November 2020 The Independent Voice

Contents
Annual Meeting and Board Election
Coffee Leaf Rust
Farm Insurance
GoFarm Hawaii- Sessions on Taxes
Restaurant Recognition Program
Brazilian Growers Repopulate with Bees

Annual Meeting and Board Election

Aloha members and coffee farmers.
The year, 2020, has meant a lot of changes for all of us, with more to come, it seems.
With the arrival of COVID-19, we are all looking out for human health in new ways.
With the likely (being confirmed) Maui, Hawaii arrival of coffee leaf rust (CLR, caused by the fungus Hemileia vastatrix), coffee tree health will be the focus of the immediate future throughout the State.

This means all of us must work together, and seek to slow spreading by keeping ourselves and our coffee healthy with strong immune systems.

Towards this end, as a farmer-needs based group, we will be seeking good coordination and collaboration to help KCFA members help each another.  So if you are not already a member, please join, and consider helping with our new round of needs in terms of research, education and outreach to all the other farmers — using the internet as much as we can, or course,

Though we have not yet set the date, about January 24, 2021 KCFA will hold our annual membership meeting.  It will be a virtual meeting, meaning you attend via your computer or telephone.

We need potential new Board members to step up and work together to better understand how our trees are affected, and what to do in preparation and what to do if we have infections of CLR.  If you have any interest in team work and have skills in agricultural research, pathology, entomology, agricultural systems, information gathering, education, electronic communications, community outreach, group coordination, fundraising, and/or legislative actions, (among other foci), we could use your help.  Please directly contact myself, and your contact will be passed on to the newly appointed Election Committee Chair, who will be identified in early November and will be discussing plans with all interested parties.

A strong Board will mean that we can work together to address and deal with problems that arise, and as stated earlier, we will need to maintain healthy immune systems of ourselves and our farms to seek to hold fungal infections as bay, so please step forward — email me at Colehour Bondera colemel2@gmail.com.
Colehour Bondera, President

Coffee Leaf Rust

The dreaded moment has arrived.  Coffee Leaf Rust (CLR) has arrived to our islands.  At this time, it’s been found in multiple coffee farms and feral gulches across Maui.  It has been spotted in Hilo here on the Big Island.  Now is the time to educate yourself on what the distinctive orange spores look like. Andrea Kawabata has some excellent pictures here. https://www.hawaiicoffeeed.com/coffee-leaf-rust—nko.html.
Our knowledge on the Maui/Hilo situation is rapidly evolving. It’s so early in the process that we don’t even know which strain of CLR it is.  However, we learned some lessons from CBB and our friends at HDOA, CTAHR, and PBARC have been quick to bring in their expertise as well as voices from other coffee regions. It’s been less than a week, so the response plan is still evolving.  The Maui infection is so large (estimated at 25 square miles) that it’s not known whether it can be eradicated. Surveys are ongoing to quantify the spread.  At the same time, surveys have begun in Kona as well (your eyes are best though, so check your own trees).  With some luck, we hope to have a window here to prepare our Kona farms for the likely appearance.
As we wait for more information, it’s good to take this time to read up on CLR.  Our Typica trees have no resistance to CLR, but healthy trees withstand the infection better.  Fertilization and soil health are important.   Thanks to industry pre-planning, we already have an arsenal of fungicides (organic and otherwise) that are approved for use in Hawaii coffee. Some of the most effective are copper-based products (Kocide, Camp) that cause soil toxicity with heavy use so we must use them minimally or risk losing our trees outright. Others are gentler, such as Rampart (phosphate), and two are bacillus biopesticides, Serenade and Double Nickel.  Read more about that here. https://perfectdailygrind.com/2019/05/using-fungicides-to-treat-coffee-leaf-rust/.
When CBB arrived, we were complacent and behind the curve.  With CLR we are right at the curve, not ahead, but not behind either.  We’ve already adapted to foliar sprays and new processes. There will be a lot of information coming our way soon.  Management programs and new IPMs, spray timing and new research.  For now, breathe. Check out your trees.  And get ready for more change.
Coffee Leaf Rust spores- magnified

submitted by Suzanne Shriner,for SHAC & as KCFA representative to HCA

Farm Insurance from KCFA Business Member Bonnie Lind

With the recent discovery of Coffee Leaf Rust on Maui, growers are encouraged to take a close look at USDA’s Risk Management Agency crop insurance program for Coffee Trees.  The tree insurance policy includes coverage for trees lost due to disease when proper control measures are used, as a covered peril.  Growers would need to provide tree counts and spacing, date and location planted. Trees planted before December 31 are eligible for coverage the following year, and the application deadline is December 31, 2020

The basic coverage levels pay once the insured tree loss exceeds the deductible of 50% – 75%.  Add-on options improve coverage to include payouts once tree loss exceeds 3% and additional lump sum payments made once dead trees are removed and then replanted within 2 years.  Premiums are subsidized by the USDA and can be estimated by going to http://www.rma.usda.gov or contacting your agent. (Agent Bonnie Lind has been working with coffee growers since the program was released in 2007, and can provide a quote for your farm via email at bonnielind@agsecure.com or calling 888-276-7728.)
Thank you!
Bonnie-Bonnie L. Lind, Agent
Lind Insurance Services
888-276-7728 toll-free     559-285-8973 cell phone (call or text)      888-708-1875 toll-free fax
P.O. Box 355, Clovis CA 93613
Email agsecure@sbcglobal.net   website www.LindInsuranceServices.com 

GoFarm Hawaii- Sessions on Taxes

Hawaii Agriculturalists,
GoFarm Hawaii, through a collaboration with The Kohala Center, and the City & County of Honolulu Coronavirus Relief Fund administered by the Hawai‘i Community Foundation will be offering two free zoom sessions on “Navigating Agribusiness Taxes in Hawaii”  presented by Ann Chiodini, CPA.  Learn how to navigate the filing of your business General Excise Taxes and preparing the Schedule F form for your annual income tax returns as well as tips about how to keep records to get the information you need to fill out these forms for your type of business entity’s income tax ( Sole Proprietor, Partnership, etc.). in these sessions occurring on:
Monday, Nov. 23rd 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm 
The Business of Farming: Getting Started in Hawaii & Paying General Excise (GE) Taxes

Monday, Nov. 30th 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm
The Business of Farming: Information You Need  to Prepare Your Federal Schedule F and State Income Tax Returns

Advanced registration is required.  You can find the link to register on the GoFarm Hawaii homepage at: https://gofarmhawaii.org/.
Erik Shimizu
GoFarm Hawaii – AgBusiness Program
University of Hawaii at Manoa
3050 Maile Way, Gilmore 115
Honolulu, HI 96822
Phone: (808) 956-3530 Fax: (808) 956-3547

Restaurant Recognition Program

The KCFA Board wants to revive a program to recognize restaurants that list 100% Kona coffee on their menus.  Restaurant Recognition has a long history in KCFA and in its predecessor, the Kona Coffee Council.

Restaurants that serve 100% Kona will receive a framed certificate to display.  They will receive recognition on the KCFA website, and occasional newspaper ads that list Hawaii Island restaurants that list 100% Kona on their menus.

The program is not limited to local Kona venues.  In the past, resorts in South Kohala, restaurants in Waimea, Waikoloa, and Hilo have participated.  We welcome any establishment anywhere that supports 100% Kona coffee.

This program can provide incentives to recruit more venues to serve 100% Kona and to know more about the farmers who grow it.  Restaurant Recognition is a winner, both for participating restaurants and for KCFA members.

If you are interested in helping to promote the Restaurant Recognition program to restaurants and resorts, contact Bruce Corker at bruce.corker@gmail.com or 322-9562.

submitted by Sandra Scarr 

Brazilian growers repopulate farms with bees to boost sustainability, quality

“…Farmers are going back to basics by introducing new bee populations, using different pesticides and adopting new sustainable farming methods to not only boost production but increase the taste and aroma of their beans. For example, to compete in today’s specialty coffee market and international competitions, Brazilian coffee farmers must produce coffee with at least 87 points out of 100. With the bees, farmers are finding that their coffee is increasing by one point or more, representing a competitive difference and benefit to sustainability-focused European consumers….”
read more here

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