TO: All KCFA Members
FROM: Cecelia Smith, President KCFA
RE: Proposed “Changes to Coffee Standards”
While KCFA will be presenting a detailed list of all concerns on behalf of the Association at Thursday’s Public Hearing, we are asking for your help! October 10 at 9 am at the West Hawaii Civic Center, mauka of Honokohau Harbor.
Please come and give oral testimony on the impact each of us will have if the proposed changes go through. The more individual testifiers, the “more” better. ALTERNATIVELY you can send written testimony before October 10 by email to: HDOA.QAD@hawaii.gov. (Be sure the word “Testimony” and the subject matter <Changes to Coffee Standards> are included to assure your written comments are received.)
Here’s what some of the proposed new rules would require you to do:
- affix a special tag on all green coffee sales-even if just 1 pound;
- if you are driving your coffee to the processor or the miller and just bringing it home, the new rules will require you to keep detailed records of the transport; AND
- you must grant access on to your public or private property or any vehicle transporting coffee by HDOA inspectors, without a warrant, without a reason, or without a notice!
The result of these proposed changes will take your time away from farming with no benefit to your customers by requiring you to do more work, more recordkeeping, with absolutely no benefit to your customers.
If you are planning to give testimony on Thursday, please address the additional bureaucratic requirements that will take you away from providing your high quality coffee to your customers!
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Email your testimony to HDOA.QAD@hawaii.gov or Give Oral Testimony on October 10 at 9 am at West Hawaii Civic Center. Bring 5 copies of your oral testimony to the Public Hearing, if possible.
Sample testimony and please feel free to add and adjust below, as you wish
Aloha Board of Agriculture,
Testimony against Proposed Changes in Coffee Standards
My name is (——) and I have (—-) farm in (—-) area.
I oppose the Proposed Changes to the Coffee Standards because it discriminates against small Kona Coffee farmers. These Changes will cost us time and effort with no benefit to anyone. My time is already now taken up with growing the best I can grow, and getting it to my customers as quickly as I can. (Use any of the examples above———) will not benefit my customers.
Please help us farmers by not allowing these proposed changes to become law. Farming and battling the CBB and everything else while trying to make a living as a farmer are enough.
Help us to preserve our gem of Hawaiian agriculture -100% Kona Coffee-by listening to us and not allowing the changes to go forward. Thank you.
Please vote against these Proposed Changes!
Signed (your name)
Farm and area