Coqui Frogs in Paradise
Posted on 16. Apr, 2013 by Bruce in Kona Coffee
The coqui frog is a newcomer that hitchhiked its way to Hawaii’s paradise. This tiny frog — about the size of a quarter — is native to Puerto Rico where the male frog’s mating song is considered ‘melodious’ and where the coqui is designated as a Puerto Rican mascot. No one is sure how the [...]
Kona Coffee in Europe
Posted on 30. Aug, 2012 by Bruce in Kona Coffee
Kona coffee is one of the world’s premium specialty coffees — but Kona’s coffee growers are just beginning to build our crop’s reputation half a world away in Europe. Here is evidence of progress: Below is a photo of the Kona Coffee Farmers Association’s coffee label shirt, proudly worn and displayed at the Olympic ‘athletics’ [...]
Coffee and Long Life
Posted on 13. Aug, 2012 by Bruce in Kona Coffee, News
Many of us have seen the recent news articles describing the study published in May of this year in the New England Journal of Medicine that links coffee consumption and longevity. Drawing from data on more than 400,000 people, the study found that coffee drinkers on average live longer than non-coffee drinkers. Further, the researchers [...]
Coffee Berry Borer in Holualoa
Posted on 18. Jun, 2012 by Bruce in Farming, Kona Coffee, News
The coffee berry borer (CBB) is a tiny beetle (smaller than a pinhead) that bores into coffee berries as they ripen on the tree. Inside the fruit the female beetle lays eggs that hatch into larvae, which then feed on the coffee beans inside the coffee berries. CBB has been a damaging pest in almost [...]
Petition Against House Bill No. 280
Posted on 20. Apr, 2012 by Bruce in Kona Coffee, Kona Coffee Farmers Association, News
Rancho Aloha needs your help! The Hawaii State Legislature — at the request of the Honolulu 10% Blenders and their allies — appears almost certain to pass House Bill No. 280. This measure would repeal the mandatory system of inspection and certification of Hawaii-grown coffee that was put in place after the Kona Kai coffee counterfeiting [...]
Aloha Shirts
Posted on 02. Jan, 2012 by Bruce in Kona Coffee, Kona Coffee Farmers Association
On May 4, 2011, Hawaii Governor Neil Abercrombie issued a proclamation recognizing 2011 as the Year of the Aloha Shirt and noting that ‘Aloha Shirts’ have been a cultural heritage and trademark of Hawaii for more than 75 years. Following the spirit of the Governor’s proclamation, the Kona Coffee Farmers Association has unveiled its ‘Kona [...]
Safeway Class Action Lawsuit
Posted on 05. Oct, 2011 by Bruce in Kona Coffee, News
The ‘Safeway Select Kona Blend’ saga continues. Alerted to Safeway’s deceptive label by the Kona Coffee Farmers Association’s Resolution calling for a nationwide boycott, a Northern California consumer has filed a class action lawsuit against Safeway. The lawsuit, Thurston vs. Safeway, seeks $5 million in damages on behalf of all consumers who purchased the deceptively [...]
Safeway Sees the Light
Posted on 05. Sep, 2011 by Bruce in Kona Coffee, Kona Coffee Farmers Association, News
Congratulations to our friends & colleagues at the Kona Coffee Farmers Association for their success!See below for our reposting of KCFA’s ‘Safeway Success!’ update. ====== SAFEWAY AGREES TO CHANGE THE LABELING OF ITS “SAFEWAY SELECT KONA BLEND” COFFEE KAILUA KONA, HAWAII, September 1, 2011. By letter dated August 31, 2011, Safeway Stores notified the Kona [...]
Safeway Boycott
Posted on 20. Aug, 2011 by Bruce in Kona Coffee
On the US mainland Safeway has been selling a ‘Safeway Select Kona Blend.’ The label urges consumers to ‘revel in the unmatched taste of savory beans from Hawaii’s Big Island.’ What the label does not indicate is that there is anything other than Kona-grown coffee in the package — or that less than 10% of [...]
2011 Kona Tsunami
Posted on 13. Mar, 2011 by Bruce in Kona Coffee
At about 9:30 PM, Thursday evening, March 10, Lisa and I got a call from a neighbor saying we should turn on the news — there had been an earthquake in Japan and a tsunami was headed towards Hawaii. Beginning about 10 PM, and continuing about every hour throughout the night, the warning sirens sounded. [...]
