February 2025 The Independent Voice

            The Independent Voice
“Best Agricultural Newsletter in Hawaii”
Newsletter of the Kona Coffee Farmers Association
                  February 2025
PO Box 5436 Kailua Kona Hawaii 96745 USA                                

www.konacoffeefarmers.org   info@konacoffeefarmers.org

Contents
Message from President Petersen
KCFA Coffee Symposium Feb. 25, 2025
Coffee Orchard Tasks
Warning: Coffee Sales Fraud
KCFA Position on a Sustainable Work Force & Immigration
Workers’ Rights and Immigration
Coffee Related Webinar Series
Parasitic Wasps to Combat CBB
KCFA at Kokua Kailua
Fungicide Use and Your Health
Grow Hawai’ian Festival
Study: Morning Coffee vs All-Day Coffee
Canoe Crops
How Sweet Coffee Tastes
CTAHR Workshop and Field Day Schedule
Are Dark Roast Profiles Unwelcome in Specialty Coffee?
Study: Coffee May Improve Cognitive Performance in Patients with High Incidence for Stroke
Editor – Clare Wilson

Message from President Petersen
Aloha Coffee Farmers,

Happy New Year as 2025 gets rolling! We hope you have a prosperous coffee year
ahead. On our farm, we just finished pruning this week. It’s a relief to have that
task completed and to move on to other practices for our trees. Despite our best efforts,
we have experienced a resurgence of Coffee Berry Borer (CBB) in 2024, which was
disappointing. We will be doubling our focus on CBB in the coming year.

That is one of the reasons why I am looking forward to the KCFA Coffee Farmers
Symposium. KCFA will hold the symposium on Tuesday, February 25, at the Outrigger
Resort Convention Center.

We have invited the new Hawaii Island Mayor, Kimo Alameda, to start off the symposium and
highlight his goals for the island and county government. It will be very interesting to
hear what he will share with us.

In addition, there will be a team presentation about weather deviations we can expect
from climate change to give us insight into the type of trees we will want for the future,
another talk describing a composting system to enhance fungal populations for better
soil health and how to receive funding to start, an update on the current state of the
local coffee market, and a summary presentation about the latest research
accomplished by the PBARC research laboratory concerning Coffee Leaf Rust (CLR)
and other research results we can learn from.

There is something special about your Association’s Symposium compared to most
agricultural commodity group conferences, and that is it is **FREE** to members. As a
KCFA member, all you need to do is go here after Logging IN, go to top of the page to “Symposium 2025, and register free of charge but
you need register. Coffee will be available at 8:30am and conference will start at 9:00 am, including lunch, and will conclude
in the afternoon with our annual membership meeting.

Our sponsors are particularly important to the success of this meeting. They fund the
meeting, so you do not have to pay a registration fee. Our sponsors are impressive in
their support of KCFA. Their participation gives you an opportunity during breaks to
meet with them and ask questions about products, practices and services. WE are lucky
to have the opportunity to meet with them like this.

I look forward to seeing you on February 25.

A quick Association news item: your board has started a booth at the Kokua Kailua
Downtown Stroll in January 2025 with the goal of informing tourists about Kona coffee.
We hope to stimulate interest in farm tours, coffee tasting, and sharing coffee with
friends at home. The volunteers at the booth reported many friendly interactions with
“strollers.”

Register for symposium at 2025 Symposium Registration – Kona Coffee Farmers
Association.

Mahalo nui loa!

Mark Petersen, KCFA President
______________________________________________________________________
Register Now February 25, 2025
KCFA Coffee Symposium and Trade Show

Aloha! Register now for the Symposium. Tickets are limited and lunch is included for
only $75. Members, sign in or renew for your free ticket.

•  Keynote from Hawaii Mayor Kimo Alameda
•  Climate effects and coffee adaptations from US Forest Service
•  CLR and CBB recommendations based on ARS PBARC Research
•  Coffee Market and Sales Opportunity updates from SHAC
•  Composting systems grant for boosting your soil health
•  and more speakers to come!

While there, meet with reps from the HDOA Market Development Branch, CTAHR Extension,
USDA NRCS and FSA loan and ag programs, Lind Crop Insurance, Biosafe Products, Pfullman
Products, fertilizer companies and more still to come. Get all your farm questions answered in
one place!

Volunteers are needed at the Symposium. If you can help KCFA for a few hours at
the registration or merchandise table, please contact Franck Carisey 858-335-7703.
Mahalo plenty!
_____________________________________________________________________
Coffee Orchard Tasks January 2025
What Should I be Doing Now?
From Andrea Kawabata and Matt Miyahira @ CTAHR

Dear Coffee Growers,

The wonderful rains following a dry fall and winter, has induced coffee flowering. For many, blooms from last week and this week (and with subsequent blooms) will result in a large crop as long as the rains continue through the spring and early summer months. But, with high yields comes great need to maintain as much foliage on the trees throughout the season with proper fertilization and management of coffee leaf rust (CLR). Leaves on fruit-bearing branches are extremely important and allow the plant to photosynthesize and supply nutrients to its berries and new vegetative growth.

Below are some recommendations for the first quarter (Jan to Mar) of the year. The suggestions, which may or may not be in order for your farm situation, are noted separately for
1) farms with a distinct harvest season and for
2) farms with overlapping seasons (year-round production) and a substantial number of green berries developing now. All farms should maintain records to better understand their farm’s management requirements, and to make modifications as needed for ease of CBB, CLR and other pest control, to reduce costs and waste, improve yield (and quality too), and improve revenue and overall sustainability of the operation.

If you have any questions, please reach out to us (Matt – mnmiyahi@hawaii.edu; 808-322-0164) and (Andrea – andreak@hawaii.edu, 415-604-1511 (text ok) or 808-322-4892).

We also welcome feedback to these recommendations.

Click> Link here provides CTAHR recommendations

Warning: Coffee Sales Fraud
Incident Report from a KCFA Coffee Farmer Member

Be Cautious When Handling Large Quantities of Roasted Coffee

On September 22, 2024, we received a substantial order through our website from James Harrison of Couto Solutions for roasted coffee. A series of emails where Mr. Harrison and I discussed his specific requirements, including his preference for using his designated shipping company, Montu Logistics, and payment procedures were discussed and agreed.
As agreed with James Harrison and Montu Logistics, we raised an invoice for $12,290, which included $6,500 for the coffee and $5,790 for the freight cost payable to Montu Logistics. The invoice was sent via Quick Books (BillPay application) and was paid using a credit card.

However, after the payment was processed and the freight cost transferred, we received a call stating that the credit card statement showed an unauthorized transaction for the supply of coffee. The credit card company contacted Quick Books Online (Intuit.com) to dispute the payment.

As a result, Quick Books withdrew the $12,290 from our account on October 3. This has left us covering the freight cost of $5,790, which was wire transferred to the bank account provided by Robin Stuart of Montu Logistics. Additionally, the coffee prepared for Mr. Harrison has not been picked up by Montu Logistics as of this date.

This incident highlights the importance of being cautious when handling large orders and payments, especially when third-party logistics and payment methods are involved. We hope this report helps other farmers stay vigilant and protect their businesses.
______________________________________________________________________
KCFA Position on a Sustainable Workforce & Immigration

Agriculture is a driving force in Hawaii’s economy. The Kona Coffee Farmers Association recognizes labor as a necessity for our farms and that we face a critical shortage of workers that threatens our signature crop.

To this end, we support immigration reform that would provide workforce stability and allow our farmers to continue to produce the quality coffee that sustains 1,000 farms and many families and businesses throughout the State.

We strongly oppose State and County resources being used for any Federal immigration control activities unless there is a judicial warrant.  Non-judicial enforcement activities are harassment and impede our growers’ ability to recruit and retain authorized workers.

There is no industry in Hawaii that faces greater workforce challenges than agriculture.  We unequivocally support a reliable work force and implementation of programs that enable a path to legal workers for our farms.

Workers’ Rights and Immigration
As always, law enforcement should be approached with respect, however your rights matter too.  If Immigration comes to your farm, keep the following in mind.

As a general rule:

• You and your workers should ask them to leave if they do not present a warrant
• You and your workers do not have to open the door.
• You and your workers should not answer any questions without a lawyer.
• You and your workers should verify their identity and document the encounter.
• Workers should carry their work permits or green cards
  

  ---

Coffee Related Webinar Series from CTAHR

By Michael Brestovansky – Hawaii Tribune-Herald

Swarms of parasitic wasps will descend upon Kona coffee farms this spring as a long-
gestating plan to control an invasive pest finally goes forward.

The coffee berry borer is a destructive invasive beetle that has been devastating to
coffee farms worldwide. First discovered on the Big Island in 2010, its name is attributed to its boring into
coffee berries to lay eggs, ruining farmers’ yields.

The state Department of Agriculture in 2023 announced a plan to import a species of
parasitic wasp, Phymastichus coffea, that would naturally target and infest the beetle in
order to reduce its population. Nearly two years later, those wasps finally are here.
“I believe they only just arrived in the state in the last month,” said Jonathan Ho, plant
quarantine manager at the state DOA, who added that complications in the federal
import permitting process delayed the bugs’ arrival.

Ho did not have an estimate for how many wasps have been imported, but two
populations currently are being raised at facilities in Volcano and on Oahu. The insects
must be reared in a secure environment for at least two generations — little more than a week,as adult males live for one to two days, and adult females for three to four — to ensure they do not have their own parasites that could spread to local wildlife.

DOA will hold the bugs for much more than two generations, however. Ho said DOA is
hoping to release the wasps around April to hit the coffee growing season.

Ho said biocontrol agents like the wasps are typically released in small batches so
researchers can evaluate their efficacy. “We want to make sure a population is able to survive in the wild beyond a single generation before we release more,” Ho said.

Mark Petersen, president of the Kona Coffee Farmers Association, said he expects the
DOA will tent individual trees at first and then release the wasps within those tents
before conducting any wide releases. The wasps, when released, should lay eggs in the bodies of the borers. When the eggs hatch, the larvae consume the borer, quickly mature and seek more borers to parasitize.

The process has been found to be effective in other countries suffering from the beetle. At the same time, there has been no recorded instance of a Phymastichus coffea Specimen parasitizing a different species, so the risk of the wasps targeting native species is low.The wasp also is particularly tiny — about the size of a gnat — and does not sting humans or animals.

If successful, the wasp will be a welcome friend to West Hawaii coffee farmers, who
have found managing the borer to be a constant battle.

“I’m all in favor of having more tools in our tool belt,” Petersen said.

“(The borer population is) not thinning, and it’s definitely not controlled,” said Tom
Greenwell, co-owner of the roughly 200 acre Greenwell Farms in Kealakekua. “We do
a fairly good job, and we can keep below 10% (crop loss). But we have to work hard to
get below 10%.”

Petersen said his own coffee operation has seen a higher infestation rate in 2024 than
the previous year, jumping from an estimated 12% rate to more than 40%.
Petersen said the most popular control method against the borer can still be unreliable.
A popular fungal pesticide — which infects the borer with a hostile fungus — is effective
at killing the bugs, but only as a contact spray, meaning it has to be used just at the right time to be effective.

That pesticide, Petersen said, can be expensive, running about $250 for a one-gallon
bottle. While he didn’t estimate how many acres a bottle of that size can last, Petersen
said it’s common for farmers to burn through many bottles each season.

Other control methods require constant maintenance of coffee trees to prevent the
borers from gaining a foothold, which can be all for naught if a neighboring field is not
also being similarly maintained.

“Any time you have any crop left over after the harvest, you’re going to have a hard time next year,”
Greenwell said, adding he has seen some farmers lose 60% of their total crop.
The borer also reduces the quality of the coffee, Greenwell said, with the presence of
borers and their larvae breaking down the coffee bean and leaving a foul taste.
“It’s not a good taste,” Greenwell said. “And we’re a gourmet coffee company. We can’t
sell it if it’s not good.”

Greenwell said he’s hopeful about the wasp strategy, whose progress he has followed
since it was announced. He said he has heard from farmers in other countries, such as
France, who have stopped using the fungal pesticide because the wasp so effectively
cut the borer’s population.

“It’s exciting news,” Greenwell said. “They can definitely release it on my farm if they
want.”

KCFA at Kokua Kailua

(L-R) Sammi Piasecki, Mark Petersen, Miss Kona Coffee and Terry Martin

On Sunday, January 19, 2025, the Kona Coffee Farmers Association had another first — and was it a great one.
Board members Sammi Piasecki, Terry Martin and Franck Carisey came up with the idea of the Association having
a booth at the Kokua Kailua Stroll, which is held monthly along Ali`i Drive in downtown Kailua Kona.  It gave us
the opportunity to educate visitors on 100% Kona coffee, and also sell some merchandise to promote our organization.

Miss Kona Coffee 2025, Maianna Taylor, joined the booth with us. She attracted people’s attention to the KCFA booth
and our mission in her tiara and sash. She added very nicely to the atmosphere of the booth.
The biggest sellers of the day were the UV hoodies in various colors and sizes as well as the new line of t-shirts.
The coffee and espresso mugs also sold well.

We anticipate that the KCFA will participate in future Kokua Strolls, so volunteer to join us in the booth, or stop by and say hello.

 Fungicide Use and Your Health

An article in the Daily Coffee News highlighted the risks to human health from “triazole” fungicides used in Latin America to combat CLR.
https://dailycoffeenews.com/2025/01/27/study-confirms-coffee-rust-fungicides-toxic-to-farmworkers/

KCFA wants make it clear that triazole fungicides are not legally available for use on coffee in Hawaii. Other systemics that use “strobins”, such as Abound and Aproach, are currently being tested at UH for potential release in the future but are also not yet legal. These may have less health risk, although all fungicides carry risks.  Some of these fungicides can be seen in garden stores and are available for use on other crops in Hawaii but should not be used in coffee as they are not legal yet. Remember, the label is the law.

Grow Hawaiian Festival

Study: Morning Coffee vs All-Day Coffee
https://www.comunicaffe.com/morning-coffee-may-protect-the-heart-better-than-all-day-coffee-drinking/

“…Around 36% of people in the study were morning coffee drinkers (they primarily drank coffee before midday), 16% of people drank coffee throughout the day (morning, afternoon and evening) and 48% were not coffee drinkers.

Compared with people who did not drink coffee, morning coffee drinkers were 16% less likely to die of any cause and 31% less likely to die of cardiovascular disease. However, there was no reduction in risk for all-day coffee drinkers compared to non-coffee drinkers.

Morning coffee drinkers benefitted from the lower risks whether they were moderate drinkers (two to three cups) or heavy drinkers (more than three cups). Light morning drinkers (one cup or less) benefitted from a smaller decrease in risk.

Dr Qi said: “This is the first study testing coffee drinking timing patterns and health outcomes. Our findings indicate that it’s not just whether you drink coffee or how much you drink, but the time of day when you drink coffee that’s important. We don’t typically give advice about timing in our dietary guidance, but perhaps we should be thinking about this in the future.

From Peter Young

He keiki aloha nā mea kanu Beloved children are the plants (ʻŌlelo Noʻeau 684)
In the recent past, significant advances in radiocarbon dating and the targeted re-dating of key Eastern Polynesian and
Hawaiian sites has strongly supported a “short chronology” model of Eastern Polynesian settlement.

It is suggested that initial Polynesian discovery and colonization of the Hawaiian Islands occurred between
approximately AD 1000 and 1200.  (Kirch)

These early Polynesians brought with them shoots, roots, cuttings and seeds of various plants for food, cordage,
medicine, fabric, containers, all of life’s vital needs.

“Canoe crops” (Canoe Plants) is a term to describe the group of plants brought to Hawaiʻi by these early Polynesians.

It is believed that these settlers, and the settlers that followed them, introduced a variety of plant species – the canoe crops.
The following notes the Hawaiian name and (common names;) origin; how it’s grown and uses for some of these various plants.

How Sweet Coffee Tastes Towards an Understanding of Coffee Sweetness
https://mailchi.mp/sca.coffee/how-sweet-coffee-tastes?e=3dc7f55672

Coffee Pruning and Soil and Leaf Sampling Field Day
Save the date for a Coffee Pruning and Soil and Leaf Sampling Field Day at the Kona Research Station on Tuesday, February 4, 2025 from 9:00-11:00 AM.

Avocado Lace Bug Management Workshop
Save the date for an Avocado Lace Bug Workshop at the Kona Cooperative Extension Conference Room on Wednesday, February 19, 2025. Times and a flyer with additional information will be forthcoming.

 https://tinyurl.com/33t3fxzt

“It’s fair to say that specialty coffee roasters pride themselves on their passion for and dedication to offering high-quality,
lighter roasted coffee. And for good reason – lighter roast profiles often mean you are able to experience the full spectrum
of a coffee’s flavour profile, which more and more consumers are looking for.

https://www.comunicaffe.com/coffee-consumption-may-improve-cognitive-performance-in-patients-with-a-high-incidence-for-stroke/

“There was a very clear and consistent ‘dose-response’ association between drinking more coffee and doing better on
several different sophisticated cognitive tests,” said University of Zürich’s Professor Jürg Beer. “Inflammatory markers
decreased with higher coffee consumption, an association that remained after considering variables such as age,
sex, body mass index, smoking status, physical activity and a history of stroke”.

MILAN – Coffee consumption correlates with better cognitive performance in patients with a high incidence for stroke,
according to a study published online Dec. 14 in the Journal of the American Heart Association. Atrial fibrillation is
an independent risk factor for the development of cognitive impairments. Regular coffee consumption has shown
cognitive benefits in healthy individuals. Whether regular consumption reduces cognitive decline in vulnerable patients is controversial.

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