Kona Coffee Farmers Association Board of Directors meeting
MONDAY, July 18, 2016 CTAHR Conference Room, Kainaliu
CALL TO ORDER—3:00 pm
Bruce Corker, president
Absent: Colehour Bondera,Chris Coleman, Kay Dixon
Present: Bruce Corker, x Sandra Scarr x Kurt Schweickhard, x Suzanne Shriner, x Terri Sparks x Karen Zulkowski x
GENERAL
Consent Agenda
Approval of Minutes of June 20, 2016 meeting
Approval of Membership Applications
Acceptance of Committee Reports
Membership question as a result Darcy Ames membership acceptance will be deferred until her category clarified
Motion to accept Karen with Kurt second -Carried
Treasurer’s Reports—June and July—Kurt Deferred until next meeting since grant is now completed and accounting is completed
NEW BUSINESS
SlowFood Ark of Taste--Bruce
Will find out more about what they are asking for.
We are accepted in their organization Is an good publicity venue
KZOO Radio/Ag Awareness—Sandra
Dept of Ag Hawaii program Invited KCFA to talk about Kona coffee Slant toward Japanese visitors. Their past in farming Maybe September or October just before Kona coffee festival
Resort Links to Website—Discussion Suggest links to webpage, farm tour page and buy direct page
Karen will bring list and contact info for hotels for next time
On Sea Side website
Candidate Forums--Bruce
Two years ago was organized by us, Farmers Union and Farm Bureau. Would be willing to help if they are willing to take the lead
Online Auction--Christine
Will need more information for future plans Consider limited auction for dinner
OLD BUSINESS
Harvest Picnic--Tari
Sunday Aug 14 from 12-3 St Benedict beach lot by 2 step
Hot dogs, condiments, buns and water. People bring side dish. Maybe guest speaker and music
Kurt will check if we have table clothes left He will bring barbeque
Next spring Terri is looking for venue and getting prices
Coffee Flour--Bruce
Bruce unable to locate anyone doing it on the island
PR/Marketing Committee—Brochures and Bumper Stickers Follow Up—Kay deferred
Coffee Grade Standards—Bruce Meeting June 21 in Honolulu
1. consensus that the HDOA extend the sunset period for 3 years on the relaxed standards
2. Use that period to address changes to grading standards
3. Study labeling requirements
Will have further discussion at next meeting
New Members Committee--Discussion
Invite Donna to discuss Maybe make open meetings
100% KONA COFFEE—Thanks to Sandra Scarr
Next Month--Suzanne
Adjourned 5pm
COMMITTEE REPORTS
Branding Committee—Cea/Bruce
On July 13, Megan Larmer, New York-based Director of Strategy & Community Engagement for Slow Food USA, sent the following message:
“Hello Pacific and Northwest Ark of Taste Committee members and Ark of Taste nominators-
Thanks to your diligent research and thoughtful evaluation, I am pleased to say that Pure Kona Coffee has been approved to join the Ark of Taste!
This decision will shortly be forwarded to the Slow Food Foundation for Biodiversity along with your recommendation that they it included on the Ark of Taste. You may expect to see it shortly on the Slow Food USA website and the International website.
Happy Summer!!
Megan”
The Branding Committee supplied the information for the nomination of Kona Coffee that was submitted through the Slow Food Hawaii chapter. Once “Pure Kona Coffee” is formally included in the Ark of Taste and included in the Slow Food websites, we will coordinate with Slow Food to publicize the award of this honor to Kona Coffee.
Education Committee—Colehour- no report
Estate Committee—Christine- no report
EXPO—Karen- no report
Finance Committee—Kurt
HDOA Grant Committee—Colehour
Kamehameha Schools Liaison Committee—Suzanne/Christine- no report
Legislative Committee—Bruce
Candidate questionnaires have been sent to Hawaii County Legislative candidates asking (1) whether they support the calls of the Hawaii County Council and the Hawaii Democratic Party for legislation requiring a minimum of 51% genuine content for labeling or advertising blends of Hawaii-Grown coffee and clear identification of the origin of all coffee in those blends; and (2) if yes, what specific action the candidates pledge to take in order to support enactment of this legislation.
Membership Committee—Donna
As of 7/12/16 we have 267 Active voting members, 23 Supporting business members and 34 Associate members.
New Member- paid for 5 years:
Sharon Wood-Arianna [email protected]
75-5870 Walu Road Ste100, Kailua-Kona, HI 96740
Sharon has been a past Board member of HCA. I telephoned her and had a conversation verifying her support of KCFA Mission and Objectives and feel I did appropriate vetting. If the Board questions her membership, someone else will need to do further inquiry.
New Supporting Business Member: Darcy Ames
Keauhou, HI [email protected]
No business listed but Google search shows Kope ‘Ono Pau Pono, Inc. which is a coffee company.
New Members- Ad Hoc Committee - no report
Newsletter—Clare- gathered and edited and sent July 2016 Independent Voice
Origin Protection Committee—Colehour- no report
PR/Marketing—Kay/Anita - no report
Pest & Disease— Bob Smith- no report
--Task Force Representative—Kurt- no report
Social/Fund Raising—Tari - no report
Website –Web admin report:
Web/admin report for Monday July 18, 2016 KCFA BOD Meeting
• Worked with Valerie, our programmer on a few items. Links have been reshuffled for clarity, on Home page. Check it out here: http://www.KonaCoffeeFarmers.org Tours etc. was already there but now more prominent.
• Tours and Search results have been randomized by Valerie, too.
Under New Business: For Resort Links to Website Discussion-KCFA-BOD-Monday-July 18, 2016
• (from Bruce’s suggestion in email of 7/10/2016) “think we should consider a program to contact all the major Kona and Kohala Coast resorts and encourage them to add links similar to those of the Seaside—and that we offer to pay for Valerie’s assistance in making the website changes. It seems to me the pitch to the resorts would be that getting their visitors to visit Kona coffee farms and directly experience the agricultural heritage of the Island will measurably add to the enjoyment of visitors’ stays on the Big Island.”
We could encourage Hotels & Condos to become business members to send them business too. Maybe offer them a discounted membership for a verified link from their website? I could refund the discount amount to them after it’s verified - nothing complicated other than checking & keeping up with it.
• (from Bruce’s suggestion in email of 7/10/2016) “We should encourage a link for “Buy Farm-Direct 100% Kona Coffee” to our “KCFA Farmer Listings” page.”
There has been a banner in the header and a link in the top menu. Do I not understand?
Valerie our programmer suggests perhaps putting in a totally fresh Home page with a [Meet Our Members] focus –more of a Public slant, rather than a Member slant. We have always tried to “serve 2 masters” with our KCFA website-our Membership and the Kona buying public.
No idea of cost yet, but could be promoted with the Hotel/Condo concept above. What does the Board think?
Please send ideas to me via email. Sorry I can’t make the Monday meeting; I’ll be out of town.
Aloha,
Cea
