Karen Paterson of Hula Daddy Coffee today published an amazing blog article about the state of coffee in Kona that should be read by all with interests in Hawaii and its signature coffee growing origin.
The article, titled Kona Coffee Farmers at the Crossroad addresses the serious problems faced (and thus far largely ignored) by farmers in the Kona district and its many associations.
You may notice a few points in the article that echo my own past writings:
- Focus on Quality: Kona Coffee Needs a Quality Grading System
- Transparency in Cupping Contest Scores: Protectionism Undermines Coffee Association Competition
- Quality Improvement through Innovation: and who could forget, Another Kona Coffee Bill
Who is this Karen Paterson and why should other farmers in Kona listen to her opinions? Hula Daddy Coffee is a relatively new farm (planted in 2002), but one that has blazed coffee quality trails for Kona and put the U.S.A. back on coffee professionals’ map as a serious origin.
In 2008, the company received the score of 97 points from Ken Davids of CoffeeReview.com for one of its coffees, the highest independent quality rating ever received by a Hawaiian coffee and to this day one of the six highest of any coffee in the the publication’s history.
Beginning with a strong statement of purpose, this article catches your attention and cuts through all of the stubbornness and small town politics of our little island:
One road is the traditional path where Kona coffee farmers maintain the status quo until they are driven out of business by higher costs and foreign competition. The other path is the creation of top quality coffee grown in a renowned tourist destination.