The Independent Voice “Best Agricultural Newsletter in Hawaii” Newsletter of the Kona Coffee Farmers Association
December 2024
PO Box 5436 Kailua Kona Hawaii 96745 USA www.konacoffeefarmers.orginfo@konacoffeefarmers.org
Contents
Message from President Petersen
Coffee Consumption in the US – Trends and Statistics
How Specialty Coffee has Raised the Bar in the Hospitality Industry
Study: Regularly Drinking Coffee Reduces the Risk of COVID-19
Caffeine Content as a Function of Degree of Roast and Extraction Yield
Check your Property for Little Fire Ants
Study: Coffee may Reduce the Risk of Dementia in Hypertensive People
HDOA’s Compost Reimbursement Program for 2025
USDA Farm Loan Program Changes Now in Effect
Are Washed Coffees Becoming More Popular Again?
SCA Officially Adopts New Cupping Forms and Standards
Pacific Coffee Research Class in January
UH Hilo Analytical Lab Closed from 12/1/2024 and Reopening 3/1/2025
Guava Moth
Best Budget Coffee Grinders for 2024
Recipe: Homemade Coffee Liqueur
Editor – Clare Wilson
Message from President Petersen
Aloha Coffee Farmers,
I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving, filled with joy and relaxation away from the daily grind of farm work. As we move into December, I wanted to share some updates and important dates with you.
Reimbursement Progress: We’ve been diligently working with State and County officials to expedite the delayed CBB and CLR treatment reimbursements. I’m pleased to report that the process is gaining momentum, and we are optimistic about timely reimbursements moving forward.
International Conference: Last week, I had the honor of representing our community at an international conference held at UH-Hilo. The panel included representatives from various Big Island Agricultural commodity groups such as macadamia nut, cacao, ulu, and fruit growers. The panel discussed the origins, challenges, and deliverables of Agricultural associations, highlighting the unique contributions of each group.
Save the Date: Please mark your calendars for February 25th, 2025 for our Coffee Farmers Symposium at the Keauhou Outrigger Hotel and Spa. This event will be a fantastic opportunity to connect, share knowledge, and celebrate our achievements.
Congratulations: Lastly, I want to extend my heartfelt congratulations to the winners of the coffee cupping competition held in conjunction with the Kona Coffee Festival. Your dedication and hard work continue to elevate the quality and reputation of Kona coffee.
Mahalo for your continued support and commitment to excellence. Let’s make this holiday season a time of reflection, gratitude, and preparation for the exciting year ahead.
Mahalo nui loa!
Mark Petersen
______________________________________________________________________ COFFEE CONSUMPTION IN THE US: TRENDS AND STATISTICS | EXPERT REVIEWS
October 17, 2024
· Generational Differences: Gen Z consumes less coffee than previous generations, with only 42% identifying as daily coffee drinkers. This decline is partly due to rising coffee prices.
· Consumption Statistics: The US ranks 25th globally for per capita coffee consumption, with 400 million cups consumed daily. Almost half of Americans drink coffee, with 73% of coffee drinkers consuming it daily.
· Preferences: Cappuccinos, lattes, and mochas are popular, while black coffee is declining in favor of milk or creamer. Milk alternatives like almond and oat milk are also on the rise.
· Home vs. Coffee Shop: 80% of Americans drink at least one cup of coffee at home daily, while only 8% buy takeaway coffee daily. Drip coffee is the most common brewing method at home.
· Spending: Americans spend an average of $75 per year on coffee for home use. Monthly spending on coffee from shops is similar, with 54% spending $20 or less.
· Popular Chains: Starbucks and Dunkin’ are the most popular coffee chains, with Starbucks dominating in 35 states.
· Trends: Espresso martinis, iced coffee, cold foam, and Dalgona coffee are trending. Sustainability and ethical practices are increasingly important to consumers.
________________________________________________________________________ How Specialty Coffee has Raised the Bar in the Hospitality Industry https://perfectdailygrind.com/2024/10/specialty-coffee-hotel-quality-standards/?utm_source=Klaviyo&utm_medium=campaign
“…Why more hotels need to prioritise higher-quality coffee
Whether enjoyed in a dining area or as part of in-room service, coffee plays a huge role in shaping a hotel guest’s overall experience.
Despite this, some still provide low-quality options, including instant coffee sachets or poorly prepared espresso and filter coffee. A study by UCC Coffee found that 75% of hotel guests rated coffee offerings as “poor” or “average”, with a third also saying that a bad coffee experience would make them less likely to return.
This presents a clear opportunity for hotels to invest in their coffee programmes to improve the overall guest experience and increase customer satisfaction.
In addition to selling directly to customers, Mattina Artisan Roastery – a specialty coffee roaster in Dubai, United Arab Emirates – also supplies coffee to hotels and other hospitality venues.
“The overall customer experience in a hotel is not restricted to one aspect or product,” Naji says. “It’s many factors, like whether they slept well or if the food was good. Coffee is one of these touch points that customers will remember, especially if it is bad, and they will be vocal about it.
“Coffee is a regular daily drink for many people,” he adds. “If guests don’t have a good cup of coffee in the morning, they will notice, and they may not return.”…”
“Daily coffee drinking can reduce the infection risk of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, according to new research from Taiwan.
After conducting in vitro lab testing of human cells, as well as a human trial involving 64 participants given a SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirus, the research team concluded that drinking coffee every day might be a useful dietary tool in preventing infection in individuals. It may also reduce the severity of COVID-19 infections, the researchers said.
The results were consistent for different coffee types — ground and instant, caffeinated and decaffeinated — as well as for the most common recent COVID-19 variants, such as Delta and Omicron.”
“Under identical brewing conditions, caffeine concentrations in brewed samples were
generally lower for dark roasts than light and medium roasts. However, at identical
extraction yields, dark roasts generally exhibited higher caffeine concentrations than
lighter roasted coffees. It is likely that the volatilization or decomposition of soluble
compounds and increased porosity due to roasting act as competing mechanisms that
determine compound concentrations in resulting brews….”
Check Your Property for Little Fire Ants
The “Stop The Ant” Campaign, aims to engage communities in the early detection of little fire ants. This campaign is funded by the legislature through the Hawaii Invasive Species Council. It’s important to do your part to check for LFA on your property, since catching this problem early makes it much easier to treat! Request your free ant collection kit and learn more about LFA and how to collect ants at StopTheAnt.org.
“Moderate coffee and tea consumption may help protect people with high blood pressure from developing dementia, according to a major new study.
Published Sept. 10 in Nature’s Scientific Reports, the study followed a cohort of more than 450,000 participants with documented hypertension from the UK Biobank, applying Cox proportional risk modeling.
The study follows a 2021 study that found decreased dementia risk among all coffee and tea drinkers, as well as another study that same year that linked heavy coffee consumption with increased dementia risk.
Led by a team at Ningxia Medical University in Yinchuan, China, the study relies on the premise that people with hypertension are at significantly higher risk to develop dementia…”
HDOA’s Compost Reimbursement Program 2025
The Hawai‘i Department of Agriculture (HDOA) Plant Industry Division is accepting applications for the Compost Reimbursement Program for Fiscal Year 2025, which may reimburse agricultural producers (including farming and landscaping operations) for the cost of purchasing compost, including transportation costs.
Act 231 was passed by the State Legislature during the 2024 legislative session and Governor Josh Green, M.D., released funding totaling $400,000 in August 2024. Farming and landscaping operations may apply for reimbursement of up to 50 percent of cost of compost purchased between July 1, 2024, and May 1, 2025. Reimbursements under this program are not to exceed $50,000 per qualified applicant.
Under the reimbursement program, compost must be purchased from a certified processor, retailer or wholesaler licensed to do business in Hawaiʻi. In addition, certified Hawaiʻi processors are limited to those companies regulated under the Hawaiʻi Department of Health Solid Waste Management Program.
USDA Farm Loan Program Changes Now in Effect
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) long-awaited updates to the Farm Service Agency’s (FSA) Farm Loan Programs are officially in effect. These changes, part of the Enhancing Program Access and Delivery for Farm Loans rule, are designed to increase financial flexibility for agricultural producers, allowing them to grow their operations, boost profitability, and build long-term savings.
These program updates reflect USDA’s ongoing commitment to supporting the financial success and resilience of farmers and ranchers nationwide, offering critical tools to help borrowers manage their finances more effectively.
What the new rules mean for you:
Low-interest installment set-aside program: Financially distressed borrowers can now defer up to one annual loan payment at a reduced interest rate. This simplified option helps ease financial pressure while keeping farming operations running smoothly.
Flexible repayment terms: New repayment options give borrowers the ability to increase their cash flow and build working capital reserves, allowing for long-term financial planning that includes saving for retirement, education, and other future needs.
Reduced collateral requirements: FSA has lowered the amount of additional loan security needed for direct farm loans, making it easier for borrowers to leverage their existing equity without putting their personal residence at risk.
These new rules provide more financial freedom to borrowers. By giving farmers and ranchers better tools to manage their operations, we’re helping them build long-term financial stability. It’s all about making sure they can keep their land, grow their business, and invest in the future.
If you’re an FSA borrower or considering applying for a loan, now is the time to take advantage of these new policies. We encourage you to reach out to your local FSA farm loan staff to ensure you fully understand the wide range of loan making and servicing options available to assist with starting, expanding, or maintaining your agricultural operation.To conduct business with FSA, please contact your local USDA Service Center.
The washed process is one of the most common and revered processing methods in the coffee industry. Often used to showcase terroir and highlight clean, bright flavour profiles, industry professionals and consumers the world over enjoy these coffees.
The popularity of washed coffees prevails and undoubtedly will for years to come. But at the same time, it’s been hard to ignore the increasing number of experimental processing methods appearing on coffee shop menus and roasters’ offerings.
In recent years, there has been a growing focus on more advanced and novel techniques, such as extended and anaerobic fermentations, drawing inspiration from other industries like winemaking. Natural processed coffees are also becoming more popular as people are interested in fruit-forward, funkier profiles.
So where does this leave washed coffees? Are they becoming more popular again, or are other processing methods becoming more prominent?…”
“After years of development, feedback and marketing, the Specialty Coffee Association has officially adopted its three new standards for professional coffee evaluation.
The move effectively replaces the SCA’s coffee cupping form and protocol that were first published by the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA) in 2004 and became widely adopted as industry standards.
Combined, the three new standards are referred to by the SCA as the Coffee Value Assessment, or CVA.
The SCA, which is the largest coffee trade organization in the world, said the new CVA represents a seismic shift in how coffee is professionally evaluated, as it promotes a “holistic picture” of unique attributes, as opposed to a single quality score…”
UH Hilo Analytical Lab Closed from 12/1/24 and Reopening 3/1/25
Aloha valued clients,
The UH Hilo Analytical Lab will be taking a brief pause in accepting new soil, tissue, etc. samples starting December 1st, 2024. New sample submission will resume March 1st, 2025. This downtime will be used for instrument repairs/maintenance and personnel training. The pause will ensure that our lab continues providing reliable, high-quality data for your projects.
Mahalo for your understanding and continued partnership. We look forward to collaborating on your projects in the year ahead.
About this Guide Most of these grinder choices are “multipurpose” grinders, capable of doing espresso to press pot. Some can also do turkish grind. List includes a few manual grinders because of their exceptional output, build quality, and value. Every grinder recommended has been used, tested, reviewed, and/or owned by a CoffeeGeek staff member.
“One of the oldest mantras preached here at CoffeeGeek is the absolute importance of the grinder to quality coffee in the home. It is the most important element. More than the espresso machine; more than the fancy auto drip; more than even the water you’re using (assuming you’re using clean drinkable water to begin with). Even finding a better coffee bean won’t give you a bigger quality jump than a good grinder will.
In 2003, our Senior Editor was quoted in a Canada-wide syndicated newspaper feature, claiming he could make better espresso with a $200 espresso machine and a $400 grinder, than he could with a $4,500 espresso machine and a $50 grinder. Today, that remains true in spirit, but the dollar numbers have changed. The days of a good sub $200 espresso machine – at least a pump driven one – are long gone.
On the flip side, the entry point for a quality grinder has dropped substantially. Today you can get a fantastic, well-made coffee grinder for $200 or less. We specialty coffee lovers are absolutely blessed to have a huge variety of fantastic coffee grinders to choose from; some even as low as $100. If you’re willing to spend double that amount, you’ll get a coffee grinder with the ability and output that matches $500 grinders from a decade ago…”
Recipe – Homemade Coffee Liqueur
Ingredients
2 cups sugar
2 cups water
2 oz instant coffee granules (or 4 oz ground coffee brewed in the 2 cups water)
1 ½ cups brandy or vodka
1 vanilla bean – cut in half lengthwise
Bring sugar and water to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. Add coffee and simmer for 3 minutes. Add brandy (or vodka) and vanilla bean. Pour into a bottle, seal and store at room temperature for two weeks.
Recipes Wanted!If any of you have recipes that you would like to share, please submit them to the editor: clarewilson98@gmail.com
LET US KNOW WHAT YOU THINK! >> Write to 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.
Suggestion Box
Let us know what you would like to see in our newsletter. Suggestions on what to include or not. What could we do better. Let us know. Clarewilson98@gmail.com
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