October 2024 The Independent Voice

Contents
Message from President Petersen
KCFA Potluck – October 17^th
Experimental Coffee Processing Challenges
Cup of Excellence Auction – $445/Pound
Transparency for Infused Coffees
Coffee’s Sweet Spot: Daily Consumption & Cardiometabolic Risk
Can Coffee Grow Successfully in Florida
Interested in Insects?
2024 KCCF Cupping Competition Rule Changes
Shrinkflation in Coffee has Begun
CBB/CLR Subsidy
Recipe: Kona Coffee Banana Cream Pie
Editor – Clare Wilson

Message from President Petersen

Aloha Coffee Farmers,

I hope this message finds you well and that your cherry harvest has been bountiful. The board has been actively preparing for a series of engaging events. We are excited to announce the upcoming Coffee Farmers’ Gathering on October 17th at Kahaluu State Park. This is a wonderful opportunity to take a well-deserved break, enjoy delightful pupus, and engage in enriching conversations with fellow farmers. Remember to bring your favorite beverage and join us for some heartwarming fellowship.

Looking ahead, we are also gearing up for our presence at the Kona Coffee Cultural Festival’s Holualoa Coffee & Art Stroll in November. We’re thrilled to unveil new logo hoodies and an array of merchandise that we believe will pique your interest. Your participation is invaluable, so please consider volunteering at our booth.

Furthermore, we have secured the Outrigger Resort for our Coffee Farmers Symposium scheduled for the last week of February. Mark your calendars to ensure you can partake in this informative event. As a KCFA member, you will enjoy complimentary registration. We invite you to share any topics you’re particularly interested in exploring at the symposium.

We are looking forward to these events with great anticipation and hope to see you there.

Mahalo nui loa!

Kona Coffee Farmers Association President

POTLUCK ON OCTOBER 17TH – OPEN TO ALL

The next KCFA social farmer gathering is a potluck on Thursday, October 17th  at the pavilion at Kahalu’u Beach Park on Ali’I Drive from 4:00 to 7:00 PM. BYOB

KCFA invites both members and non-members to join us for an evening of fellowship with like-minded friends. Please bring a dish to share and refreshments for yourself.
We encourage KCFA members to spread the word and reach out to other farmers who may not know about KCFA and the many benefits of being a member. Let’s come together and grow our community!

Franck Carisey
+1-858-335-7703

EXPERIMENTAL COFFEE PROCESSING CHALLENGES
https://perfectdailygrind.com/2023/08/experimental-coffee-processing-challenges/

“…Why have experimental processing techniques become so popular in specialty coffee?

Before we explore why demand for experimentally processed coffees is rising, we first need to break down how we define experimental processing methods.
Although these techniques have been used by farmers in many producing countries for some time now, there is no formal term or definition for them. We can, however,describe them as processing methods which aim to create different sensory experiences.

For instance, some prominent characteristics of experimentally processed coffees include:
 Wine-like or “boozy” flavours
 Intense fruit flavours, including more pronounced tasting notes of tropical fruit
 Creamier and enhanced mouthfeel, as well as more yoghurt-like flavours
Ultimately, the processing method largely determines the final cup profile. There is a growing number of different experimental processing techniques – including carbonic maceration and thermal shock. But one of the most popular is anaerobic fermentation.

This is when farm workers ferment coffee in hermetically-sealed containers, such as large tanks, plastic barrels, or plastic bags. Producers can then place these containers in temperature-regulated storage areas or water tanks.

The oxygen-free environment means microorganisms will break down the sugars more slowly, so the fermentation process will take place at a reduced rate. As a result, anaerobically fermented coffees taste more complex and nuanced.

Producers can choose to carry out anaerobic fermentation in different ways. For instance, natural anaerobic fermentation uses whole cherries, which can be fermented for as long as 96 hours. Washed anaerobic coffees, meanwhile, are fermented with no skin, flesh, or mucilage on the beans. This typically results in cleaner flavour profiles…”

CUP OF EXCELLENCE AUCTION – $445/POUND
https://tinyurl.com/4db272jj

“LOS ANGELES, CA., USA – In a groundbreaking move that has sent shockwaves through the coffee industry, Angelino’s Coffee’s founder, Kirk Bedrossian, has set a new world record. In an 8.5-hour auction with over 3,000 bids, Angelino’s purchased the number one winning coffee at the Ethiopia Cup of Excellence Auction for an astonishing $445 per pound – the highest price ever paid in the history of the Cup of Excellence.
“We so appreciate Angelino’s for supporting the #1 Cup of Excellence winning farmer from Ethiopia with a record breaking price.” Said Erwin Mierisch, Executive Director of the Cup of Excellence and Alliance for Coffee Excellence…”

TRANSPARENCY FOR INFUSED COFFEES
https://perfectdailygrind.com/2024/08/market-for-infused-coffees-transparency/

“Infused coffees took the industry by storm in the late 2010s. Some claim these new processing methods meet demand for unique flavour profiles and improve cup scores.

Others, meanwhile, express their concerns that they mask terroir and undermine the values of specialty coffee.

The debate will continue for the foreseeable future, especially with competitions like Best of Panama excluding infused coffees to “protect the authentic identity” of the country’s coffee sector.

It would be ignorant, however, not to acknowledge that the coffee industry has used flavourings and infusions for decades. The market for syrups and artificial flavours is huge, especially as beverage customisation becomes increasingly popular. Moreover, consumer interest in experimental processing methods and “funky” flavour profiles is a sign that there is demand for these coffees.

With this in mind, it’s important to ask where infused coffees fit into the industry, as wellas how improved transparency could mitigate concerns. Rodrigo Sanchez, a producer at Finca Monteblanco and Aromas del Sur, and Isabella Vitaliano, Lab and Education Coordinator at Royal Coffee, provide their insight….”

Coffee’s ‘Sweet Spot’: Daily Consumption & Cardiometabolic Risk
https://tinyurl.com/5bb3z7wj

“This study may be the most comprehensive study yet to go beyond the simple associations between caffeine intake and outcomes, to try to answer the question of how this miraculous substance does what it does.”

“… for the purposes of this study, what you need to know is that just under 200,000 of those participants met the key criteria for this study: being free from cardiovascular disease at baseline; having completed a detailed survey about their coffee, tea, and other caffeinated beverage intake; and having adequate follow-up. A subset of that number, just under 100,000, had metabolomic data — which is where this study really gets interesting.”

“We’ll dive into the metabolome in a moment, but first let’s just talk about the main finding, the relationship between coffee, tea, or caffeine and cardiovascular disease. But to do that, we need to acknowledge that people who drink a lot of coffee are different from people who don’t, and it might be those differences, not the coffee itself, that are beneficial.”

“What were those differences? People who drank more coffee tended to be a bit older, were less likely to be female, and were slightly more likely to engage in physical activity. They ate less processed meat but also fewer vegetables. Some of those factors, like being female, are generally protective against cardiovascular disease; but some, like age, are definitely not. The authors adjusted for these and multiple other factors, including alcohol intake, BMI, kidney function, and many others to try to disentangle the effect of being the type of person who drinks a lot of coffee from the drinking a lot of coffee itself.”

“These are the results of the fully adjusted model. Compared with nonconsumers, you can see that people in the higher range of coffee, tea, or just caffeine intake have almost a 40% reduction in cardiovascular disease in follow-up…”

Can We Grow Coffee in Florida Successfully?
https://coffeetalk.com/daily-dose/top-news/09-2024/104653/

“Tropical fruit crop specialist Dr. Jonathan Crane from the University of Florida is working on a scientifically based, methodical effort to grow coffee in Florida. The project, which would be the biggest operation in Florida right now, is not commercial but experimental. Nearly 350 plants in the Redlands are being tested statewide by University of Florida researchers.

Dr. Felipe Ferrao, a Brazilian coffee expert, is leading the ambitious project, blending his real-world experience with his expertise in the genetics of coffee beans. The goal is to find new places to grow coffee that can adapt to the changing climate. The project is called “climate smart” breeding, meaning coffee must adapt to the changing climate for success.

The key factor in the perfect brew is taste, and Dr. Jonathan Crane emphasizes that the flavor and aroma are key factors in the perfect brew. Professional coffee tasters will test the beans on these plants next month, and Dr. Ferrao is confident that they will have nice results for the first year.

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