January 2018 – The Independent Voice

Contents
KCFA’s Annual Pruning Workshop
Annual KCFA Membership Meeting
National restaurant Assoc. Trade Show
A Message from Chet
Export Markets
Climate Change, Coffee & Bees
Climate Change and Cacao
Supporting Business Member: Wooden Touches
Recipe: Coffee Herb Rub
Write to Us
Editor – Clare Wilson

HAPPY NEW YEAR
Here we go again. Another new year and Kona coffee is already blooming, ready for another cycle of producing our world famous, delicious Kona coffee. Time for strip-picking and that back-breaking chore of picking up the raisins that have fallen to the ground. All necessary to fight CBB.

KCFA’s Annual Pruning Workshop
January 20, 2018, 8:30 AM

               all you need

WHEN: Saturday, January 20, 2018 Registration begins at 8:30am
WHERE: Bob Nelson’s Farm (turn makai at the Kona Joe’s sign in Kainaliu. Drive down and park in big empty lot on right. Farm is just across.)
WHY: How to Prune your Coffee for Maximum Health and Yield

KCFA will be hosting the annual pruning workshop on Saturday January 20.  Kona farmers Bob Nelson and Bob Smith will be presenting on both Kona Style and Beaumont-Fukunaga methods and will be joined by other contributors.

As always, there will be a lot of information for both new farmers and experienced hands as well.

Registration opens at 8:30 and the class promptly starts at 9am at Lehu’ula farm, 79-7350 Mamalahoa Hwy in Kainaliu.  All are welcome. Free to KCFA members, $10 to non-members (which can be applied to the $25 dues).Please bring a chair if you experience discomfort in standing.
–Submitted by Cecelia Smith

Annual Membership Meeting – Sunday, January 28, 2018

MARK YOUR CALENDARS! The Kona Coffee Farmers Association’s 2018 Annual General Membership Meeting (AGM) will be Sunday, January 28 at the Kahalu’u Beach Park Pavilion, beginning at 11:30 am. This will be a potluck luncheon followed by our AGM business meeting. All KCFA members are encouraged to attend—a wonderful occasion to mingle with your friends and fellow farmers at a great setting with good food.

We plan to have some beer and pupus from 11:30. The Potluck Lunch will be served at noon, with our annual meeting to follow. KCFA will supply plastic ware, paper products etc, Please RSVP (just click>>>) here so we can have an accurate count of what we need to get.  We ask you to bring your own drinks and bring something for the Potluck—pupus, a side dish, a main dish or even just bring yourselves.

The meeting will include reports on KCFA activities; approval of minutes from last year’s AGM and election of Directors to serve 2-year terms on the KCFA Board*. As a non-profit, KCFA Members must rely on each other, so come and learn the latest.

*KCFA Board Members 
–Continuing to serve their 2^nd year of their term:  Chris Coleman, Allan Frank, Chet Gardiner, Jim Monk, and Cecelia Smith.
–Up for reelection to 2 year terms are: Kay Dixon, Sandra Scarr, Suzanne Shriner and Karen Zulkowski.
—Nominated to the Board for 2018-2020: Bruce Corker and Mark Dubay.

Have you thought about the NRA Trade Show in Chicago?

(No – not the National Rifle Assn.)
The HDOA will organize a Hawaii section at the National Restaurant Association (NRA) Trade Show, May 19-22, 2018, Chicago.  This is a great opportunity for you to increase and expand sales in the foodservice industry that has seen tremendous expansion, generating $799 billion in sales in 2017.  More than 45,000 buyers from all 50 states and 110 different countries from the world will be attending with a significant increase of decision makers’ attendance in recent years.  Agricultural Trade Offices from all over the world including Japan and China bring huge delegations to this show every year.
Suitable products to exhibit include, but are not limited to: fresh/processed fruits and vegetables, proteins, ready-to-eat products, condiments, tea, coffee, and alcoholic beverages. HDOA will subsidize 50% of booth fees and cover the basic booth furnishings including carpet, table, and chairs. Company participation fees are $1700 for a 10×10 booth.
NRA is DBEDT’s HiSTEP eligible for reimbursement for your travel cost, booth fees, sample and shipment fees: http://invest.hawaii.gov/exporting/histep/#HiSTEP-CA.
If you are interested in exhibiting in the Hawaii Pavilion at NRA show, please fill out the online application form:  http://hdoa.hawaii.gov/add/md/booth/
Deadline of response is Friday, January 6.
–Submitted by Suzanne Shriner

A Message from Chet
I joined the KCFA because I recently bought a farm with a bunch of coffee trees on it and I was ignorant and I was all alone.
I needed a great deal of help to learn what to do with all of these trees, how to help them grow strong and produce great coffee cherry, how to get that cherry picked and where to sell it and (surprise, surprise) what to do about the CBB (yuck).
And like all humans, I needed to be in a room or a space or a dining table or a field with other folks who are in the same boat.  Not just for that help and information but more importantly to be in proximity with others to give and receive the kind of intangible support that we provide to each other by ‘being there’.
In recognition of the increasing challenges we face just to farm coffee at all here in Kona, I would like to invite all of you to find your own personal way to help grow our association.  I invite you to participate in whatever area excites your passions, whether it’s the branding and legislative area, growing the membership, the education/science area or my particular favorite, finding ways to get together for fun, food, coffee, music and fellowship, we value your presence, energy and fresh ideas.
We hope to see you all at our annual meeting on January 28^th 11am-3pm at the Kahaluu Pavillion on Alii Drive at Kahaluu Beach,  and at our Expo 2018 on April 6 at the Old Airport Makaeo Pavillion – 10am-3pm!

Chet Gardiner, Membership Chair

Export Markets
What’s your greatest challenge in expanding your sales globally? The number one answer in a recent survey of small and mid-sized exporters by the National Small Business Association: “I worry about getting paid.”  But can your coffee business afford to pass up opportunities in markets such as Taiwan or South Korea? How can you diversify your customer base while assuring payment from foreign buyers? Think it’s too costly and difficult to manage cross-border risks?
Hear advice on how to grow your international sales from industry experts including lenders, exporters and international trade specialists: http://grow.exim.gov/exporter-advice-video.  The Export-Import Bank is a government-backed service that offers a wide range of small business programs to assist you in selling overseas. They offer free credit analysis of foreign buyers and no up-front costs for payment guarantees. You pay only for what you ship, after you ship it. Start the new year looking in a new direction!
–Submitted by Suzanne Shriner

Climate Change, Coffee, & Bees

“A study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences says it is the first to model the impact of climate change on both coffee and pollinators. The researchers projected that by 2050, climate change could reduce the amount of ground usable to grow coffee in Latin America by up to 88 percent. That’s significantly higher than previous estimates.”
“Climate change will, in places, have opposite impacts on ground suitability and bee diversity. The researchers project that about 34-51 percent of areas will become less suitable to growing coffee but see more bee diversity, somewhat offsetting farmers’ losses. The opposite is true in 31-33 percent of future coffee distribution areas.”
To read the entire NPR article on this study, go to this page: https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/09/11/550169720/coffee-bees-and-climate-change-are-linked-in-ways-you-may-not-have-expected

Climate Change and Cacao

Most of us love chocolate and some of us are growing cacao as a second crop. This study by scientists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is disturbing for chocolate lovers and cacao growers.  The scientists predict that cacao plants are likely to go extinct as early as 2050 due to climate change.
The entire article with references is here: http://www.foodandwine.com/news/scientists-expect-chocolate-extinction

Supporting Business Member: Wooden Touches

Shaun Fleming creates unique, beautifully crafted wooden furniture. Check out her creations on the website: http://www.woodentouches.com  The detailed marquetry on some pieces adds figures and shapes of contrasting woods.
>From the website:  “The natural power of handmade wooden furniture emboldens our connection to life’s deeper treasures as it lends a refinement and easy grace to any room. Whether it be a stately cabinet, a radiant coffee table or a breathtaking entertainment center, fine furnishings add a special comfort and leisure to our lives.”
wooden touches
P.O.Box 628, Haiku, HI 96708
Phone: 808-572-3471
Email: info@woodentouches.com
Website: http://www.woodentouches.com

Recipes Wanted! If any of you have coffee recipes that you would like to share, please submit them to the editor: clare@huahuafarm.com

Recipe: Coffee Herb Rub for Steaks, Chicken, or Burgers

INGREDIENTS:
1 tablespoon freshly ground coffee
1 teaspoons (packed) golden brown sugar
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
Mix all together and rub on meat prior to cooking.

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.