. Maybe hearing on Friday. Will be attended by Suzanne and Hoosier. Jim has been unable to talk to Maui farmers association.
RT ready to drink coffee bill will be reintroduced to included prepackaged coffee in hotel room
And continued subsidy for CBB
Ban on unroasted green imported coffee.
*KBSE will to consider signing onto a multigroup letter of support for 51% bill.
*HCA Report (5 Minutes) – Suzanne
Majority of leg committee supports phase in and 51%. They want to add roasted coffee added to counterfeiting law. Bruce asks if entire HCA board will support. Suzanne feels they will.
*KCCF's Cupping Competition concerns (2 Minutes) - Suzanne
Bruce has not heard back so tabled. Bruce also talked to Coleman to run cupping but she cannot. She will contact another expert to do it. She pointed out the cuppers last year looked for exotics. Suzanne feels we should run it next year.
*USDA/APHIS Regulation Info Requests (5 minutes) – Bruce / SandraWe have gotten a few pieces of information but still working on others. Should have by mid feb.
Suzanne meeting with Tracy Matsumoto about her importing coffee seeds to see what hers are that may work.
*Membership Retention (5 minutes) - Jim/Chet
Chet will email people to renew. Board asks to send out list of people to contact with assignments. Sandra will write an intro.
Adjourned 4:02
Committee Reports
Treasurer’s Report
December was a fairly slow month for the Association. Merchandise sales were down from November. We did receive another $250 donation for our legislative lobbying work and renewed or new memberships brought in $810. So our income went from $6,000 in November to less than $1,500 in December.
Expenses were minimal except for our second installment payment to our lobbyist of $2,500 (we still owe him $5,000 more in 2020). But that payment more than ate up all our income so our Net Income for the month was a loss of about $1,100, bringing our Net Loss for the Year to Date to around $3,400. This is below our budgeted expectation.
On the Balance Sheet you will see our checking account has a decent balance in it, so there is no current need to move funds from Vanguard to augment the account. You will also see that, as usual, we have no bills outstanding, other than our accumulating Gross Excise Tax payable, which will be paid off in January.
Legislative Report
The Legislative Committee continues to coordinate with KCFA’s political consultant/lobbyist, former State Senator Gary Hooser, on four legislative objectives: (1) 51% minimum for blends; (2) fair labeling for ready-to-drink and hotel room packet coffees; (3) extension of CBB subsidy program; and (4) Hawaii adoption of USDA’s ban on importation of unroasted coffee into Hawaii. We will need testimony from Board members and the KCFA membership in support of legislation measures.
Sandra Scarr’s excellent op/ed article entitled “Protect the Good Name of Hawaiian Coffee from 10% Blends” was published in the Star Advertiser on January 7. https://www.staradvertiser.com/2020/01/07/editorial/island-voices/column-protect-the-good-name-of-hawaiian-coffee-from-10-blends/
Legislative Committee members met with Hawaii County KSBE representatives on January 9 to request support for KCFA’s 51% legislation. Positive discussions with KSBE are continuing.
The Committee’s FOIA request to the USDA on Hawaii’s disregard of the federal regulation banning importation of unroasted coffee into Hawaii has produced an initial release of documents. Efforts for release of additional relevant documents by the USDA and Hawaii’s Department of Agriculture continue.
Additional contributions to the “Legislative Efforts” fund were received in the past month. The Committee continues to encourage members (and especially Board members) to contribute.
Web Committee Report
Email to Members: Soil Workshop, January 2020 "The Independent Voice" and upcoming CTAHR's CBB workshops.
Posted in KCFA Face Book: Soil Workshop, January 2020 "The Independent Voice", <Event> Annual General Membership Meeting, Sandra Scarr's Star Advertiser's op-ed column on "Protect the Good Name of Hawaiian coffee from 10% Blends" and upcoming CTAHR's CBB Workshops.
Web work- usual help with Members Log Ins, and KCFA programmer got KCFA's EXPO web site linked to our merchant account, "Stripe".
Education
On December 18, KCFA hosted a Soil Health workshop in conjunction with The Kohala Center’s Melanie Willich, Ph.D. Twenty-five growers were in attendance. Discussion was focused on nutrients/micronutrients for various soil types, the need for lime, timing of fertilization and how to identify issues via tree health. Every grower was given an opportunity for free soil sampling via a USDA grant.
Membership:
Date: 01/18/20
Counts:
Active Voting Members 182 – Down 1
Associate Members 28 – NC
Supporting Business Members 16 – Down 1
Total Membership: 226 - Down 2
New Members:
Voting: None
Renewals
Voting: Derrick Ray, Janell Ray, Franz Weber, Chet Gardiner, Ken Love, Margot Bias (2 years), Stephen Braund & Suzanne Saxon (4 years), Caroline Witcover, Beatrice Thie, Craig Smith, Diana Keffer, Kieth Keffer, Courtney Allen, Eric Allen, John Redden, Margo Zenk, Bruce Maryanoff, Cyndie Maryanoff, Kathy Gedeon, John Koontz, Ken Dorsey, Bruce Luehrs, Peter Goulding, John Balmores, Avery Simmons, Edwina Barnett Simmons, Keola Childs, Clare Wilson, Phil Wilson
Associate: Karen Kemp, Howard Stang
Business: Dave Hart
Reported as Expired: Marsha Eckert, Shaun Fleming
