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Main
Date: 25 Jan 2007 15:17:27
From:
Subject: Kona Help please-Electronic Petition
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This will be the last help I beg of you for the year<g >.
Two great Legislators in our Hawaii State Legislature did indeed
introduce 2 Bills asking that the amount of Kona in a Kona blend, be
raised to 75% Kona coffee at least, to use the Kona name. We Kona
Coffee farmers have fought for this such an introduction for 14 (!)
years. A Bill in our House of Representatives and one in our Senate!
Now is the time to mobilize. You all care about coffee and we really
need your help.
We Farmers have an electronic petition on line and I am blatantly
begging that you take a second and go here
http://www.petitiononline.com/75Kona/petition.html and sign our
petition. Time Is Of The Essence as they may hear the bills this
week! Yikes!!!
Numbers of names do(!) matter and every one of you who signs it, will
be directly helping a farmer of Kona Coffee!
We have a huge nasty opposition of blenders who want to keep their
investment low and keep that Blend at 10%. (The other 90% is probably
super junk.) The opposition has paid lobbyists and many schmoozers who
are doing their work.
We looked into a Lobbyist but he asked for $24,000 and we don't have
it.
So we are grassroots and ever so hopeful but time is of the essence!
Thanking each of you in a.c., in advance, for taking the time to sign
the Petition and for helping the Farmers.
If you would like further information about these bills, you are
welcome to visit http://KonaCoffeeFarmers.org and click on the link
"KCFA Legislative Programs/Blend Law Reform."
Mahalo nui from very far away,
Cea
beansatsmithfarms.com
roast beans to Kona to reply
Farmers of pure Kona Coffee:)
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Date: 01 Feb 2007 23:09:02
From:
Subject: Re: Kona Help please-Electronic Petition
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Cecelia's plea for help is posted on the Roasters Guild Public
Bulletin Board. On Sunday the discussion there was turning similarly
to this one. No withstanding the fact that roasting retailers who
frequent that space are not genmerally as educated and as intelligent
as shall (Hi shall) there were concerns generatated that needed
a further explanation. Here is what I posted there on Sunday:
"Dear Roasters,
>From your comments I can see that the farmers have not made their case
clear. Under the proposed local Hawaiian legislation roasters can
continue to choose to use Kona coffee as a blend componant to any
percentage that they wish in a blend provided that the blend has a
proprietary name. When a blend is to be sold as a blend labeled "Kona
Blend" then and only then the Kona componant must be no less than 75%
so as not to mislead consumers. Each operator's conscience requires
that all coffees sold as a single origin contain coffee of that origin
only.
Hawaii State law does not apply to roasters outside the state.
Mainland roasters of the right sort today follow or blend to a higher
standard than the Hawaii State law of 10%. Should the State Law change
it would be hoped that roasters outside the State would again choose
to use the Hawaii State law as a guide in their blending practices."
Make it in Hawaii, and use the "Kona" name on the bag and you must
have at least 75% Kona in the bag. Make it in Hawaii and call it
something else and there is no issue. Outside Hawaii it is still a
jungle when it comes to Kona labeling. All efforts to support farmers
and consumers should be supported by coffee lovers until Congress or
the US Department of Agriculture take a role in defense of this
important American product whose growers unfortunately face opposition
by a well financed corpse of Hawaii's largest producers and
roasters. This is a worthy fight, and a good time to be on the side
of the angels. You will be asked to pay no forfeit, and with a bill
passed and signed into law you can be content that you helped
something good to happen for American farmers and consumers. Arise my
friends and be counted!
-Donald Schoenholt
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Date: 29 Jan 2007 09:58:02
From: Paul Allen
Subject: Re: Kona Help please-Electronic Petition
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Ok, I'm not a lawyer or legislator. So help me out here.
Is a state law in Hawaii going to prevent "Bob's Kona Blenders" in Kalamazoo from
putting a pound of Kona in a 100lb sack and calling it a Kona blend?
I am sympathetic to the cause of protecting the Kona brand name (however overrated
it might be). It just seems like doing this at the state level is akin to
"legislative masturbation".
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Date: 29 Jan 2007 06:03:57
From:
Subject: Re: Kona Help please-Electronic Petition
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On Mon, 29 Jan 2007 09:58:02 -0600, Paul Allen <paul@lollygag.com >
wrote:
>Ok, I'm not a lawyer or legislator. So help me out here.
>
>Is a state law in Hawaii going to prevent "Bob's Kona Blenders" in Kalamazoo from
>putting a pound of Kona in a 100lb sack and calling it a Kona blend?
>
>I am sympathetic to the cause of protecting the Kona brand name (however overrated
>it might be). It just seems like doing this at the state level is akin to
>"legislative masturbation".
hmm, tip toeing in to this response.
No, Bob can do whatever he wants in kalamazoo but....once we have a
State law, we can then go to our national representatives and ask for
a federal law- so if that Federal law happens, Bob's in big trouble in
Kalamazoo- but that is a long way from today.
BTW Kona is an origin name. Is that same as a "brand" name?
Crossing our fingers in Hawaii.
aloha,
Cea
beansatsmithfarms.com
roast beans to Kona to reply
Farmers of pure Kona Coffee:)
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Date: 29 Jan 2007 11:25:02
From: Paul Allen
Subject: Re: Kona Help please-Electronic Petition
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beans@smithfarms.com wrote:
> On Mon, 29 Jan 2007 09:58:02 -0600, Paul Allen <paul@lollygag.com>
> wrote:
>> Is a state law in Hawaii going to prevent "Bob's Kona Blenders" in Kalamazoo from
>> putting a pound of Kona in a 100lb sack and calling it a Kona blend?
>>
>> I am sympathetic to the cause of protecting the Kona brand name (however overrated
>> it might be). It just seems like doing this at the state level is akin to
>> "legislative masturbation".
>
> hmm, tip toeing in to this response.
>
> No, Bob can do whatever he wants in kalamazoo but....once we have a
> State law, we can then go to our national representatives and ask for
> a federal law- so if that Federal law happens, Bob's in big trouble in
> Kalamazoo- but that is a long way from today.
>
> BTW Kona is an origin name. Is that same as a "brand" name?
>
No tip toeing necessary. Thanks for the response. So, it is an incremental
approach in legislation.
I used the term "brand" loosely (okay, incorrectly), referring to the "name and
goodwill" of the origin name. I did not mean brand as in a name tradeked by a
single company.
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Date: 29 Jan 2007 15:15:00
From:
Subject: Re: Kona Help please-Electronic Petition
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1007 Names on our Petition!!!!!!!!
Thank you all so very much. I'll keep you posted but a big THANK YOU!
with aloha,
Cea
beansatsmithfarms.com
roast beans to Kona to reply
Farmers of pure Kona Coffee:)
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Date: 31 Jan 2007 10:34:01
From:
Subject: Re: Kona Help please-Electronic Petition
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In today's Honolulu paper:(.
http://starbulletin.com/2007/01/31/business/story01.html
This is what we are up against. Our own people not wanting to protect
our Kona name. Where is their aloha?:(-- Certainly not for the Kona
Farmers they purport to want to help. Wallets, maybe?
Read an independent analysis that I quoted earlier in the thread in
response to the KCC III below:
"KCC-III. Strengthen state "Truth in Labeling" legislation to
further enhance consumer awareness of blended Kona coffee, by
eliminating the loophole which allows a double identity statement and
requiring better description of all ingredients in the ingredient
statement. Move toward national/federal recognition and adoption of
Hawaii "Truth in Labeling" standards for Kona coffee, as many mainland
USA roasters are not bound by any labeling requirements for Kona
coffee and are intentionally causing consumer fraud and confusion
which degrades the "Kona" coffee name. "
Independent analysis.
"Is the KCC seeking to legalize the deceptive use of 10% Kona Blends
on the mainland as well as here in Hawaii? That is what will happen is
they extend the CURRENT law to federal use. There is no way to move
towards federal and international regulation until we have a State law
that protects Kona Coffee. (retired Senator- ed.) Ed Case was
approached and asked to promote a federal law. He had his staff
research this, and came back and told the Kona Coffee Council that
until the State protected Kona Coffee, no federal law would be
possible as federal law follows the State. We have to fix our own
house first before we can ask for help with mainland issues"
To quote from the "King and I" musical..."etcetera etcetera"
aloha,
Cea
beansatsmithfarms.com
roast beans to Kona to reply
Farmers of pure Kona Coffee:)
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Date: 01 Feb 2007 08:16:20
From: Bob Wilson
Subject: Re: Kona Help please-Electronic Petition
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<beans@smithfarms.com > wrote:
> n today's Honolulu paper:(.
> http://starbulletin.com/2007/01/31/business/story01.html
". . .
Tom Greenwell, vice president/general manager of Greenwell Farms, which
consists of 35 acres of coffee production, maintains that blends are
driven by ket demand.
Greenwell, which sells about 70 percent of his coffee to blenders, said
the demand for 100 percent Kona coffee is only about 25 percent to 30
percent of the ket.
"If I choose to only sell to the 100 percent Kona coffee customer I will
have no need to buy any cherries from anybody period," he said. "There's
a very limited 100 percent ket."
That's because the raw Kona coffee product is 10 to 12 times the price
of other popular coffees around the world, he added.
. . ."
There's your problem: "the raw Kona coffee product is 10 to 12 times the
price of other popular coffees." In Huntsville, the retail difference
was 3 to 1, $25 vs. $8, but he is evading the issue, that the cheap
stuff is not labeled but rides on the coat-tails of real Kona.
Sounds like it is time for a letter to the editor.
Bob Wilson
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Date: 01 Feb 2007 17:05:50
From: Marshall
Subject: Consequences of a 75% minimum
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On Thu, 1 Feb 2007 08:16:20 -0600, bwilson4use@hotmail.com (Bob
Wilson) wrote:
><beans@smithfarms.com> wrote:
>
>> n today's Honolulu paper:(.
>> http://starbulletin.com/2007/01/31/business/story01.html
>
>". . .
>Tom Greenwell, vice president/general manager of Greenwell Farms, which
>consists of 35 acres of coffee production, maintains that blends are
>driven by ket demand.
>
>Greenwell, which sells about 70 percent of his coffee to blenders, said
>the demand for 100 percent Kona coffee is only about 25 percent to 30
>percent of the ket.
>
>"If I choose to only sell to the 100 percent Kona coffee customer I will
>have no need to buy any cherries from anybody period," he said. "There's
>a very limited 100 percent ket."
>
>That's because the raw Kona coffee product is 10 to 12 times the price
>of other popular coffees around the world, he added.
>. . ."
>
>There's your problem: "the raw Kona coffee product is 10 to 12 times the
>price of other popular coffees." In Huntsville, the retail difference
>was 3 to 1, $25 vs. $8, but he is evading the issue, that the cheap
>stuff is not labeled but rides on the coat-tails of real Kona.
>
>Sounds like it is time for a letter to the editor.
>
>Bob Wilson
Whatever your position on the "blenders," Greenwell was not making a
trivial point. I think we've discussed before that there is probably
no real ket for a 75+% Kona blend. At Kona's current prices,
whatever cost reduction is achieved by blending in 25% cheaper beans
will not be enough to make the blend attractive to cost conscious
consumers. Current Kona fans will not perceive a 75% blend as the real
thing and so will not pay anywhere near the premium that 100% Kona
demands on the ket.
Contrary to the belief of many otherwise well-informed coffee fans,
even the best farms produce some sub-prime beans, sometimes lots of
them. These farms have always depended on a variety of trade channels
to dispose of these beans, which can make the difference between a
thriving farm and a failure.
What will the ket be for sub-prime Kona beans, if the Kona blend
ket disappears? Hawaii's costs of land and labor are too high to
compete with the rest of the world in the lower grade kets. This
will certainly be a disaster for some Kona farms with lower standards.
But, what about farms with the highest standards, like the Smith's? Do
they depend, even indirectly, on the blend ket? What is the plan
when the blend ket disappears?
shall "hoping to be educated"
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Date: 01 Feb 2007 20:12:17
From: Bob Wilson
Subject: Re: Consequences of a 75% minimum
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shall <mrfuss@ihatespamearthlink.net > wrote:
> Whatever your position on the "blenders," Greenwell was not making a
> trivial point. I think we've discussed before that there is probably
> no real ket for a 75+% Kona blend. At Kona's current prices,
> whatever cost reduction is achieved by blending in 25% cheaper beans
> will not be enough to make the blend attractive to cost conscious
> consumers. Current Kona fans will not perceive a 75% blend as the real
> thing and so will not pay anywhere near the premium that 100% Kona
> demands on the ket.
In this we disagree. I like Sumatrian and a Kona Sumatrian would be a
nice switch-up. At home, we enjoy Shiraz, Merlot and the occasional
Shiraz-Grenach or Shiraz-Cabernet. One of my favorite coffee drinks is
with chicory and I could see a taste Kona-Chicory too.There is nothing
wrong with a blend of two quality coffees but a lot wrong with blending
a quality and crap coffee.
> Contrary to the belief of many otherwise well-informed coffee fans,
> even the best farms produce some sub-prime beans, sometimes lots of
> them. These farms have always depended on a variety of trade channels
> to dispose of these beans, which can make the difference between a
> thriving farm and a failure.
And we can order them from who? It isn't that I don't doubt you but I
sure would like to sample some of these "sub-prime beans." What are
they, the Budwisers of Kona?
> What will the ket be for sub-prime Kona beans, if the Kona blend
> ket disappears?
In Catch-22, Mylo has a lot of cotton he couldn't sell so he coated it
with chocolate and sold it as candy. That did make it right or worth
buying, any more than those useless bins of stale, 'Kona blends' in the
superkets. WE CAN TELL!
> . . . Hawaii's costs of land and labor are too high to
> compete with the rest of the world in the lower grade kets. This
> will certainly be a disaster for some Kona farms with lower standards.
> But, what about farms with the highest standards, like the Smith's? Do
> they depend, even indirectly, on the blend ket? What is the plan
> when the blend ket disappears?
>
> shall "hoping to be educated"
It some of the Kona coffee growers have a quality problem, hire Japanese
quality experts and solve the quality problem. But passing the problem
downstream, is never justified, NOT WITH MY MONEY.
Bob Wilson
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Date: 02 Feb 2007 04:37:08
From: Marshall
Subject: Re: Consequences of a 75% minimum
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On Thu, 1 Feb 2007 20:12:17 -0600, bwilson4use@hotmail.com (Bob
Wilson) wrote:
>shall <mrfuss@ihatespamearthlink.net> wrote:
>
>> Whatever your position on the "blenders," Greenwell was not making a
>> trivial point. I think we've discussed before that there is probably
>> no real ket for a 75+% Kona blend. At Kona's current prices,
>> whatever cost reduction is achieved by blending in 25% cheaper beans
>> will not be enough to make the blend attractive to cost conscious
>> consumers. Current Kona fans will not perceive a 75% blend as the real
>> thing and so will not pay anywhere near the premium that 100% Kona
>> demands on the ket.
>
>In this we disagree. I like Sumatrian and a Kona Sumatrian would be a
>nice switch-up. At home, we enjoy Shiraz, Merlot and the occasional
>Shiraz-Grenach or Shiraz-Cabernet. One of my favorite coffee drinks is
>with chicory and I could see a taste Kona-Chicory too.There is nothing
>wrong with a blend of two quality coffees but a lot wrong with blending
>a quality and crap coffee.
And I might enjoy a 50/50 Mocha-Kona blend. But the law you are
supporting will prohibit anyone from putting "Kona" anywhere on that
bag. No roaster will pay the premium for good Kona beans and then try
to sell that blend without putting "Kona" somewhere on the label.
By the way, the wine analogy only goes so far. California law does not
prohibit using "Napa" in clearly labeled blends of any percentage.
http://blog.vinocritic.com/2006/07/31/artesa-cabernet-sauvignon-2003-napasonoma.aspx
>> Contrary to the belief of many otherwise well-informed coffee fans,
>> even the best farms produce some sub-prime beans, sometimes lots of
>> them. These farms have always depended on a variety of trade channels
>> to dispose of these beans, which can make the difference between a
>> thriving farm and a failure.
>In Catch-22, Mylo has a lot of cotton he couldn't sell so he coated it
>with chocolate and sold it as candy. That did make it right or worth
>buying, any more than those useless bins of stale, 'Kona blends' in the
>superkets. WE CAN TELL!
What if Mylo had put up a sign that said: "Pure Cotton, coated with
chocolate"?
shall
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Date: 02 Feb 2007 00:38:05
From: Bob Wilson
Subject: Re: Consequences of a 75% minimum
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shall <mrfuss@ihatespamearthlink.net > wrote:
> >In Catch-22, Mylo has a lot of cotton he couldn't sell so he coated it
> >with chocolate and sold it as candy. That did make it right or worth
> >buying, any more than those useless bins of stale, 'Kona blends' in the
> >superkets. WE CAN TELL!
>
> What if Mylo had put up a sign that said: "Pure Cotton, coated with
> chocolate"?
There would not have been a Catch-22.
Bob Wilson
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Date: 02 Feb 2007 18:49:21
From:
Subject: Re: Consequences of a 75% minimum
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On Fri, 2 Feb 2007 00:38:05 -0600, bwilson4use@hotmail.com (Bob
Wilson) wrote:
>shall <mrfuss@ihatespamearthlink.net> wrote:
>
>> >In Catch-22, Mylo has a lot of cotton he couldn't sell so he coated it
>> >with chocolate and sold it as candy. That did make it right or worth
>> >buying, any more than those useless bins of stale, 'Kona blends' in the
>> >superkets. WE CAN TELL!
>>
>> What if Mylo had put up a sign that said: "Pure Cotton, coated with
>> chocolate"?
>
>There would not have been a Catch-22.
>
>Bob Wilson
Thank you all for your support of small Kona Coffee farmers!
We have lost some of our optimism that "righteous" will rule. A
politician's main objective is to "get re-elected" as we were told by
the Lobbyist we could not afford.
Thank you all for being interested. I will keep you posted.
aloha,
Cea
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Date: 02 Feb 2007 00:36:55
From: Marshall
Subject: Re: Consequences of a 75% minimum
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On Thu, 01 Feb 2007 17:05:50 GMT, shall
<mrfuss@ihatespamearthlink.net > wrote:
Thanks, Cea and Lavarock for the thoughtful responses. Clearly the 10%
"Kona" blends are a threat to the Kona brand, and use of the name
should be regulated in some reasonable way. I am genuinely curious
about what the effect of these proposals will be. Sometimes people
don't think through all the results of their legislation, which is why
we have the universal "law of unintended consequences."
By the way, I suspect many customers are quite happy not to have full
blending disclosure ("If you don't tell me how little Kona coffee is
in this can, I won't tell my relatives back home how little I paid for
their gift.").
shall
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Date: 01 Feb 2007 13:12:56
From:
Subject: Re: Consequences of a 75% minimum
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On Thu, 01 Feb 2007 17:05:50 GMT, shall
<mrfuss@ihatespamearthlink.net > wrote:
>On Thu, 1 Feb 2007 08:16:20 -0600, bwilson4use@hotmail.com (Bob
>Wilson) wrote:
>
>><beans@smithfarms.com> wrote:
>>
>>> n today's Honolulu paper:(.
>>> http://starbulletin.com/2007/01/31/business/story01.html
>shall "hoping to be educated"
FYI - from an honorable source.
Keeble Munn, owner of Mavis Bank Blue Mt. Coffee in Jamaica, (SCAA
Lifetime Achievement Award Honoree about ten years ago) was
instrumental in establishing modern Blue Mountain coffee as something
special in the 1970s and is in a similar battle.
The Jamaica Coffee Board has a strong interest in seeing how the
Hawaiian government deals with the issue of 10% Blend as the Jamaican
Government also wants to move against low percentage blending of their
Blue Mt. coffee. They are currently in a similar legal battle with
"one of the world's largest coffee roasters" of Blue Mountain Blend
coffee.
aloha,
Cea
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Date: 01 Feb 2007 20:55:24
From: Lavarock
Subject: Re: Consequences of a 75% minimum
|
shall wrote:
> On Thu, 1 Feb 2007 08:16:20 -0600, bwilson4use@hotmail.com (Bob
> Wilson) wrote:
>
>> <beans@smithfarms.com> wrote:
>>
>>> n today's Honolulu paper:(.
>>> http://starbulletin.com/2007/01/31/business/story01.html
>> ". . .
>> Tom Greenwell, vice president/general manager of Greenwell Farms, which
>> consists of 35 acres of coffee production, maintains that blends are
>> driven by ket demand.
Much of the demand I see here is people coming off the boats and planes,
enjoying the location and wanting to take something of it back to
friends as a gift. They want to take back something with KONA on the
name to prove they were here and to share a bit of their trip. In
reality many take back something that grew nowhere near where they
bought it. You don't go on vacation to Hawaii and send back postcards of
someplace like Viet Nam would you?
When I talk to people in the stores, they say they want to take back
coffee from here. When they realize what the blends are, they take
smaller bags back of 100% Kona. It IS a price thing, but many/most
appear to want pure Kona rather than a blend.
My opinion is that blenders cannot make much money on small bags of
coffee, thus don't try. Also, what used to be standard sizes of 8 oz
bags are now being sold as 7oz blends, etc. Consumers really have
problems trying to figure out what to buy, blends, estate, peaberry,
8oz, 7oz, on sale, not, flavored, ground, whole bean, drip. Well you get
the idea.
>>
>> Greenwell, which sells about 70 percent of his coffee to blenders, said
>> the demand for 100 percent Kona coffee is only about 25 percent to 30
>> percent of the ket.
I have seen unofficial numbers that suggest that Greenwell does not sell
70% to blenders, but perhaps to processors (some of whom blend and some
of whom sell 100%).
>>
>> "If I choose to only sell to the 100 percent Kona coffee customer I will
>> have no need to buy any cherries from anybody period," he said. "There's
>> a very limited 100 percent ket."
>>
This is an interesting statement. He has 35 acres of farm land in Kona
coffee. He says that IF he were to sell all of his coffee as 100% Kona,
he would not need to buy more cherry. He didn't say he would be out of
business or have coffee left over. I take that as being that he COULD
sell all his crop as 100%. Instead he takes part of his crop AND buys
more cherry to sell to blenders and other processors.
He also is a tour location where the public comes, views his processing
location and can buy coffee. It is a convenient place to stop and an
easy and informative tour for visitors. Many small farmers do not have
the insurance or location to give tours.
His location mills, roasts and packages his own coffee and that of other
farmers. If you are a farmer, you can just stop by and they will roast
your coffee for you, in as small of lots as perhaps 20 pounds.
Many farmers I have spoken to sell out all of their crop each year
without having to sell to blenders. Perhaps Greenwell does not want to
sell to the consumer. It is a more labor-intensive thing and perhaps is
not in their keting plan. Certainly other growers can sell all they
can get their hands on. Recently, coffee cherry prices almost doubled as
processors tried to meet orders.
Each year, more and more farmland in Kona is changed over to Kona Coffee
crop production. The price paid for Kona continues at its current rate,
or increases. Some farmers are asking $50 a pound for Estate Kona
(although I do not know if they are getting it). A local real estate
If Kona was not perceived as a quality product, soda, gum and other
manufacturers would not be trying to use the name in their own cheap and
inferior products.
Starbucks bought and sold out Kona coffee at $19.95 a half pound, twice
the price we farmers generally get.
>> That's because the raw Kona coffee product is 10 to 12 times the price
>> of other popular coffees around the world, he added.
>> . . ."
>>
>> There's your problem: "the raw Kona coffee product is 10 to 12 times the
>> price of other popular coffees." In Huntsville, the retail difference
>> was 3 to 1, $25 vs. $8, but he is evading the issue, that the cheap
>> stuff is not labeled but rides on the coat-tails of real Kona.
Alexander Ho, keting Development Branch, Hawaii Deopartment of
Business, Economic Development and Tourism has stated that if we can
solve the problem of people being confused because of the blend issue,
Kona Coffee would sell tremendously well ($30 to $40 a pound) in
Mainland China and Taiwan!
>>
>> Sounds like it is time for a letter to the editor.
>>
>> Bob Wilson
>
> Whatever your position on the "blenders," Greenwell was not making a
> trivial point. I think we've discussed before that there is probably
> no real ket for a 75+% Kona blend. At Kona's current prices,
> whatever cost reduction is achieved by blending in 25% cheaper beans
> will not be enough to make the blend attractive to cost conscious
> consumers. Current Kona fans will not perceive a 75% blend as the real
> thing and so will not pay anywhere near the premium that 100% Kona
> demands on the ket.
I agree that there would probably NOT be a ket for 75% Kona. Although
fruit juices do sell at less than 100%. I can imagine the fruit people
have the same issues with juice (although "Contains 10% Fruit Juice" is
more descriptive than a 10% Blend).
It is my understanding that the 10% Blend was allowed back a few decades
ago when there was a significant problem with the crop. Perhaps it is
time to disallow the practice.
--
An old quote from Coffee and Tea states:
http://www.teaandcoffee.net/1200/coffee.htm
Chela Lopez Kuhn, the director of sales and keting for Coffees of
Hawaii, Inc., pointed out that there is a movement afoot on the part of
some farmers to change the law stipulating that any coffee labeled as a
blend of Kona, or Maui, Molokai of Kauai coffee contain at least 10% of
that coffee. Proponents of the change want the law to stipulate that the
minimum be 30%, thus requiring not only greater use of the coffee but
also making that blend component more noticeable in the taste of the
coffee. “We had some visitors from Japan recently,” Lopez-Kuhn noted,
“and they had several observations, one of which was that their fellow
countrymen visit Hawaii, pick up either flavored or a K blend, take it
home and say Hawaiian coffee is not good, not realizing it has little or
no Hawaiian coffee in it. They stated that Hawaii could avoid this ‘bad’
image by changing the 10% Kona and 10% other Hawaiian coffees, to at
least 30% or 50%. Japan laws require that a bag of coffee state the
exact percentages of coffee contained in the package, and at least 30%
of the content such as Kona, be required to name it a “ famous origin
coffee”.
---
>
> Contrary to the belief of many otherwise well-informed coffee fans,
> even the best farms produce some sub-prime beans, sometimes lots of
> them. These farms have always depended on a variety of trade channels
> to dispose of these beans, which can make the difference between a
> thriving farm and a failure.
>
> What will the ket be for sub-prime Kona beans, if the Kona blend
> ket disappears?
Any coffee which is not Prime CAN be sold, just not with the regional
name. For example, it can be called HAWAIIAN coffee, not Kona or Kauai
or Molokai, etc. That is EXACTLY what many blenders do, create a
HAWAIIAN Blend with 10% Kona.
As an aside, I love it when they say there is no ket for non regional
coffee. Lion Coffee sells mostly non-regional and perhaps non-Hawaiian
coffee which they call "International Blend". Lion Coffee is owned by
the same company as Royal Kona (Jim Wayman's company).
I still don't understand why the ket would dry up for blends. They
can still create the exact same coffee, just not call it Kona.
This reinforces the assertion that the 10% Kona/90% Foreign coffee is
only selling because of the name and not the taste. Whereas I assert
that 100% Kona would sell fairly well named "Fred's Coffee".
So if the blend is only selling because of the name, then why continue
to dilute the reputation of the premium product?
An interesting example is this. You take a thermometer and place it into
a warm item to measure its temperature. Unless the thermometer is the
exact same temperature as the item being measured, the thermometer
changes its temperature to match that of the item, and the item changes
its temperature to that of the thermometer. Equilibrium! If the
thermometer is a large mass compared to the item being measured, the
thermometer effects the temperature of the item and you are not
measuring the value of the item at all.
So my assertion is that the more blends that are out there, the more
they control the ket and thus cheapen the price of Kona. Perhaps if
they started to offer 30% or 50% Kona, the price of 100% Kona would have
gone up AND the price they could command for their blend would go up too.
Hawaii's costs of land and labor are too high to
> compete with the rest of the world in the lower grade kets.
This explains why we want to ket and sell a Specialty coffee, rather
than a generic foreign coffee. The grading of Hawaiian Coffee is quite
good and we are graded on not just size of the bean, but number of
defects and even taste! The procedure is in there already to have
specialty quality coffee.
< This will certainly be a disaster for some Kona farms with lower
standards.
I think you will find that Farmers Standards are still high and not
wavering.
> But, what about farms with the highest standards, like the Smith's? Do
> they depend, even indirectly, on the blend ket?
I'll let them speak for themselves.
What is the plan
> when the blend ket disappears?
The blend ket will NOT disappear. A part of it relying on
misunderstanding of the public and the denigration of a quality product
will be better regulated.
>
> shall "hoping to be educated"
Thanks for the opportunity for me to give my opinion.
--
They said that someone has to live in Hawaii and I raised my hand first!
|
| | | | | | | | |
Date: 01 Feb 2007 10:24:40
From:
Subject: Re: Consequences of a 75% minimum
|
On Thu, 01 Feb 2007 17:05:50 GMT, shall
<mrfuss@ihatespamearthlink.net > wrote:
>On Thu, 1 Feb 2007 08:16:20 -0600, bwilson4use@hotmail.com (Bob
>Wilson) wrote:
>
>><beans@smithfarms.com> wrote:
>>
>>> n today's Honolulu paper:(.
>>> http://starbulletin.com/2007/01/31/business/story01.html
>Whatever your position on the "blenders," Greenwell was not making a
>trivial point. I think we've discussed before that there is probably
>no real ket for a 75+% Kona blend. At Kona's current prices,
>whatever cost reduction is achieved by blending in 25% cheaper beans
>will not be enough to make the blend attractive to cost conscious
>consumers. Current Kona fans will not perceive a 75% blend as the real
>thing and so will not pay anywhere near the premium that 100% Kona
>demands on the ket.
I think we Kona Coffee Farmers would think that 75% was a fair use of
our origin name- Kona. There is the North Kona District and the South
Kona District and that is the only place where Kona coffee is grown.
>
>Contrary to the belief of many otherwise well-informed coffee fans,
>even the best farms produce some sub-prime beans, sometimes lots of
>them. These farms have always depended on a variety of trade channels
>to dispose of these beans, which can make the difference between a
>thriving farm and a failure.
3%! Our Prime (a Hawaii Certified grade ) which is a grade of Kona but
we do not use it in our smithfarms "estate", and the grade below
Hawaii #3- (which is not considered Kona) is about 3% of our total
crop. We personally roast the prime and send this to our 4 happy
kids. We use Hawaii #3 for compost.
>
>What will the ket be for sub-prime Kona beans, if the Kona blend
>ket disappears? Hawaii's costs of land and labor are too high to
>compete with the rest of the world in the lower grade kets. This
>will certainly be a disaster for some Kona farms with lower standards.
>But, what about farms with the highest standards, like the Smith's? Do
>they depend, even indirectly, on the blend ket? What is the plan
>when the blend ket disappears?
It is true that the low grade Kona needs to have a ket for the big
processors. However it is blatantly misleading to consumers when this
is used in the 10% blend pretending to be good Kona. Since at the 10%
level, it does not contribute to the Kona taste profile, it doesn't
matter what is used.
The issue here is that the lower grades of Kona could be used in
blends. However using the term "Kona blended" coffee to sell this
coffee, results in many consumers being turned off to the real Kona
coffee because they perceive it as second rate. Calling the blend by
some other name would be fine "Tropical Dreams" "Sunrise Delight",
however as we all know, they would not sell as much.
Kona prime is not bad coffee and could easily be sold as ground coffee
where bean appearance is not a factor. At a reasonable price it would
sell out. Blenders really make their real money from turning foreign
coffee into Kona Blend coffee.
>shall "hoping to be educated"
Hope I helped a tiny bit:).
aloha,
Cea
beansatsmithfarms.com
roast beans to Kona to reply
Farmers of pure Kona Coffee:)
|
| | | | | | | |
Date: 01 Feb 2007 06:17:27
From:
Subject: Re: Kona Help please-Electronic Petition
|
On Thu, 1 Feb 2007 08:16:20 -0600, bwilson4use@hotmail.com (Bob
Wilson) wrote:
><beans@smithfarms.com> wrote:
>
>> n today's Honolulu paper:(.
>> http://starbulletin.com/2007/01/31/business/story01.html
>
>". . .
>Tom Greenwell, vice president/general manager of Greenwell Farms, which
>consists of 35 acres of coffee production, maintains that blends are
>driven by ket demand.
>
>Greenwell, which sells about 70 percent of his coffee to blenders, said
>the demand for 100 percent Kona coffee is only about 25 percent to 30
>percent of the ket.
>
>"If I choose to only sell to the 100 percent Kona coffee customer I will
>have no need to buy any cherries from anybody period," he said. "There's
>a very limited 100 percent ket."
>
>That's because the raw Kona coffee product is 10 to 12 times the price
>of other popular coffees around the world, he added.
>. . ."
>
>There's your problem: "the raw Kona coffee product is 10 to 12 times the
>price of other popular coffees." In Huntsville, the retail difference
>was 3 to 1, $25 vs. $8, but he is evading the issue, that the cheap
>stuff is not labeled but rides on the coat-tails of real Kona.
>
>Sounds like it is time for a letter to the editor.
>
>Bob Wilson
Dear Bob, That was one of the worst sentences in the article. What
the heck is Tommy Greenwell comparing his coffee price to? It has to
be Robusta because raw coffee cherry- which is what I think he means-
is up to $1.60 per pound here in Kona.
He did scare the many Kona coffee farmers who sell to Greenwell's at
the cherry level. These farmers are part time farmers with other jobs
who sell as they harvest.- When Tommy said he would not need tot buy
any coffee from anyone else, lots of throats swallowed:(.
And good ole Greenwell's who always plays on the length of their time
being in Kona, sells 70% of its Kona to blenders? So it is in cahoots
with those rip-off artists? No real aloha fro Kona, I guess.
By the way there have been 3 University studies within the last 10
years done although the KCC Prez apparently has not seen one of
them:(.
It was a bad day for Kona Coffee farmers yesterday, but today is new
and the month is new and we'll try to rise to the occasion again.
aloha,
Cea
|
| | | | | | | | |
Date: 01 Feb 2007 20:12:17
From: Bob Wilson
Subject: Re: Kona Help please-Electronic Petition
|
<beans@smithfarms.com > wrote:
> It was a bad day for Kona Coffee farmers yesterday, but today is new
> and the month is new and we'll try to rise to the occasion again.
Let me know if my 'Letter to the Editor' shows up:
February 1, 2007
Letter to the Editor
Honolulu Star-Bulletin
500 Ala Moana Blvd. Suite 7-210
Honolulu, Hawaii 96813
Dear Editor,
A Kona coffee consumer on the mainland, I am appalled at Tom Greenwell's
unethical attitudes about 10 percent blended Kona ("Coffee labeling
dispute flares anew", Kristen Consillio, January 31, 2007.) But Tom's
statement, "the raw Kona coffee product is 10 to 12 times the price of
other popular coffees" belies the fact that the Kona price comes from it
being superior to the "other popular coffees."
Stealing the good name of Kona by substituting "other popular coffees"
is theft of two names, Kona and these other, unnamed coffees. Worse, it
is a fraud that led many of us to never buying Kona blends in the
mainland stores because they NEVER taste like Kona. Would Tom and the
blenders take payment for a 10 percent Kona blend with one dime and a
popular replica of nine dimes?
I have no problem with blends whose ingredients and ratios are known.
But this fraud, the bait and switch of calling something a "Kona blend"
when the filler is junk coffee needs to stop and Hawaii has the power to
stop it, today.
|
| | | | | | | | | |
Date: 02 Feb 2007 02:29:32
From: Lavarock
Subject: Re: Kona Help please-Electronic Petition
|
Bob Wilson wrote:
> <beans@smithfarms.com> wrote:
>
>> It was a bad day for Kona Coffee farmers yesterday, but today is new
>> and the month is new and we'll try to rise to the occasion again.
>
> Let me know if my 'Letter to the Editor' shows up:
>
> February 1, 2007
>
> Letter to the Editor
> Honolulu Star-Bulletin
> 500 Ala Moana Blvd. Suite 7-210
> Honolulu, Hawaii 96813
>
>
> Dear Editor,
>
> A Kona coffee consumer on the mainland, I am appalled at Tom Greenwell's
> unethical attitudes about 10 percent blended Kona ("Coffee labeling
> dispute flares anew", Kristen Consillio, January 31, 2007.) But Tom's
> statement, "the raw Kona coffee product is 10 to 12 times the price of
> other popular coffees" belies the fact that the Kona price comes from it
> being superior to the "other popular coffees."
>
> Stealing the good name of Kona by substituting "other popular coffees"
> is theft of two names, Kona and these other, unnamed coffees. Worse, it
> is a fraud that led many of us to never buying Kona blends in the
> mainland stores because they NEVER taste like Kona. Would Tom and the
> blenders take payment for a 10 percent Kona blend with one dime and a
> popular replica of nine dimes?
>
> I have no problem with blends whose ingredients and ratios are known.
> But this fraud, the bait and switch of calling something a "Kona blend"
> when the filler is junk coffee needs to stop and Hawaii has the power to
> stop it, today.
Beautifully written!
Mahalo,
k
--
They said that someone has to live in Hawaii and I raised my hand first!
|
| | | | | | |
Date: 31 Jan 2007 15:47:49
From: Craig Andrews
Subject: Re: Kona Help please-Electronic Petition
|
<beans@smithfarms.com > wrote in message
news:amu1s2h3t5et0nqgdfepo3d67hpnfaacf3@4ax.com...
> In today's Honolulu paper:(.
> http://starbulletin.com/2007/01/31/business/story01.html
>
> This is what we are up against. Our own people not wanting to protect
> our Kona name. Where is their aloha?:(-- Certainly not for the Kona
> Farmers they purport to want to help. Wallets, maybe?
>
> Read an independent analysis that I quoted earlier in the thread in
> response to the KCC III below:
>
> "KCC-III. Strengthen state "Truth in Labeling" legislation to
> further enhance consumer awareness of blended Kona coffee, by
> eliminating the loophole which allows a double identity statement and
> requiring better description of all ingredients in the ingredient
> statement. Move toward national/federal recognition and adoption of
> Hawaii "Truth in Labeling" standards for Kona coffee, as many mainland
> USA roasters are not bound by any labeling requirements for Kona
> coffee and are intentionally causing consumer fraud and confusion
> which degrades the "Kona" coffee name. "
>
> Independent analysis.
> "Is the KCC seeking to legalize the deceptive use of 10% Kona Blends
> on the mainland as well as here in Hawaii? That is what will happen is
> they extend the CURRENT law to federal use. There is no way to move
> towards federal and international regulation until we have a State law
> that protects Kona Coffee. (retired Senator- ed.) Ed Case was
> approached and asked to promote a federal law. He had his staff
> research this, and came back and told the Kona Coffee Council that
> until the State protected Kona Coffee, no federal law would be
> possible as federal law follows the State. We have to fix our own
> house first before we can ask for help with mainland issues"
>
> To quote from the "King and I" musical..."etcetera etcetera"
> aloha,
> Cea
> beansatsmithfarms.com
> roast beans to Kona to reply
> Farmers of pure Kona Coffee:)
I was JUST thinking of you Cea, & went over to see the total count on
the petition.
{:-D I came back to alt & just saw your post about the Star Bulletin.
{:-( {:-(
Craig.
|
| |
Date: 28 Jan 2007 13:26:59
From: Jasonian
Subject: Re: Kona Help please-Electronic Petition
|
I just checked:
774 Total Signatures
Way to go!
|
| | |
Date: 28 Jan 2007 12:13:52
From:
Subject: Re: Kona Help please-Electronic Petition
|
On 28 Jan 2007 13:26:59 -0800, "Jasonian" <jason.haeger@gmail.com >
wrote:
>I just checked:
>
>774 Total Signatures
>
>Way to go!
It is wonderful. We are sending a note out just to our Farmer
membership tonight for one last try. I think we can get to *1000
Friends of Kona Coffee* by Wednesday which is the day we need to
finish our Petition- we think!
Donald Schoenholt has kindly written a thoughtful letter to our
Legislators and Governor too! Yippee! How can they resist Donald- a
young living legend?
Thank you every one for being so generous.
with aloha from an unbelievably beautiful sparkling day in Hawaii:),
Cea
|
| | | |
Date: 28 Jan 2007 17:17:37
From: Craig Andrews
Subject: Re: Kona Help please-Electronic Petition
|
<beans@smithfarms.com > wrote in message
news:lo7qr2lr9bu48ji7np3u39521puvrlcc54@4ax.com...
> On 28 Jan 2007 13:26:59 -0800, "Jasonian" <jason.haeger@gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
>>I just checked:
>>
>>774 Total Signatures
>>
>>Way to go!
>
> It is wonderful. We are sending a note out just to our Farmer
> membership tonight for one last try. I think we can get to *1000
> Friends of Kona Coffee* by Wednesday which is the day we need to
> finish our Petition- we think!
>
> Donald Schoenholt has kindly written a thoughtful letter to our
> Legislators and Governor too! Yippee! How can they resist Donald- a
> young living legend?
>
> Thank you every one for being so generous.
>
> with aloha from an unbelievably beautiful sparkling day in Hawaii:),
> Cea
You're gonna make it Cea, I know it! {;-)
Craig.
|
| |
Date: 26 Jan 2007 20:46:46
From: Bob Wilson
Subject: Re: Kona Help please-Electronic Petition
|
<beans@smithfarms.com > wrote:
> We Farmers have an electronic petition on line and I am blatantly
> begging that you take a second and go here
> http://www.petitiononline.com/75Kona/petition.html and sign our
> petition. Time Is Of The Essence as they may hear the bills this
> week! Yikes!!!
My comment on the petition:
"I don't buy Kona blends because they don't taste like Kona. I only buy
from farmers because I can't trust the Kona crap in the stores."
Bob Wilson
|
| | |
Date: 26 Jan 2007 17:21:03
From:
Subject: Re: Kona Help please-Electronic Petition
|
On Fri, 26 Jan 2007 20:46:46 -0600, bwilson4use@hotmail.com (Bob
Wilson) wrote:
><beans@smithfarms.com> wrote:
>
>> We Farmers have an electronic petition on line and I am blatantly
>> begging that you take a second and go here
>> http://www.petitiononline.com/75Kona/petition.html and sign our
>> petition. Time Is Of The Essence as they may hear the bills this
>> week! Yikes!!!
>
>My comment on the petition:
>
>"I don't buy Kona blends because they don't taste like Kona. I only buy
>from farmers because I can't trust the Kona crap in the stores."
>
>Bob Wilson
Thank you Bob!
BTW, I will write in to all when I hear anything.
You all are so kind to us! We are moved.
warmest aloha,
Cea
|
| | | |
Date: 27 Jan 2007 13:03:41
From:
Subject: Re: Kona Help please-Electronic Petition
|
On Fri, 26 Jan 2007 17:21:03 -1000, beans@smithfarms.com wrote:
>On Fri, 26 Jan 2007 20:46:46 -0600, bwilson4use@hotmail.com (Bob
>Wilson) wrote:
>
>>
>>My comment on the petition:
>>
>>"I don't buy Kona blends because they don't taste like Kona. I only buy
>>from farmers because I can't trust the Kona crap in the stores."
>>
>>Bob Wilson
>
>Thank you Bob!
In case you have more interest, I just got the Kona Coffee Council's
stand <written in Roman numerals I-IV > on the raising of Kona to 75%
in a Kona Blend and an anonymous analysis<AA > by others with which I
agree, as follows:
Below is their statement, with commentary from others <AA >.
Kona Coffee Cooperative Legislative
Program – 2007
I. Require a thorough economic impact study on 1) probable
economic impacts on farmers, processors and retailers, and 2) consumer
reaction to increased prices, that will likely be caused by changes to
current Hawaii Kona coffee blend laws before legislating any increase
in the current 10% minimum blend requirement.
AA.
Studies have already been done. This is a tactic – if you want to
delay legislation ask for a study and it will delay things at least a
year or more. A study from 1992 by two professors at UH Manoa showed
clearly that consumers feel they are being deceived by the current
labeling. A study by CTAHR professors in 2004 detailed the ket for
Kona coffee. Anything that asks about the consumer reaction to
increased prices is a fraud. The legislation does not stop blenders
from producing blends with 90% foreign coffee and 10% Kona – or from
charging exactly the same amount as they currently charge. It only
calls for not using the name Kona on 10% blends. Blenders can continue
to blend whatever they feel their customers will buy, just don't use
the name Kona on a product that isn't Kona. There is no "increased
price" involved here. We don't need more studies to know that "10%
Kona Blends" are intended to deceive customers and damage the
reputation of Kona coffee.
II. Provide state funding to the State Department of Agriculture
for the economic impact study. The Hawaii Coffee Association, Kona
Coffee Council, Kona County Farm Bureau and the University of Hawaii
support, and will be involved in, this economic impact study. This
study should be completed within one year of funding.
AA.
Again, a delaying tactic. There is no funding available for ket
studies. The Farm Bureau has stated that they do not want a study done
by the State. They also said that they had no fixed timetable in mind,
and did not rule out a three-to-five year timetable for a study.
III. Strengthen state "Truth in Labeling" legislation to
further enhance consumer awareness of blended Kona coffee, by
eliminating the loophole which allows a double identity statement and
requiring better description of all ingredients in the ingredient
statement. Move toward national/federal recognition and adoption of
Hawaii "Truth in Labeling" standards for Kona coffee, as many mainland
USA roasters are not bound by any labeling requirements for Kona
coffee and are intentionally causing consumer fraud and confusion
which degrades the "Kona" coffee name.
AA.
Is the KCC seeking to legalize the deceptive use of 10% Kona Blends on
the mainland as well as here in Hawaii? That is what will happen is
they extend the CURRENT law to federal use. There is no way to move
towards federal and international regulation until we have a State law
that protects Kona Coffee. Ed Case was approached and asked to
promote a federal law. He had his staff research this, and came back
and told the Kona Coffee Council that until the State protected Kona
Coffee, no federal law would be possible as federal law follows the
State. We have to fix our own house first before we can ask for help
with mainland issues
IV. Encourage the Hawaii Department of Agriculture to change
current rules to require all Kona coffee grown and sold (green and
roasted) to the public to be certified by the state. An audit trail
as to the source should be required. Poor quality coffee degrades the
"Kona" coffee name. The Department of Agriculture will work with
small lot Kona coffee farmers to obtain "Prime or better"
certification and to minimize or exempt certification costs for the
small lots. The Kona Coffee Council will form a special committee to
work with the Department of Agriculture to come up with a suitable
certification plan for the small lot farmer.
AA.
This is a ploy to make being an Estate farmer uneconomic. Estate
farmers consistently win the Cupping competition. Estate farmers rely
on the quality of their product to keep their customers, most of whom
they know by name. Estate farmers run their business on a quality
basis. Their crop is picked at premium ripeness, their processing
operation is small and geared to perfection. Poor quality coffee does
not come from small estates, it comes from large processers using
inferior or old beans, not processing promptly, selling stale coffee
in large outlets. This is a means to "punish" estate farmers for
daring to ask for Kona blends to be at least 75% Kona. To force
"small-lot certification" is to harm quality and freshness. Estate
farmers don't like to let their coffee off the farm, as we have all
had cases where our coffee went to be dry-milled, and what we got back
was NOT our coffee."
aloha,
beans
|
| | | | |
Date: 28 Jan 2007 10:39:43
From: Bob Wilson
Subject: Re: Kona Help please-Electronic Petition
|
<beans@smithfarms.com > wrote:
> . . . Poor quality coffee does
> not come from small estates, it comes from large processers using
> inferior or old beans, not processing promptly, selling stale coffee
> in large outlets. . . .
Hummm, you've posed a very good question.
- How bad do 'inferior or old beans' Kona taste?
- Does someone sell 'low grade' Kona?
- Are the prices of crap quality Kona somehow cheaper?
- Who sells 100% crap Kona that hasn't been blended?
In Huntsville Alabama, I first bought Kona from the local roaster who
gets it in burlap bags and roasts on site. I bought some of their green
Kona and roasted it and that let me know Kona was special.
My closest exposure to crap Kona was the burlap shipped Kona. It has a
lower water content and roasts much faster than Kona from the estate.
But I started buying from the estate because of the better price.
Cutting out the wholesaler and distributor tends to do that!
Bob Wilson
|
| | | | | |
Date: 28 Jan 2007 22:31:03
From: Lavarock
Subject: Re: Kona Help please-Electronic Petition
|
Bob Wilson wrote:
> <beans@smithfarms.com> wrote:
>
>> . . . Poor quality coffee does
>> not come from small estates, it comes from large processers using
>> inferior or old beans, not processing promptly, selling stale coffee
>> in large outlets. . . .
>
> Hummm, you've posed a very good question.
>
> - How bad do 'inferior or old beans' Kona taste?
> - Does someone sell 'low grade' Kona?
> - Are the prices of crap quality Kona somehow cheaper?
> - Who sells 100% crap Kona that hasn't been blended?
>
> In Huntsville Alabama, I first bought Kona from the local roaster who
> gets it in burlap bags and roasts on site. I bought some of their green
> Kona and roasted it and that let me know Kona was special.
>
> My closest exposure to crap Kona was the burlap shipped Kona. It has a
> lower water content and roasts much faster than Kona from the estate.
> But I started buying from the estate because of the better price.
> Cutting out the wholesaler and distributor tends to do that!
>
> Bob Wilson
On Ebay there is a guy selling a can of Royal Kona from the 1980's he
thinks. He kept the can in a cool place.... :) Item 190075777401
Also, 50th State brand from the 1960's, unopened package... Item
330080249052
You are welcome to try these and report back!
--
They said that someone has to live in Hawaii and I raised my hand first!
|
| | | | |
Date: 28 Jan 2007 00:39:47
From: Espressopithecus (Java Man)
Subject: Re: Kona Help please-Electronic Petition
|
In article <p3mnr2he3bfpg0nlchbh4u2oeecanqv7dt@4ax.com >,
beans@smithfarms.com says...
> I. Require a thorough economic impact study on 1) probable
> economic impacts on farmers, processors and retailers, and 2) consumer
> reaction to increased prices, that will likely be caused by changes to
> current Hawaii Kona coffee blend laws before legislating any increase
> in the current 10% minimum blend requirement.
>
One wonders how consumers would react if they opened a can of "sockeye
salmon" and found it had 10% salmon and 90% trash fish. In fact, one
wonders how consumers would react if it contained anything BUT sockeye
salmon!
;)
Rick
|
| |
Date: 26 Jan 2007 19:05:23
From: Marshall
Subject: Re: Kona Help please-Electronic Petition
|
On Thu, 25 Jan 2007 15:17:27 -1000, beans@smithfarms.com wrote:
>This will be the last help I beg of you for the year<g>.
Cea, if I can play Jack Denver for a moment, I'm troubled by the
approach taken by this petition.
Why can't consumers simply be informed by a clear and legible notice
that "This blend contains less than __% Kona coffee" and make up their
own minds about whether to buy it? Why a 75% minimum?
And then there is the typeface demand. For those who did not read the
entire petition, it asks that roasters be required to list each
component in the blend, not just in prominent type, but "using print
equal in size to the largest print on the seller’s label." What would
a label look like where the roaster's own name and the name of the
blend are in the same size print as each of the coffee components?
It seems that the petitioners have gone beyond demanding fair
disclosure to consumers and are now directly aiming at driving the
blenders out of business altogether. Is that a proper government
function?
shall
|
| | |
Date: 02 Feb 2007 05:50:43
From: Barry Jarrett
Subject: Re: Kona Help please-Electronic Petition
|
On Fri, 26 Jan 2007 19:05:23 GMT, shall
<mrfuss@ihatespamearthlink.net > wrote:
>And then there is the typeface demand. For those who did not read the
>entire petition, it asks that roasters be required to list each
>component in the blend, not just in prominent type, but "using print
>equal in size to the largest print on the seller’s label." What would
>a label look like where the roaster's own name and the name of the
>blend are in the same size print as each of the coffee components?
>
yes, this struck me as unreasonable.
--barry "signed it anyway"
|
| | |
Date: 26 Jan 2007 22:26:08
From: Lavarock
Subject: Re: Kona Help please-Electronic Petition
|
Actually, there are some standards for Hawaii Coffee already, but I
believe these bills were originally created at the County level by a
Council that included agricultural members. They were structured on the
Napa Valley Wine bills. Since this has to go to Legislative Committee,
they will undoubtedly change the bills; so the bills ask for alot, not
for what they will finally look like (my opinion).
How does this bill "aim at driving the blenders out of business"? The
bills do not do that. Blenders can still make the exact same blend, they
just cannot use the name KONA as the main labeling come-on.
If their product was selling because it tasted good, they could call it
dog dirt brand and it would still sell. To prove that analogy, here is a
coffee company product, prominently displayed:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dstewartms/329829283/
The blenders use the same analogy, that if any bill that changes the
percentage of Kona in a blend or requires them to better label the
product passes, that... (then they use statements like: they will have
to lay off people, that Kona cherry prices will nosedive, etc). That
tells me that the coffee blend will not sell if it does not have the
Kona name on it and an insignificant amount of Kona in the bag!
Since the public THINKS they are buying a predominately Kona product,
then the blenders know that their profits are coming from the public
being fooled and not understanding what they are buying.
The contents statement for Hawaiian coffee states that they SHALL tell
what other Hawaiian coffee is in the bag. It also states that if this is
a foreign blend, then the blender MAY state what country the rest comes
from.
http://www.hawaiiag.org/hdoa/pdf/QAD-HI-GROWN%20COFFEE%20LBLS.PDF
Thus, they can create blends and not tell the public what is in the bag,
but if they use the Kona name, they MUST have sufficient Kona in the bag
and tell what else is in there.
Many of the visitors here cane barely walk, let alone read small type on
bags. They see KONA in bold letters and buy it. If you tell them what
they are buying, they put it back on the shelf.
This is a specialty product and not a generic no-name product thus the
desire not to contaminate it in the public's eyes.
Many people are also unaware (and not addressed in these bills) that you
can import macadamia nuts or even coffee (I guess) from a foreign land,
add 50% value to the product (roast it, bag it, etc) and call it "Made
in Hawaii". I would have thought a product "Made" here would be fully
made here, but again, a word play allows people to imply somthing ill
understood by the masses.
shall wrote:
> On Thu, 25 Jan 2007 15:17:27 -1000, beans@smithfarms.com wrote:
>
>> This will be the last help I beg of you for the year<g>.
>
> Cea, if I can play Jack Denver for a moment, I'm troubled by the
> approach taken by this petition.
>
> Why can't consumers simply be informed by a clear and legible notice
> that "This blend contains less than __% Kona coffee" and make up their
> own minds about whether to buy it? Why a 75% minimum?
>
> And then there is the typeface demand. For those who did not read the
> entire petition, it asks that roasters be required to list each
> component in the blend, not just in prominent type, but "using print
> equal in size to the largest print on the seller’s label." What would
> a label look like where the roaster's own name and the name of the
> blend are in the same size print as each of the coffee components?
>
> It seems that the petitioners have gone beyond demanding fair
> disclosure to consumers and are now directly aiming at driving the
> blenders out of business altogether. Is that a proper government
> function?
>
> shall
--
They said that someone has to live in Hawaii and I raised my hand first!
|
| | | |
Date: 02 Feb 2007 05:57:21
From: Barry Jarrett
Subject: Re: Kona Help please-Electronic Petition
|
On Fri, 26 Jan 2007 22:26:08 GMT, Lavarock
<lavarock1@myhawaiiansite.com > wrote:
>Many people are also unaware (and not addressed in these bills) that you
>can import macadamia nuts or even coffee (I guess) from a foreign land,
>add 50% value to the product (roast it, bag it, etc) and call it "Made
>in Hawaii". I would have thought a product "Made" here would be fully
>made here, but again, a word play allows people to imply somthing ill
>understood by the masses.
>
this is how paul katzeff at thanksgiving coffee got around the
nicaraguan trade embargo in the '80s. he had the green shipped to
canada, where it was roasted and then shipped to him as "product of
canada".
--barry "coffee for peace"
|
| | |
Date: 26 Jan 2007 11:04:11
From:
Subject: Re: Kona Help please-Electronic Petition
|
On Fri, 26 Jan 2007 19:05:23 GMT, shall
<mrfuss@ihatespamearthlink.net > wrote:
>On Thu, 25 Jan 2007 15:17:27 -1000, beans@smithfarms.com wrote:
>
>>This will be the last help I beg of you for the year<g>.
>
>Cea, if I can play Jack Denver for a moment, I'm troubled by the
>approach taken by this petition.
>
>Why can't consumers simply be informed by a clear and legible notice
>that "This blend contains less than __% Kona coffee" and make up their
>own minds about whether to buy it? Why a 75% minimum?
>
>And then there is the typeface demand. For those who did not read the
>entire petition, it asks that roasters be required to list each
>component in the blend, not just in prominent type, but "using print
>equal in size to the largest print on the seller’s label." What would
>a label look like where the roaster's own name and the name of the
>blend are in the same size print as each of the coffee components?
>
>It seems that the petitioners have gone beyond demanding fair
>disclosure to consumers and are now directly aiming at driving the
>blenders out of business altogether. Is that a proper government
>function?
>
>shall
Okay Jack/shall:)
We are following the Napa law which was approved at the Federal level.
It was tested that 75% Napa Wine was indeed okay. Kona is an origin
(North and South Kona are districts here) and we want that origin
name protected to include at least a majority of real Kona. Like
Vidalia Onions and Florida Orange Juice. You can't have 10% Vidalia,
or 10% Florida Orange Juice nor Champagne etc. and call it by the
origin name. That is our issue- plain and simple.
One of our biggest issues is that the bag says only contains 10% Kona.
The other 90% is not even identified.No words about it. And all
"other" coffee coming into Hawaii has to be treated with methyl
bromide, so the Blender people are bringing in coffee into a growing
region, although treated with Methyl Bromide--and we are the only
coffee growing area that allows coffee imports.Why doesn't that Truth
in Labeling Federal Law apply to the other components of the bag and
the fact 90% of the bag has been treated with methyl bromide? (BTW
Methyl Bromide will soon be removed from any approved list and then we
coffee farmers are frightened of what will happen.)
We don't want the Blenders put out of business- they have a right to
do what they want! They can call their Blends "Tropical Dreams" or
"Paradise Blend" or "Oahu Blend", but don't say *Kona* when it is a
bit of the bag. The Blenders are selling on that name.
The type face issue, I don't know enough about. We do have a
volunteer coffee farmer, former attorney, who has looked this over.
Let me know if you'd like his name and you can correspond with him as
to the details.
Me, I am just a Kona Coffee Farmer and I want the *Kona* name
protected. Thank you shall.
aloha,
Cea
|
| | | |
Date: 27 Jan 2007 00:45:14
From: Marshall
Subject: Re: Kona Help please-Electronic Petition
|
On Fri, 26 Jan 2007 11:04:11 -1000, beans@smithfarms.com wrote:
>Okay Jack/shall:)
>
>We are following the Napa law which was approved at the Federal level.
>It was tested that 75% Napa Wine was indeed okay. Kona is an origin
>(North and South Kona are districts here) and we want that origin
>name protected to include at least a majority of real Kona. Like
>Vidalia Onions and Florida Orange Juice. You can't have 10% Vidalia,
>or 10% Florida Orange Juice nor Champagne etc. and call it by the
>origin name. That is our issue- plain and simple.
It's actually a little more complicated than that (of course!). All
the California law (B&P25241) did was take away from California
vintners a grandfather exemption in the Federal laws. Federal regs
(27CFR4.25a) already had a 75% content requirement for county names
(85% for some other appellations!) on wine labels. Charles Shaw ("Two
Buck Chuck") had been selling wine with 0% Napa grapes under the name
"Napa Ridge" (and similar names), which is a name they had acquired
from a winery that had been using it since before the 1986
grandfathering cutoff date. They justified the name as not being a
consumer fraud by bottling it in Napa County. The other Napa vintners
(rightfully) raised a ruckus and got the grandfather exemption taken
away in California.
So, today calling your wine "Napa Delight" or "Napa Sunrise" is
verboten unless it contains 75% Napa grapes.
But, what about honestly labeled blends? I looked, but could not find
a clear answer to whether it is o.k. to label a wine "shall's
Napa-Santa Barbara Blend" and have it contain 50% of each. I would be
surprised if it is prohibited. But, I am certainly not expert on wine
labeling law and am fully prepared to be surprised. :-)
>One of our biggest issues is that the bag says only contains 10% Kona.
>The other 90% is not even identified.No words about it.
I have posted on that subject before and fully agree with you it is a
fraud or near-fraud. These poorly labeled blends will eventually do
serious damage to the Kona name (so will the stale 100% Kona commonly
sold to tourists).
I just don't see the justification for banning a bag that honestly
discloses in clear, bold letters: "This bag contains no more than 10%
Kona coffee." You could even force them to disclose "This bag contains
90% Vietnamese robusta" and call it "Ho Chi Minh City/Kona Blend." If
the proposed law required than kind of disclosure, I think you would
accomplish your purpose. Tourists would be ashamed to bring such junk
home as gifts, and it wouldn't sell too well on the mainland either!
All the discussion up to now has been about junky blends. But, this
law would also ban some high-quality blend names. Why shouldn't I be
allowed to sell a 50-50 "Mocha-Kona" blend and call it that?
>We don't want the Blenders put out of business- they have a right to
>do what they want! They can call their Blends "Tropical Dreams" or
>"Paradise Blend" or "Oahu Blend", but don't say *Kona* when it is a
>bit of the bag. The Blenders are selling on that name.
Yes, you are right they could continue by changing their businesses
(my disclosure suggestion would probably also put them out of
business). But, when I looked at the typeface requirement in the
second part of the petition, it had "put them out of business" written
all over it.
shall
|
| | |
Date: 26 Jan 2007 14:09:51
From: Craig Andrews
Subject: Re: Kona Help please-Electronic Petition
|
"shall" <mrfuss@ihatespamearthlink.net > wrote in message
news:6hjkr2dlpj1059hlmnpu4cq5jk9hngooho@4ax.com...
> On Thu, 25 Jan 2007 15:17:27 -1000, beans@smithfarms.com wrote:
>
>>This will be the last help I beg of you for the year<g>.
>
> Cea, if I can play Jack Denver for a moment, I'm troubled by the
> approach taken by this petition.
>
> Why can't consumers simply be informed by a clear and legible notice
> that "This blend contains less than __% Kona coffee" and make up their
> own minds about whether to buy it? Why a 75% minimum?
I'd think to protect the Kona name, the FARMERS., & not have it diluted
& bastardized @ the former pitiful 10% level.
Craig.
>
> And then there is the typeface demand. For those who did not read the
> entire petition, it asks that roasters be required to list each
> component in the blend, not just in prominent type, but "using print
> equal in size to the largest print on the seller's label." What would
> a label look like where the roaster's own name and the name of the
> blend are in the same size print as each of the coffee components?
>
> It seems that the petitioners have gone beyond demanding fair
> disclosure to consumers and are now directly aiming at driving the
> blenders out of business altogether. Is that a proper government
> function?
>
> shall
|
| |
Date: 26 Jan 2007 10:44:05
From: Jasonian
Subject: Re: Kona Help please-Electronic Petition
|
I signed.
|
| | |
Date: 26 Jan 2007 11:05:47
From:
Subject: Re: Kona Help please-Electronic Petition
|
On 26 Jan 2007 10:44:05 -0800, "Jasonian" <jason.haeger@gmail.com >
wrote:
>I signed.
Thank you Jason!!! I just checked and there are more than 250 names
on the list! Wowser!
with aloha,
Cea
beansatsmithfarms.com
roast beans to Kona to reply
Farmers of pure Kona Coffee:)
|
| |
Date: 26 Jan 2007 09:36:53
From: Keith R.
Subject: Re: Kona Help please-Electronic Petition
|
I just signed but was only #212! C'mon, let's get some signatures! :)
Keith R.
Warrenton, VA USA
|
| | |
Date: 26 Jan 2007 11:07:10
From:
Subject: Re: Kona Help please-Electronic Petition
|
On 26 Jan 2007 09:36:53 -0800, "Keith R." <gravityboy68@gmail.com >
wrote:
>I just signed but was only #212! C'mon, let's get some signatures! :)
>
>Keith R.
>Warrenton, VA USA
Thank you Keith! Your urging for signatures worked! As I just wrote,
there are over 250 signatures!! And I have not yet sent this note out
to my customers. I plan to do that today.
Thank you again.
with aloha,
Cea
beansatsmithfarms.com
roast beans to Kona to reply
Farmers of pure Kona Coffee:)
|
| | |
Date: 26 Jan 2007 12:42:18
From: Craig Andrews
Subject: Re: Kona Help please-Electronic Petition
|
"Keith R." <gravityboy68@gmail.com > wrote in message
news:1169833013.470749.165310@a75g2000cwd.googlegroups.com...
>I just signed but was only #212! C'mon, let's get some signatures! :)
>
> Keith R.
> Warrenton, VA USA
>
I'm #23, I'm sure if everyone wakes up over on CG & sees my "calling
all" post, with 20,000 members it's a force to be reckoned with!
Craig.
|
| |
Date: 26 Jan 2007 11:56:18
From: Craig Andrews
Subject: Re: Kona Help please-Electronic Petition
|
Cea, I've just posted this over on the Coffeegeek forums!
http://www.coffeegeek.com/forums/coffee/general/278044
Cheers,
Craig.
<beans@smithfarms.com > wrote in message
news:atkir29k7gv11p2036d34rlrhplh7n7un7@4ax.com...
> This will be the last help I beg of you for the year<g>.
>
> Two great Legislators in our Hawaii State Legislature did indeed
> introduce 2 Bills asking that the amount of Kona in a Kona blend, be
> raised to 75% Kona coffee at least, to use the Kona name. We Kona
> Coffee farmers have fought for this such an introduction for 14 (!)
> years. A Bill in our House of Representatives and one in our Senate!
>
> Now is the time to mobilize. You all care about coffee and we really
> need your help.
>
> We Farmers have an electronic petition on line and I am blatantly
> begging that you take a second and go here
> http://www.petitiononline.com/75Kona/petition.html and sign our
> petition. Time Is Of The Essence as they may hear the bills this
> week! Yikes!!!
>
> Numbers of names do(!) matter and every one of you who signs it, will
> be directly helping a farmer of Kona Coffee!
>
> We have a huge nasty opposition of blenders who want to keep their
> investment low and keep that Blend at 10%. (The other 90% is probably
> super junk.) The opposition has paid lobbyists and many schmoozers who
> are doing their work.
>
> We looked into a Lobbyist but he asked for $24,000 and we don't have
> it.
>
> So we are grassroots and ever so hopeful but time is of the essence!
>
> Thanking each of you in a.c., in advance, for taking the time to sign
> the Petition and for helping the Farmers.
>
> If you would like further information about these bills, you are
> welcome to visit http://KonaCoffeeFarmers.org and click on the link
> "KCFA Legislative Programs/Blend Law Reform."
>
> Mahalo nui from very far away,
> Cea
>
> beansatsmithfarms.com
> roast beans to Kona to reply
> Farmers of pure Kona Coffee:)
|
| | |
Date: 26 Jan 2007 11:08:26
From:
Subject: Re: Kona Help please-Electronic Petition
|
On Fri, 26 Jan 2007 11:56:18 -0500, "Craig Andrews"
<alt.coffee@deletethis.rogers.com > wrote:
>Cea, I've just posted this over on the Coffeegeek forums!
>http://www.coffeegeek.com/forums/coffee/general/278044
>Cheers,
>Craig.
>
><beans@smithfarms.com> wrote in message
Thanks so much Craig!!! That was so kind of you to do!!
Crossing our fingers but thank you all for all of your good wishes and
kind words!
with aloha,
cea
beansatsmithfarms.com
roast beans to Kona to reply
Farmers of pure Kona Coffee:)
|
| | | |
Date: 26 Jan 2007 16:49:30
From: Craig Andrews
Subject: Re: Kona Help please-Electronic Petition
|
<beans@smithfarms.com > wrote in message
news:7crkr2taq1j30jb98nvaj6t5rglakp1o6t@4ax.com...
> On Fri, 26 Jan 2007 11:56:18 -0500, "Craig Andrews"
> <alt.coffee@deletethis.rogers.com> wrote:
>
>>Cea, I've just posted this over on the Coffeegeek forums!
>>http://www.coffeegeek.com/forums/coffee/general/278044
>>Cheers,
>>Craig.
>>
>><beans@smithfarms.com> wrote in message
>
> Thanks so much Craig!!! That was so kind of you to do!!
>
> Crossing our fingers but thank you all for all of your good wishes and
> kind words!
>
> with aloha,
> cea
It's nothin', but that's the LEAST I can do Cea,
Cheers!
Sincerely,
Craig.
|
| |
Date: 26 Jan 2007 07:32:20
From: Andy Scherer
Subject: Re: Kona Help please-Electronic Petition
|
I'm on. Sorry we missed you when we were on the Big Island!
Aloha,
Andy
|
| |
Date: 26 Jan 2007 07:31:53
From: stereoplegic
Subject: Re: Kona Help please-Electronic Petition
|
Yiqin wrote:
> On 1=D4=C226=C8=D5, =C9=CF=CE=E79=CA=B117=B7=D6, b...@smithfarms.com wrot=
e:
> > This will be the last help I beg of you for the year<g>.
> >
> > Two great Legislators in our Hawaii State Legislature did indeed
> > introduce 2 Bills asking that the amount of Kona in a Kona blend, be
> > raised to 75% Kona coffee at least, to use the Kona name. We Kona
> > Coffee farmers have fought for this such an introduction for 14 (!)
> > years. A Bill in our House of Representatives and one in our Senate!
> >
> > Now is the time to mobilize. You all care about coffee and we really
> > need your help.
> >
> > We Farmers have an electronic petition on line and I am blatantly
> > begging that you take a second and go herehttp://www.petitiononline.com=
/75Kona/petition.htmland sign our
> > petition. Time Is Of The Essence as they may hear the bills this
> > week! Yikes!!!
> >
> > Numbers of names do(!) matter and every one of you who signs it, will
> > be directly helping a farmer of Kona Coffee!
> >
> > We have a huge nasty opposition of blenders who want to keep their
> > investment low and keep that Blend at 10%. (The other 90% is probably
> > super junk.) The opposition has paid lobbyists and many schmoozers who
> > are doing their work.
> >
> > We looked into a Lobbyist but he asked for $24,000 and we don't have
> > it.
> >
> > So we are grassroots and ever so hopeful but time is of the essence!
> >
> > Thanking each of you in a.c., in advance, for taking the time to sign
> > the Petition and for helping the Farmers.
> >
> > If you would like further information about these bills, you are
> > welcome to visithttp://KonaCoffeeFarmers.organd click on the link
> > "KCFA Legislative Programs/Blend Law Reform."
> >
> > Mahalo nui from very far away,
> > Cea
> >
> > beansatsmithfarms.com
> > roast beans to Kona to reply
> > Farmers of pure Kona Coffee:)
>
> Signed the petition and asked some friends from our local coffee forums
> to sign the petition too.
>=20
> Yiqin
me too. passed it along to the SM's homeroast list.
|
| |
Date: 26 Jan 2007 07:18:43
From: Omniryx@gmail.com
Subject: Re: Kona Help please-Electronic Petition
|
Done. Best of luck!
On Jan 25, 8:17 pm, b...@smithfarms.com wrote:
> This will be the last help I beg of you for the year<g>.
>
> Two great Legislators in our Hawaii State Legislature did indeed
> introduce 2 Bills asking that the amount of Kona in a Kona blend, be
> raised to 75% Kona coffee at least, to use the Kona name. We Kona
> Coffee farmers have fought for this such an introduction for 14 (!)
> years. A Bill in our House of Representatives and one in our Senate!
>
> Now is the time to mobilize. You all care about coffee and we really
> need your help.
>
> We Farmers have an electronic petition on line and I am blatantly
> begging that you take a second and go herehttp://www.petitiononline.com/75Kona/petition.htmland sign our
> petition. Time Is Of The Essence as they may hear the bills this
> week! Yikes!!!
>
> Numbers of names do(!) matter and every one of you who signs it, will
> be directly helping a farmer of Kona Coffee!
>
> We have a huge nasty opposition of blenders who want to keep their
> investment low and keep that Blend at 10%. (The other 90% is probably
> super junk.) The opposition has paid lobbyists and many schmoozers who
> are doing their work.
>
> We looked into a Lobbyist but he asked for $24,000 and we don't have
> it.
>
> So we are grassroots and ever so hopeful but time is of the essence!
>
> Thanking each of you in a.c., in advance, for taking the time to sign
> the Petition and for helping the Farmers.
>
> If you would like further information about these bills, you are
> welcome to visithttp://KonaCoffeeFarmers.organd click on the link
> "KCFA Legislative Programs/Blend Law Reform."
>
> Mahalo nui from very far away,
> Cea
>
> beansatsmithfarms.com
> roast beans to Kona to reply
> Farmers of pure Kona Coffee:)
|
| |
Date: 26 Jan 2007 14:52:58
From: Danny
Subject: Re: Kona Help please-Electronic Petition
|
beans@smithfarms.com wrote:
> This will be the last help I beg of you for the year<g>.
>
> Two great Legislators in our Hawaii State Legislature did indeed
> introduce 2 Bills asking that the amount of Kona in a Kona blend, be
> raised to 75% Kona coffee at least, to use the Kona name. We Kona
> Coffee farmers have fought for this such an introduction for 14 (!)
> years. A Bill in our House of Representatives and one in our Senate!
>
> Now is the time to mobilize. You all care about coffee and we really
> need your help.
>
-snip-
Done.
--
Regards, Danny
http://www.gaggia-espresso.com (a purely hobby site)
http://www.malabargold.co.uk (UK/EU ordering for Malabar Gold blend)
|
| | |
Date: 26 Jan 2007 06:00:38
From:
Subject: Re: Kona Help please-Electronic Petition
|
On Fri, 26 Jan 2007 14:52:58 +0000, Danny
<danny@nospam.gaggia-espresso.com > wrote:
>beans@smithfarms.com wrote:
>> This will be the last help I beg of you for the year<g>.
>>
>> Two great Legislators in our Hawaii State Legislature did indeed
>> introduce 2 Bills asking that the amount of Kona in a Kona blend, be
>> raised to 75% Kona coffee at least, to use the Kona name. We Kona
>> Coffee farmers have fought for this such an introduction for 14 (!)
>> years. A Bill in our House of Representatives and one in our Senate!
>>
>> Now is the time to mobilize. You all care about coffee and we really
>> need your help.
>>
>-snip-
>
>Done.
Oh wow! I have tears in my eyes! You guys and gal:) are awesome!!! I
just went to check the Petition and it has 168 signatures over night
and I recognized *so many* of your names. Thank you thank you to each
of you!!!!
btw, we realise hand writing letters carries extra weight but people
donot have the time. Our grassroots- well coffee shrub selves,
decided to use the computer to do what it does best. There are less
than 10 people, all super volunteers working on this - going to the
Legislature on Oahu, sending out notes toremind people, writing and
writing... As I may have said we appreciate the mighty power of the
(computer) pen, but most of all, we appreciate YOU!
Thank you.
warmest aloha,
Cea
beansatsmithfarms.com
roast beans to Kona to reply
Farmers of pure Kona Coffee:)
|
| |
Date: 26 Jan 2007 08:48:01
From: daveb
Subject: Re: Kona Help please-Electronic Petition
|
As much as I encourage petitioning, by FAR the most effective method is to
HAND WRITE and sign a letter to the affected politicians.
there are zillions of e-petitions floating around and are just about the
minimal form of communication to out beloved legislators.
SO, WRITE -- by hand or CALL on the phone -- if it really matters to you.
dave
877 286 2833
<beans@smithfarms.com > wrote in message
news:atkir29k7gv11p2036d34rlrhplh7n7un7@4ax.com...
> This will be the last help I beg of you for the year<g>.
>
> Two great Legislators in our Hawaii State Legislature did indeed
> introduce 2 Bills asking that the amount of Kona in a Kona blend, be
> raised to 75% Kona coffee at least, to use the Kona name. We Kona
> Coffee farmers have fought for this such an introduction for 14 (!)
> years. A Bill in our House of Representatives and one in our Senate!
>
> Now is the time to mobilize. You all care about coffee and we really
> need your help.
>
> We Farmers have an electronic petition on line and I am blatantly
> begging that you take a second and go here
> http://www.petitiononline.com/75Kona/petition.html and sign our
> petition. Time Is Of The Essence as they may hear the bills this
> week! Yikes!!!
>
> Numbers of names do(!) matter and every one of you who signs it, will
> be directly helping a farmer of Kona Coffee!
>
> We have a huge nasty opposition of blenders who want to keep their
> investment low and keep that Blend at 10%. (The other 90% is probably
> super junk.) The opposition has paid lobbyists and many schmoozers who
> are doing their work.
>
> We looked into a Lobbyist but he asked for $24,000 and we don't have
> it.
>
> So we are grassroots and ever so hopeful but time is of the essence!
>
> Thanking each of you in a.c., in advance, for taking the time to sign
> the Petition and for helping the Farmers.
>
> If you would like further information about these bills, you are
> welcome to visit http://KonaCoffeeFarmers.org and click on the link
> "KCFA Legislative Programs/Blend Law Reform."
>
> Mahalo nui from very far away,
> Cea
>
> beansatsmithfarms.com
> roast beans to Kona to reply
> Farmers of pure Kona Coffee:)
|
| |
Date: 25 Jan 2007 21:34:15
From: Randy G.
Subject: Re: Kona Help please-Electronic Petition
|
beans@smithfarms.com wrote:
>This will be the last help I beg of you for the year<g>.
>
>Two great Legislators in our Hawaii State Legislature did indeed
>introduce 2 Bills asking that the amount of Kona in a Kona blend, be
>raised to 75% Kona coffee at least, to use the Kona name. We Kona
>Coffee farmers have fought for this such an introduction for 14 (!)
>years. A Bill in our House of Representatives and one in our Senate!
>
>Now is the time to mobilize. You all care about coffee and we really
>need your help.
>
>We Farmers have an electronic petition on line and I am blatantly
>begging that you take a second and go here
>http://www.petitiononline.com/75Kona/petition.html and sign our
>petition. Time Is Of The Essence as they may hear the bills this
>week! Yikes!!!
And one more...
Randy "I hancocked that homey" G.
http://www.EspressoMyEspresso.com
|
| |
Date: 25 Jan 2007 20:34:55
From: Yiqin
Subject: Re: Kona Help please-Electronic Petition
|
On 1=D4=C226=C8=D5, =C9=CF=CE=E79=CA=B117=B7=D6, b...@smithfarms.com wrote:
> This will be the last help I beg of you for the year<g>.
>
> Two great Legislators in our Hawaii State Legislature did indeed
> introduce 2 Bills asking that the amount of Kona in a Kona blend, be
> raised to 75% Kona coffee at least, to use the Kona name. We Kona
> Coffee farmers have fought for this such an introduction for 14 (!)
> years. A Bill in our House of Representatives and one in our Senate!
>
> Now is the time to mobilize. You all care about coffee and we really
> need your help.
>
> We Farmers have an electronic petition on line and I am blatantly
> begging that you take a second and go herehttp://www.petitiononline.com/7=
5Kona/petition.htmland sign our
> petition. Time Is Of The Essence as they may hear the bills this
> week! Yikes!!!
>
> Numbers of names do(!) matter and every one of you who signs it, will
> be directly helping a farmer of Kona Coffee!
>
> We have a huge nasty opposition of blenders who want to keep their
> investment low and keep that Blend at 10%. (The other 90% is probably
> super junk.) The opposition has paid lobbyists and many schmoozers who
> are doing their work.
>
> We looked into a Lobbyist but he asked for $24,000 and we don't have
> it.
>
> So we are grassroots and ever so hopeful but time is of the essence!
>
> Thanking each of you in a.c., in advance, for taking the time to sign
> the Petition and for helping the Farmers.
>
> If you would like further information about these bills, you are
> welcome to visithttp://KonaCoffeeFarmers.organd click on the link
> "KCFA Legislative Programs/Blend Law Reform."
>
> Mahalo nui from very far away,
> Cea
>
> beansatsmithfarms.com
> roast beans to Kona to reply
> Farmers of pure Kona Coffee:)
Signed the petition and asked some friends from our local coffee forums
to sign the petition too.=20
Yiqin
|
| | |
Date: 25 Jan 2007 18:50:03
From:
Subject: Re: Kona Help please-Electronic Petition
|
On 25 Jan 2007 20:34:55 -0800, "Yiqin" <yiqin.lei@gmail.com > wrote:
>
>Signed the petition and asked some friends from our local coffee forums
>to sign the petition too.
>
>Yiqin
I saw your name, thank you! I appreciate it a great deal!
mahalo nui
Cea
beansatsmithfarms.com
roast beans to Kona to reply
Farmers of pure Kona Coffee:)
|
| |
Date: 25 Jan 2007 23:06:47
From: hfw
Subject: Re: Kona Help please-Electronic Petition
|
Done. Hope it helps!
--Heidi
beans@smithfarms.com wrote:
> This will be the last help I beg of you for the year<g>.
>
> Two great Legislators in our Hawaii State Legislature did indeed
> introduce 2 Bills asking that the amount of Kona in a Kona blend, be
> raised to 75% Kona coffee at least, to use the Kona name. We Kona
> Coffee farmers have fought for this such an introduction for 14 (!)
> years. A Bill in our House of Representatives and one in our Senate!
>
> Now is the time to mobilize. You all care about coffee and we really
> need your help.
>
> We Farmers have an electronic petition on line and I am blatantly
> begging that you take a second and go here
> http://www.petitiononline.com/75Kona/petition.html and sign our
> petition. Time Is Of The Essence as they may hear the bills this
> week! Yikes!!!
>
> Numbers of names do(!) matter and every one of you who signs it, will
> be directly helping a farmer of Kona Coffee!
>
> We have a huge nasty opposition of blenders who want to keep their
> investment low and keep that Blend at 10%. (The other 90% is probably
> super junk.) The opposition has paid lobbyists and many schmoozers who
> are doing their work.
>
> We looked into a Lobbyist but he asked for $24,000 and we don't have
> it.
>
> So we are grassroots and ever so hopeful but time is of the essence!
>
> Thanking each of you in a.c., in advance, for taking the time to sign
> the Petition and for helping the Farmers.
>
> If you would like further information about these bills, you are
> welcome to visit http://KonaCoffeeFarmers.org and click on the link
> "KCFA Legislative Programs/Blend Law Reform."
>
> Mahalo nui from very far away,
> Cea
>
> beansatsmithfarms.com
> roast beans to Kona to reply
> Farmers of pure Kona Coffee:)
>
|
| | |
Date: 25 Jan 2007 18:12:27
From:
Subject: Re: Kona Help please-Electronic Petition
|
On Thu, 25 Jan 2007 23:06:47 -0500, hfw <nospam@nospam.com > wrote:
>Done. Hope it helps!
>
>--Heidi
>
It does help.
Thank you!
aloha,
Cea
|
| |
Date: 25 Jan 2007 21:43:28
From: Craig Andrews
Subject: Re: Kona Help please-Electronic Petition
|
<beans@smithfarms.com > wrote in message
news:atkir29k7gv11p2036d34rlrhplh7n7un7@4ax.com...
> This will be the last help I beg of you for the year<g>.
>
> Two great Legislators in our Hawaii State Legislature did indeed
> introduce 2 Bills asking that the amount of Kona in a Kona blend, be
> raised to 75% Kona coffee at least, to use the Kona name. We Kona
> Coffee farmers have fought for this such an introduction for 14 (!)
> years. A Bill in our House of Representatives and one in our Senate!
>
> Now is the time to mobilize. You all care about coffee and we really
> need your help.
>
> We Farmers have an electronic petition on line and I am blatantly
> begging that you take a second and go here
> http://www.petitiononline.com/75Kona/petition.html and sign our
> petition. Time Is Of The Essence as they may hear the bills this
> week! Yikes!!!
>
> Numbers of names do(!) matter and every one of you who signs it, will
> be directly helping a farmer of Kona Coffee!
>
> We have a huge nasty opposition of blenders who want to keep their
> investment low and keep that Blend at 10%. (The other 90% is probably
> super junk.) The opposition has paid lobbyists and many schmoozers who
> are doing their work.
>
> We looked into a Lobbyist but he asked for $24,000 and we don't have
> it.
>
> So we are grassroots and ever so hopeful but time is of the essence!
>
> Thanking each of you in a.c., in advance, for taking the time to sign
> the Petition and for helping the Farmers.
>
> If you would like further information about these bills, you are
> welcome to visit http://KonaCoffeeFarmers.org and click on the link
> "KCFA Legislative Programs/Blend Law Reform."
>
> Mahalo nui from very far away,
> Cea
>
> beansatsmithfarms.com
> roast beans to Kona to reply
> Farmers of pure Kona Coffee:)
I signed the minute I saw this Cea!!
Craig.
|
| | |
Date: 26 Jan 2007 02:47:43
From: Brian Colwell
Subject: Re: Kona Help please-Electronic Petition
|
"Craig Andrews" <alt.coffee@deletethis.rogers.com > wrote in message
news:51t867F1lvq4iU1@mid.individual.net...
>
> <beans@smithfarms.com> wrote in message
> news:atkir29k7gv11p2036d34rlrhplh7n7un7@4ax.com...
>> This will be the last help I beg of you for the year<g>.
>>
>> Two great Legislators in our Hawaii State Legislature did indeed
>> introduce 2 Bills asking that the amount of Kona in a Kona blend, be
>> raised to 75% Kona coffee at least, to use the Kona name. We Kona
>> Coffee farmers have fought for this such an introduction for 14 (!)
>> years. A Bill in our House of Representatives and one in our Senate!
>>
>> Now is the time to mobilize. You all care about coffee and we really
>> need your help.
>>
>> We Farmers have an electronic petition on line and I am blatantly
>> begging that you take a second and go here
>> http://www.petitiononline.com/75Kona/petition.html and sign our
>> petition. Time Is Of The Essence as they may hear the bills this
>> week! Yikes!!!
>>
>> Numbers of names do(!) matter and every one of you who signs it, will
>> be directly helping a farmer of Kona Coffee!
>>
>> We have a huge nasty opposition of blenders who want to keep their
>> investment low and keep that Blend at 10%. (The other 90% is probably
>> super junk.) The opposition has paid lobbyists and many schmoozers who
>> are doing their work.
>>
>> We looked into a Lobbyist but he asked for $24,000 and we don't have
>> it.
>>
>> So we are grassroots and ever so hopeful but time is of the essence!
>>
>> Thanking each of you in a.c., in advance, for taking the time to sign
>> the Petition and for helping the Farmers.
>>
>> If you would like further information about these bills, you are
>> welcome to visit http://KonaCoffeeFarmers.org and click on the link
>> "KCFA Legislative Programs/Blend Law Reform."
>>
>> Mahalo nui from very far away,
>> Cea
>>
>> beansatsmithfarms.com
>> roast beans to Kona to reply
>> Farmers of pure Kona Coffee:)
>
>
> I signed the minute I saw this Cea!!
> Craig.
Me too !!
BMC
|
| | | |
Date: 25 Jan 2007 17:55:07
From:
Subject: Re: Kona Help please-Electronic Petition
|
On Fri, 26 Jan 2007 02:47:43 GMT, "Brian Colwell" <bcolwell@shaw.ca >
wrote:
>
>"Craig Andrews" <alt.coffee@deletethis.rogers.com> wrote in message
>news:51t867F1lvq4iU1@mid.individual.net...
>>
>> <beans@smithfarms.com> wrote in message
>>
> BMC
>
I saw both of your names. Craig and Brian.(then Retrospect had to
run...so here I am)
Thank you so much!!!
It means a lot to us:).
warm aloha,
Cea
|
| | | |
Date: 25 Jan 2007 21:59:33
From: Craig Andrews
Subject: Re: Kona Help please-Electronic Petition
|
"Brian Colwell" <bcolwell@shaw.ca > wrote in message
news:jZduh.786844$5R2.635345@pd7urf3no...
>
> "Craig Andrews" <alt.coffee@deletethis.rogers.com> wrote in message
> news:51t867F1lvq4iU1@mid.individual.net...
>>
>> <beans@smithfarms.com> wrote in message
>> news:atkir29k7gv11p2036d34rlrhplh7n7un7@4ax.com...
>>> This will be the last help I beg of you for the year<g>.
>>>
>>> Two great Legislators in our Hawaii State Legislature did indeed
>>> introduce 2 Bills asking that the amount of Kona in a Kona blend, be
>>> raised to 75% Kona coffee at least, to use the Kona name. We Kona
>>> Coffee farmers have fought for this such an introduction for 14 (!)
>>> years. A Bill in our House of Representatives and one in our Senate!
>>>
>>> Now is the time to mobilize. You all care about coffee and we really
>>> need your help.
>>>
>>> We Farmers have an electronic petition on line and I am blatantly
>>> begging that you take a second and go here
>>> http://www.petitiononline.com/75Kona/petition.html and sign our
>>> petition. Time Is Of The Essence as they may hear the bills this
>>> week! Yikes!!!
>>>
>>> Numbers of names do(!) matter and every one of you who signs it,
>>> will
>>> be directly helping a farmer of Kona Coffee!
>>>
>>> We have a huge nasty opposition of blenders who want to keep their
>>> investment low and keep that Blend at 10%. (The other 90% is
>>> probably
>>> super junk.) The opposition has paid lobbyists and many schmoozers
>>> who
>>> are doing their work.
>>>
>>> We looked into a Lobbyist but he asked for $24,000 and we don't have
>>> it.
>>>
>>> So we are grassroots and ever so hopeful but time is of the essence!
>>>
>>> Thanking each of you in a.c., in advance, for taking the time to
>>> sign
>>> the Petition and for helping the Farmers.
>>>
>>> If you would like further information about these bills, you are
>>> welcome to visit http://KonaCoffeeFarmers.org and click on the link
>>> "KCFA Legislative Programs/Blend Law Reform."
>>>
>>> Mahalo nui from very far away,
>>> Cea
>>>
>>> beansatsmithfarms.com
>>> roast beans to Kona to reply
>>> Farmers of pure Kona Coffee:)
>>
>>
>> I signed the minute I saw this Cea!!
>> Craig.
> Me too !!
> BMC
>
Great Brian!, well it's extremely important & the lifeblood for Bob &
Cea..
Craig. {;-)
|
|
