The Independent Voice
“Best Agricultural Newsletter in Hawaii”
Newsletter of the Kona Coffee Farmers Association
December 2016
PO Box 5436 Kailua Kona Hawaii 96745 USA
www.konacoffeefarmers.org info@konacoffeefarmers.org
Contents
KCFA >300 Membership Strong
The 2016 Chef’s Choice Awards
Coffee & Art Stroll Mahalo
Seller Beware
Coffee & Macadamia Trees Synergy
Blending & Advertising Law Violation
Boost Christmas Sales with MailChimp
Coffee’s Potential for Reducing Cognitive Decline
Salute to Supporting Business Member Makua Coffee Co.
Recipe: Kona Coffee Jelly
Write to Us
Editor – Clare Wilson
KCFA – More than 300 Members Strong – and Growing
As of the end of November the Kona Coffee Farmers Association has 311 members. There are 258 Kona coffee farmers who are “Active Voting Members”—far more coffee farmer members than in any other farmers’ organization in Hawaii. There are 34 “Associate Members” who are not Kona coffee farmers but support the goals and objectives of the KCFA. Also we have 19 Business Members that support our goals and objectives.
As stated in the By-Laws, those goals and objectives are as follows:
“Kona Coffee Farmers Association (KCFA) is a volunteer organization whose purpose is to promote and protect the economic interests of Kona coffee farmers who grow and sell 100% Kona coffee, to protect the Kona coffee heritage, and to seek greater legal protection of the Kona coffee name.”
Our 311 KCFA members provide a strong voice for Kona Coffee in Hawaii County, in the State of Hawaii, and beyond. Below is a link to the current membership list. Take a look; find your name; and find the names of your friends and neighbors. If there are friends, neighbors, or relatives who you know support KCFA’s objectives but are not members, please encourage them to join. If there are two of you who own the farm, but only one is a member, encourage your partner to become a KCFA member. Membership is a small monetary investment, but provides strength to the voice of our Kona coffee growing community.
Thank you for being a KCFA member. Help us expand the membership. Let us know what KCFA activities you would like to see and would like to participate in.
Here is the link to the KCFA membership list
–Submitted by Bruce Corker
The 2016 Chef’s Choice Awards
–Jean and Danielle Orlowski of Hala Tree Coffee and Issac Gillette of Keopu Coffee Inc.
The Kona Coffee Farmers Association is happy to congratulate the following farmers for winning the Chef’s Choice Five Star 100% Kona Coffee Award:
Hala Tree Coffee, Fire Island Coffee, Blue Corner Coffee, Mr. Bean Coffee and Keopu Coffee.
This year the KCFA welcomed back Chef Morgan Starr from Mi’s Bistro and Chef Joe Forester from Nanea. Chef Justin Peters of Holuakoa Gardens joined to taste and score the 35 farms best roasts that had booths at The Holualoa Village Coffee and Art Stroll held Saturday, November 5.
The “Stroll” is part of the Kona Coffee Cultural Festival and this year was the 18th year. Mahalo to the Chefs and farmers for a wonderful day!
–Submitted by Anita Kelleher
Coffee & Art Stroll Mahalo
A big THANK YOU to everyone that volunteered at the Coffee & Art Stroll KCFA booth. You made set up, clean up and all day a fun event. It was great to meet so many wonderful people. If I left anyone off this list I apologize!
Jan Luehrs, Carol Okamura, Jeff and Carol Seel, Joey and Jennifer Lowther, Terri Sparks, Suzanne Shriner and my husband John. We couldn’t have been a success without you!
Last year I worked at the booth but I was never in charge of it so I had a steep learning curve. To everyone that helped me locate the items, find a printer for T-shirts, and do all the detail work, especially Randy Phillips, I so appreciate your help!
–Submitted by Karen Zulkowski
Seller Beware
On 11/8, 11/9 and 11/10 I delivered 1088 pounds of coffee cherry to Hawaii Coffee Company (Royal Kona/Tree House) expecting the same top dollar I’ve received for the other 9000 pounds I’ve sold to 2 other buyers this year. I was significantly underpaid by HCC.
In my discussions with other farmers I’ve found that this is a common occurrence with HCC facilitated by their “normal”, non-transparent procedure for grading coffee.
SELLER BEWARE! If you take any coffee cherry to HCC/Royal Kona for sale, DEMAND that they grade your cherry in front of you before weighing it and give you a firm price in writing BEFORE you allow them to take or empty any of the bags. It will take a little longer but will be more than worth the trouble.
–Submitted by Chet Gardiner
Coffee and Macadamia Trees Synergy in Brazil
Follow this link to read about an 8 year study in Brazil that supports the benefits of intercropping macadamia trees with coffee trees:
http://dailycoffeenews.com/2016/11/22/brazilian-researchers-find-intercropping-perfect-marriage-with-macadamia-trees/
Interesting to see that Brazilian coffee growers pick up what we Kona farmers have known since 100+ years!
–Submitted by Joachim Oster
Another Violation of the Blend Labeling and Advertising law
KCFA supporter Robert Block has again spotted an example of unlawful advertising of 10% Kona Blend coffee. Take a look at the following ad from an advertising supplement included in West Hawaii Today newspapers:
Hawaii’s coffee labeling law [HRS 486-120.6(c)(3)] requires that if a regional designation such as Kona is used in labeling or advertising of a coffee blend, there must be a minimum of 10% genuine Kona coffee in the package and disclosure on the label and in advertising that only 10% is Kona-grown. Note that in the ad Hawaiian Isles Kona Coffee Co. has covered up the blend percentage information with coffee beans, a logo, holly berries, a cup on 3 of the packages and that most of the blend percentage on the 4th package is obscured. Consumers (and particularly visiting tourists) have not been provided the disclosure required by State law.
Also of note in the advertisement there is a gold ribbon with the words “Made In Hawaii” on the packages. State law (HRS 486-119) prohibits the use of these words on a package label and in advertising unless 51% of the wholesale value has been added in Hawaii. It would be interesting to see how Hawaiian Isles calculates the value added in Hawaii when 90% of the coffee is imported.
–Submitted by the Branding Committee
Boost Your Christmas Sales by using MailChimp, the KCFA’s email client
Necessary Computer Knowledge~Average
“Send a lovely personal email” to all of your customers to encourage sales for your coffee.
MailChimp is the email client (program to create/send emails) that the KCFA has used since January 2012 to send the Association’s emails to you Members. It is FREE and Fabulous and Works!
MailChimp even allows you to see who opened that email and also lets you know what email addresses are “Bounced” etc. Instructions are clearly written by MailChimp so pay attention.
Link to some Quick Steps on how to proceed, are found here >> http://wp.me/p2o9ED-EP6
–Submitted by Cecelia Smith
Report Highlights Coffee’s Potential Role in Reducing Cognitive Decline
“A new report from the Institute for Scientific Information on Coffee (ISIC), a not-for-profit organization devoted to the study and disclosure of science related to coffee and health, highlights the potential role of coffee consumption in reducing the risk of cognitive decline.
The report concludes that a moderate intake of coffee (3-5 cups per day) may provide protection against age-related cognitive decline and other neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s…”
Link to entire article below:
https://www.comunicaffe.com/report-highlights-coffees-potential-role-in-reducing-cognitive-decline/
–Submitted by Cecelia Smith
Salute to Supporting Business Member
Makua Coffee Company is our Supporting Business Member of the month. Located in Kailua Kona, Makua buys and roasts 100% Kona coffee for sale online and in their shop at 73-4840 Kanalani St. Established in 2004, Makua Coffee is located in down town Kailua Kona. They use a Sivetz fluid bed roaster with hot air convection process that results in consistently even roast. Other products include Kona cacao, chocolate and chocolate covered coffee beans and macadamia nuts.
Mahalo to Makua Coffee Company for supporting 100% Kona coffee.
Recipe: Kona Coffee Jelly
Ingredients:
4 cups very strong Kona coffee
¼ cup lemon juice
5 ½ cups granulated sugar
1 box SureJell pectin
Makes enough for 5 to 6 (8 ounce) jelly jars with new two-piece lids.
Instructions:
- Stir the coffee and lemon juice together in a 4 quart saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. In a separate bowl, whisk together the sugar and SureJell Pectin. Add the sugar to the boiling coffee mixture all at once, and whisk vigorously for 2 minutes, or until the pectin and sugar are fully dissolved into the solution. Return the mixture to a full rolling boil, and boil for exactly 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat, ladle into clean 8 ounce jars, wipe the rims with a damp paper towel, and screw on new, two-piece lids until fingertip tight.
- Use the Boiling Water Bath method to process the jars for 10 minutes. Carefully transfer to a cooling rack or a tea towel on the counter and let cool, undisturbed, overnight. The jelly should be stored in a dark place -preferably a cool one- free of temperature fluctuations. It is best used within the year.
LET US KNOW WHAT YOU THINK! >> Write us. We welcome Letters to the Editor up to 150 words. We reserve the right to edit for clarity and length. Include your name and email address >> Email: info@KonaCoffeeFarmers.org with SUBJECT: Commentary.