HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0023.013 2006-2008
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I am Nancy Griffith Lukela, a graduate of the University of Hawaii, resident
of the State of Hawaii for over 50 years and of Kona for more than 30 years.
My children were educated at Konawaena elementary, middle and high
school. Our family leased a 3 acre coffee farm in Captain Cook in 1975,
over thirty years ago. My children now are on the Mainland, and I do the
farming myself, with the help of a Mexican couple one day per week. [I
actually like to weedwhack.]
I would like to present some historical notes
Coffee was first brought to Oahu by Chief Boki, who was governor of Oahu,
on his return voyage from England. He had enjoyed the very popular
coffeehouses in London where people met to discuss issues of the day.
Three years later, coffee was first planted in Kona, in Napoopoo. The year
was 1828, almost two centuries ago.
It grew well in Kona with the dry winter season and the wet summerand a
successful agriculture was established. Coffee has been exported from the
islands for more than a century and a half, since 1845.
Coffee became a very important product in Hawaii. So much so that King
David Kalakaua in 1888 decreed that in order to protect the coffee in
Hawaii, new coffee plants would not be allowed in the islands. This
was the birth of the Plant Quarantine, a branch of the Department of
Agriculture. As a result, Kona has 100 year old trees still producing.
All other coffee growing areas have been devastated at one time or
another by disease and pests, and have had to replant many times.
Kona is the world's only coffee growing area harvesting from century
old heritage trees
All the major islands now have commercial coffee production, but coffee
grown in Kona is the best. The marketplace proves it: though Kona now
produces less than half of what is grown, Kona coffee is worth about 70% of
the total value of all the coffee grown in this state.
Kona coffee is the signature product of Kona. In 1873 Kona coffee was
presented with a magnificent honor recognizing it's excellent quality. That
was at the World's Fair in Vienna, in the middle of Europe more than a
century ago. It was the first of many many honors. Kona coffee put us on
the map.
Comm. No. Z
Ref. To:
Ref. Date
When Kona coffee is adulterated with 90% foreign coffee, even professional
tasters cannot detectthe Kona. The effect is that Kona coffee is
misrepresented to the consumer, and all Kona farmers are injured because
what the consumer tastes is ungraded unregulated foreign coffee. It could be
floor sweepings. Ten percent blenders use our history, our reputation and our
honored name to sell 90% foreign coffeefor more than its worth. This is
not fair, it is not right. We farmers need your help to correct this situation. I
support this resolution.