KCFA Board Meeting Minutes
May 20, 2009
Yano Hall
Call to Order 4 PM
Members present: J Rowe, C Bondera, N Griffith, B Corker, M Moss, K Wood, T Belcastro, R Anders, M Lake
April board minutes accepted and approved by the Board
April Treasurers report accepted and approved by the Board
Jennifer Lienhart Tsuji introduced herself as a guest attending on behalf of Brian Schatz. Brian is the State Chair of the Democratic Party and she is collecting info on issues important to KCFA. She is from the Big Island and is leading grass roots efforts for community issues and interests.
Website report from Cea Smith: Worked on website.
Sent out various General Member emails as requested. Sent out web passwords & usernames when requested.
Lowered Calendar price to $5
Helped with PR and sent out Video Resolution of March 18 to all politicians
Responded to Italian group who wanted our logo and photos to use in their version of Origin
Worked on Brochure- almost done. Map has been made by a cartographer and is excellent. Our new Brochure is excellent!
Because it makes more sense to buy rather than rent in general---Researched laser Printers, at length, and found what Mary Lou and I think is the best. A Hewlett Packard Color Laser. For many reasons. Highest praise in PC World and in Alatest- the 2 premier evaluation sites on the Internet. Cost 5 or 6 hundred dollars via COSTCO because I think it pays off. Will be able to print all our brochures, and paperwork and within a year, pay for itself vs. Alii Printing. Mac and PC compatible and it will live with Bruce or MaryLou. It cant do Bumper Stickers and other odd things, but we can print as we need.
Will work on Whats Kona Worth? page with Tom Belcastros input regarding current prices, within a week.
Motion to provide funds to purchase a color printer as recommended by the website committee 2nd and passed by the Board.
Membership & Estates report from Joanie Rowe: Membership: Total membership 252 200 Farmers, 12 Business Members and 40 Associates.
New members as of last meeting: 7, 3 from workshops and 4 from outside
sources.
Renews: 5 renewed
Sent out thank you e-mails to all that didn't join from the workshops, no replies.
Sent out Last Independent Voice and a thank you letter to all of the expired
members and we got 5 renews.
As for Business Members Colehour and I haven't really had time to discuss it. The only thing that we have for them now is our seal to be used as a member on their products. We have kicked around links for the business too but we need member input on that because we are selling direct from the farms and they are retailers. May cause a conflict.
Estates: Completed three inspections this month Christy Carrico, Kim Chang
and a redo for Sarah Crawford. She bought a new farm.
Education committee report from Colehour Bondera & Robert Barnes: Since the April meeting, we put together two events;
The first one was on April 28 at the CTAHR office in Kainaliu. Shawn Steinman addressed the topics of coffee cupping, including an introduction into coffee roasting processes and options. The coffee cupping was tasting a number of different grades of coffee from the same farm, which were given numbers which were discussed after the attendees were done learning how to try them all using cupping basic criteria and a record sheet. Twenty five attendees participated, and enjoyed the experience!
Strategy to Nurture Trees was held on May 2 at the Kainaliu location of Mountain Thunder. Thirty five participants listened and questioned four presenters who discussed different topics, starting with fertilizing coffee (Robert Barnes & Bob Smith), followed by Weed Control (Ray Anders), Small Farm Equipment (Ken Sheppard) and finally Disease and Pests (Bob Smith).
There are two events planned in the next month;
Dr. Jonathan Deenik will discuss Coffee Tree & Crop Health. Another event with CTAHR as a co-sponsor is scheduled on May 28. The morning session is at the
CTAHR office from 9-12. Then bring your own lunch and join Dr. Deenik, Raven Bolas (Kona Mountain Coffee Manager), Bob Perry (Perry Agricultural Lab) and
Virginia Easton-Smith (CTAHR) at Kona Mountain Coffee in Kainaliu from 12-4. The field session won't begin until 1:00 to allow for folks to re-locate and eat lunch!
Bob Smith has agreed to lead a "Select & Suckering" Workshop which will happen the third week of June. A tentative date/time as June 20 from 2-4pm at a Kainaliu farm location. Details will be shared via email/website and at the June meeting (June 17th).
Please let us know if you have other Education feedback and/or needs...
Legislative committee report from Bruce Corker: 1COUNTY COUNCIL RESOLUTIONOn April 22 the Hawaii County Council (after a second round of testimony) unanimously adopted Resolution No. 81-09 which asks the State Legislature to defeat the GMO Pre-emption Bill (HB 1226). This was an important step because HB 1226 will be back in the next Legislative session and presents a significant risk of GMO contamination for Kona coffee. Many thanks to KCFA members who submitted written and in-person testimony to the County Council.
2KCFA RESOLUTION FOR VIDEO-CONFERENCE TESTIMONYThanks to Melanie Bondera and Cea Smith, the KCFA Resolution calling for video conferencing testimony at Legislative hearings for Outer-Island residents has been sent to legislators and Outer-Island county officials. US Rep. Neil Abercrombie and State Representative Issac Choy have expressed support for the idea.
3ECONOMIC STUDYThe Honolulu Blenders are engaging in a two-part stall strategy in an effort to delay reform of the current 10% Blend lawthey argue (1) there should be no labeling reform without a study and (2) the State cant afford to spend the money to do a study. The Hawaii Department of Agriculture has seemed to buy into this stall strategy by noting in its February 09 report on coffee labeling to the Legislature by noting that HDOA cant afford $200,000 (UH-CTAHR proposal) or $98,000 (Farm Bureau proposal) studies. HOWEVER, KCFA member Marvin Feldmanwho is a Captain Cook farmer and a resource economisthas sent a letter to the HDOA stating that an economic study of the affects of changing the Kona Blend minimum to 50% could be done for less than $25,000and that his firm would be happy to do an economic study for that amount. Thank you, Marvin.
Events committee report from MaryLou Moss: Coffee, The World in your Cup at the Burke Museum, University of Washington http://www.washington.edu/burkemuseum/exhibits/details.php?ID=73&type=upcoming
Each weekend during the run of the exhibit Coffee: The World in Your Cup, the Burke Museum and our partners offer coffee tastings.
Sat and/or Sun 11am 2pm
Free with Burke Museum admission
On Sat, June 27: Kona Coffee Farmers Association will feature from Hawaii, the only coffee producing state in the union and source of one of the worlds premier coffees 100% Kona. Single origin coffees grown in volcanic soil will be presented by the farmers who grow them. Product available.
A motion was presented and passed to allow Events to buy up to $1000 for promo/logo merchandise.
Social committee report Lisa Corker & Kathy Wood: The Vanilla Farm event is finalized. Locate info on front page of KCFA website.
Price info report from Tom Belcastro:
One container of primesent to the mainland for $10.00 / lb.
Retail Roast Coffee Prices:
DFS GALLERIA,
HONOLULU COFFEE/4 oz.100% Kona--------------------------------------$18.00---=$72.00/lb.
/4 oz.100%Kona Peaberry------------------------$19.50---=$78.00/lb.
LION COFFEE /7 oz. 100% Kona------------------------------------$24.50---=$56.00/lb.
ROYAL KONA /7 oz. 100% Kona------------------------------------$29.50----=$67.36/lb.
/7 oz. 100% peaberry------------------------------$32.50----=$74.24/lb.
STARBUCKS8.8OZ./ 100% Kona----------------------------------$24.95----=$45.36/lb.
Chamber of Commerce report by Nancy Griffith: Solar electricity program & subsidy grants available. Bank of Hawaii giving loans for this project. Can call 537-8815. Central Pacific bank can call 544-6847.
PR committee: M. Bondera resigned. Recommendation to post the need and list the duties on the website and to request applicants.
Grants report from Ray Anders: There are HRCS funds available to organize, search for info to transition or become an organic farm. Apply now to USDA, Jeff Knowles 322-2484 x109.
Old Business:
We received a notice from OriGIn of a General Assembly in Spain in June. Motion and passed to authorize H. Hoogasian or another representative up to $500.00 of reasonable expenses to attend. These would only include expenses not covered by OriGIn. Motion passed.
Bruce Corker will be attending the Agile Ag Summit at the University of Arkansas June 30 - July 2.
New Business: Bruce announced our pleasure to be co-sponsoring ongoing education workshops in partnership with CTAHR.
Kona Gold owner solicits our support in recognizing their Liqueur made with 100% Kona coffee.
Committee budgeting is needed and Deb Sims, Bruce Corker & Marylou Moss will be meeting to prepare a fiscal year budget.
Respectfully submitted,
Mary Lake
Secretary