The Independent Voice
“Best Agricultural Newsletter in Hawaii”
Newsletter of the Kona Coffee Farmers Association
January 2025
PO Box 5436 Kailua Kona Hawaii 96745 USA
www.konacoffeefarmers.org info@konacoffeefarmers.org
Contents
Message from President Petersen
KCFA Coffee Symposium February 25, 2025
Scheduling Coffee Production Activities
CLR & CBB Subsidy Update
Why do Genetically Similar Arabica Coffee beans Taste Different?
2025 Coffee Webinar Series
The Story of the Hawaii Community Federal Credit Union
Burlap Bags & T-Shirts now Available at KCFA
Study: How Roasting Affects the Perfect Brew
Daily Coffee Consumption Can Augment Your Life Expectancy
Benefits and Risks of Caffeine
Price of Arabica Coffee Beans at Record Level
Cell-Cultured Coffee Movement is Advancing
Basic Coffee Production Classes
UH Hilo Lab Closed from 12/1/2024 and Reopening on 3/25/2024
Editor – Clare Wilson
Message from President Petersen
Aloha Coffee Farmers,
Hauʻoli Makahiki Hou!
As we welcome the New Year, let’s take a moment to reflect on the past one. 2024 was a good year for Kona coffee production, thanks to everyone’s flexibility, resilience, and desires for good tree health. We also had fun and learning opportunities as an association, such as the Coffee Farmers Symposium in March, where speakers shared best practices and management challenges with us. We also hosted several educational events throughout the year, such as workshops, webinars, and farm demonstrations, to help us explore and assess our management skills and knowledge. And of course, we enjoyed two potluck gatherings where we shared our farm practices and friendships over delicious food and music.
We made our voices heard by lobbying state and federal policy makers on issues that affect our industry, such as truth in labeling, coffee pests and other issues. We aim to keep you informed of important news or events through our newsletters, websites, and email blasts. We hope you found value in being part of this association and we thank you for your support and participation.
Looking ahead, we have some exciting plans for 2025. One of them is the next Coffee Farmers Symposium, which will take place on February 25. We will send out more symposium details soon but mark your calendars and get ready for another great and informative event. Remember you do not have to pay a registration fee to attend.
We also want to remind you that we are looking forward to new volunteers to serve on the board next year. This is a wonderful opportunity to get more involved in the association and to contribute to the success of Kona Coffee. If you are interested, please let us know or talk with a current board member. We would love to have you on board!
We wish you all a happy and prosperous New Year. May it bring you more joy, health, and
quality coffee!
Happy New Year!
And…Mahalo for your continued support!
Mark Petersen KCFA President
______________________________
Save the Date! February 25, 2025
KCFA Coffee Symposium and Trade Show
Aloha!
We are pleased to announce our next Symposium will be Tuesday, February 25th at the Outrigger Kona’s Kaleiopapa Conference Center.
A wide range of Sponsorships are now available for booking through the KCFA website or can be viewed on the attached pdf.
Watch the newsletter for more information as it becomes available! Need more info today? write to us at info@KonaCoffeeFarmers.org
We look forward to seeing you again. Please do not hesitate to reach out with questions.
Mahalo,
Suzanne Shriner and Barbara Anderson
Symposium Committee Members
Scheduling Coffee Production Activities
As the coffee season comes to an end, it is time to strip-pick all of the coffee trees. This is very important for breaking the life cycle and controlling CBB. All remaining coffee beans (green, red, and over-ripe) must be picked, bagged and removed from the coffee field. Any that drop to the ground should be picked up. Putting the waste beans in covered buckets or double-bagged black trash bags and leaving them in the sun for 6 to 8 weeks will kill all remaining CBB.
Due to the continuing drought conditions, pruning the coffee trees should be postponed until there is rain and the trees are no longer stressed. Pruning can be delayed till February or so. I know it hurts to prune branches full of the lovely white fragrant flowers, but those branches would have been pruned before flowering under better conditions.
It’s also too early to spread granular fertilizer. The trees are in winter hibernation. Wait until February. If still dry, use a polymer-coated slow release nitrogen to prevent loss of N due to lack of water. While some of the retail shops might not carry polymers, the direct suppliers do. Ask for it through your favorite chemical rep. It is slightly more expensive but uncoated nitrogen will be lost within 7 days without rain. Coated nitrogen polymers do not have this issue.
For more information on controlling CBB, please refer to: https://www.ctahr.hawaii.
______________________________
CLR and CBB Subsidy Update
Dear Farmers,
We hope this message finds you well and you have had a good season. We wanted to provide an important update regarding the administration of the subsidy program for Coffee Leaf Rust (CLR) and Coffee Berry Borer (CBB).
Administrator Designation: We are pleased to inform you that the Department of Agriculture (HDOA) is actively working on staffing up to designate an Administrator for this program. Efforts are underway to engage experienced personnel to ensure efficient and timely processing of applications. This will significantly streamline the process and improve our response times.
Timelines: To recap, the subsidy covers expenses incurred for CLR and CBB control measures from July 1, 2022, to June 30, 2024. We understand that there have been delays, but please be assured that steps are being taken to expedite the payments you are entitled to.
Application Forms: The dissemination of application forms for the period July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024, is a priority. We expect that with the new Administrator in place, this process will be more efficient.
Acknowledgment: We truly appreciate your patience and understanding as we navigate these administrative challenges. We recognize the critical need for timely support, especially in light of the substantial expenses you’ve incurred.
We will continue to keep you updated on any further developments. Thank you for your dedication and hard work in maintaining the health and productivity of our coffee farms.
All Arabica Coffee is Genetically Similar: How can Beans Taste so Different?
https://coffeetalk.com/daily-
“…Coffee’s genetic make-up is no trivial concern; 10 million tonnes of the crop were grown and sold in 2022–23. The coffee that we drink comes from two species: Coffea canephora, also known as robusta, and Coffea arabica, known as arabica. In many cases, beans from the two species are blended to make a brew. However, the beans of single species are also roasted and sold. Overall, arabica beans represent around 56% of all coffee sold.
Most genetic variation in living organisms comes from hybridization with other species. However, for C. arabica, this is a relatively rare event because it has more than two copies of each chromosome — a phenomenon called polyploidy. As a result, C. arabica’s main source of single nucleotide variation is mutation, which occurs at a steady rate over time. The study found evidence of significant chromosomal rearrangements, especially in a varietal of C. arabica called Bourbon….”
from CTAHR
2025 Coffee Webinar Series
The Story of HCFCU: From Coffee to Community
https://www.comunicaffe.com/
“…When local banks denied laborers the opportunity to build wealth and receive financial assistance, they formed co-ops where members could pool money and take turns receiving individual payouts. These local financial groups were typically organized around a common crop, and it was the coffee growers who started the Hawaii Community Federal Credit Union. Over time, the 10 founders of HCFCU combined forces with coffee and sugar laborers, strengthening their co-op.
As HCFCU expanded, it opened branches island wide and remained steadfast in its credo of “people helping people.” Today, HCFCU uplifts the community it serves by supporting more than 80 charitable nonprofit organizations and raising scholarship funds amounting to $30,000 per year for high schoolers. In 1972, HCFCU opened the first student credit union in the state, which it still facilitates in 5 high schools. On top of leading financial literary classes for youth, HCFCU conducts Deposit Days where elementary students can make their own deposits. …”
KCFA Has New T-Shirts and (5$) Burlap Bags in Stock
https://konacoffeefarmers.org/
and 
The KCFA website has our new selection of tee shirts and hoodies in fun colors and designs. A wide variety of colors and styles. Check out the brand new KCFA swag. Shipped as a gift or local Kona pickup available.
https://phys.org/news/2024-12-
“A new study in published in Scientific Reports suggests that the perfect cup of coffee is influenced by a complex blend of variables such as bean processing method, brewing time, and grind size, not just the roast level.
Caffeine content and extraction yield are two of the most vital variables for coffee enthusiasts, especially those who approach it with precision.
Extraction yield is a measure of the amount of soluble material. Led by Dr. Zachary R. Lindsey, Assistant Professor of Physics at Berry College, U.S., the study focuses on how the degree of roast affects these two variables. Phys.org spoke to Dr. Lindsey, a self-proclaimed coffee nerd about the study.”
“Over 20 years ago, I heard a barista claim that dark roasts have more caffeine, but a decade later, I was exposed to the contrasting idea that light roasts were the king of caffeine. Yet, I couldn’t find any convincing data.”
“It wasn’t until I picked up coffee roasting as a hobby in 2022 that I started to see the missing pieces of the puzzle…”
Daily Coffee Consumption Can Augment Your Life Expectancy
https://tinyurl.com/4v9uc6xu
“Forget the apple — grab a cup of your favourite brew because it’s coffee that will “keep the doctor away.” Well, it might not necessarily keep doctors at bay but a new study reports that daily coffee consumption can add up to two extra years of ‘healthy aging’ to your life.
A new research paper, “Impact of coffee intake on human aging: Epidemiology and cellular mechanisms,” published in Ageing Research Reviews this month and supported by the Institute for Scientific Information on Coffee (ISIC) explores the science behind coffee’s relationship with healthy aging. The paper highlights research supporting coffee’s role in mitigating against major chronic disease and the natural mechanisms behind aging…”
Benefits and Risks of Caffeine
https://tinyurl.com/bdesmdh9
“Coffee and tea are among the plants that are highest in caffeine. Their use as beverages makes caffeine the most consumed psychoactive agent in the world. Coffee is commonly used to increase alertness and work productivity. Synthetic caffeine is added to soft drinks, energy drinks, and products intended to reduce fatigue or promote weight loss.”
“The caffeine content varies with the type of drink: It is high in coffee, energy drinks, and caffeine tablets; intermediate in tea; and low in soft drinks. Coffee is the predominant source of the caffeine ingested by adults. The evidence for caffeine’s effects on people is ambiguous, and some risks and benefits deserve special attention because of the impact they may have on our health.”
Cell-Cultured Coffee Movement is Advancing
https://tinyurl.com/4mdnp3m2
“Traditional coffee, or farm-grown coffee, is struggling to keep pace with the demands of modern consumption. With global demand expected to continue rising through 2050 and beyond, the strain on coffee farms is pushing the industry toward a breaking point.”
“Deforestation, rising CO₂ emissions, and climate change are all exacerbating the challenge, and experts warn that traditional production will soon be unable to keep up.”
“Against this backdrop, scientists like Professor Chahan Yeretzian, of the Zurich University of Applied Science, are pioneering cell-cultured coffee — a lab-based alternative that could redefine our relationship with coffee and offer a sustainable path forward.”
Basic Coffee Production Classes
https://tinyurl.com/52h5szzp
ED+U is a coffee-education platform within Café Imports designed for students and trainers. Each class is free, with all materials published for you to use.
This phase of coffee production is constantly evolving with new techniques and technology, providing the world with an ever-growing spectrum of flavor profiles. This class is an up-to-date look at the complexity and creativity of coffee preparation, built off of an easy-to-follow timeline. Downloadable class materials will be available on January 13.
Questions, feedback, or scheduling requests? Email education@cafeimports.com.
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.
Jazmine Panelo
Analytical Lab Manager (RCUH) jrpanelo@hawaii.edu |
Tel: (808) 932-7590 lab / (808) 932-7583
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
