Wednesday, July 10, 2024

Kaʻū News Briefs July 10, 2024























PUNALU'U SMA, PĀHALA WATER BOTTLING PLANT AND EVACUATION ROUTES FOR GREEN SANDS neighborhood are all on the agenda for Kaʻū Community Development Plan Action Committee on Thursday, July 11. The meeting is at 5 p.m. at Pāhala Community Center.
    Public testimony on the agenda items is limited to three minutes per item per person. According to the agenda, the Action Committee will have discussion and decision making on submitting testimony to the Windward Planning Commission regarding the proposed Special Management Area permit for Black Sand Beach, LLC's proposed development at Punalu'u.
    The CDP Action Committee is also scheduled to discuss hazard mitigation and evacuation routes Green Sands Subdivision.
    Another topic on the agenda is the planned Pāhala Water Bottling Facility on the old sugar plantation mill site.

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MAMAKI TEA, GROWN IN WOOD VALLEY, IS A KEY INGREDIENT IN A NEW SORBET produced by Shaka Tea Hawai'i and Asato Family Shop. It will be introduced this Friday at Puainako KTA in Hilo from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. and again at Foodland Farms Ala Moana on O'ahu on July 20 at 11 a.m.

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HAWAI'I COFFEE ASSOCIATION ADVISES KA'U COFFEE FARMERS on two new truth in labeling measure that Gov. Josh Green recently signed into law. Chris Manfredi, Government Affairs Coordinator for HCA, said the organization strongly supported the legislation. At the signing, Kaʻū Coffee Mill representative Jeff Clark and Kaʻū's state Senator Dru Kanuha were in attendance.
    Regarding Act 198, the HCA announcement says:
    "While the original form of the bill was for 100% Hawaii-grown coffee to be used in products that use Hawaii's coffee growing regions on packaging and in advertising, a compromise was reached at a 51% minimum blend ratio.
    "This is part of an ongoing HCA effort to protect Hawai'i's coffee producers from the introduction of poor quality and foreign-grown coffee into the supply chain. The HCA believes that poor quality blends and counterfeit coffee that use Hawaii's origin names
Gov. Josh Green with coffee industry representatives, including
 Kaʻū Coffee MIll's Jeff Clark and Kaʻū's state Senator Dru Kanuha.
 The Governor signed laws protecting the integrity of Hawai'i coffee labeling.
Photo from HCA
undermine the generations of producers who continue to work to build Hawaii's coffee brands with high quality and integrity.
    "What this means for you - If you sell 100% Hawaii-grown coffee there will be no change as the results of this law.
    If you sell blends containing foreign-grown coffee, on and after July 1, 2027 your blends will be required to contain at least 51% Hawaii-grown coffee to be in compliance.
    "We are currently communicating with Hawai'i Department of Agriculture about the implementation and enforcement of this law, including its impacts on 'All Hawaiian"'blends, and will continue to update you."
    Regarding Act 211, HCA reports, "This truth-in-labeling measure was not an HCA initiative however we did support it and offered our amendments over time. It requires that coffee origins be better disclosed
on the label and in advertising."
    For more on its requirements, implementation and enforcement, visit the state Department of Agriculture post at
https://hdoa.hawaii.gov/blog/main/nnr2418coffeelabelinglaw/
For retail information and to report possible mislabeling or non-compliance, email the HDOA’s Measurement Standards Branch at: hdoa.ms.labeling@hawaii.gov or call (808) 832-0690.

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5,500 in the mail, 2,000 on the streets Volcano to Miloli'i
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