Kaʻū News Briefs Oct. 1, 2024

Synergistic Agriculture Council is planning to represent Hawaiian Coffees at a trade show in Taiwan
in November and plans a reverse trade show with buyers coming here in late 2025. Photo from SHAC

OFFERS OF MORE HELP FOR KAʻŪ COFFEE FARMERS come from Andrea Kawabata of the University of Hawai'i Agricultural Extension. During the Kaʻū Coffee Growers Cooperative meeting on Tuesday evening in Pahala, she said she is able to personally visit farms to look at the condition of coffee trees, coffee berries and soil. She said a major focus is the challenge of Coffee Leaf Rust and Coffee Berry Borer. She also conducted a survey of  Kaʻū Coffee Growers Production Needs Assessment.

Andrea Kawabata

     Coffee farmers talked about past subsidies to purchase "medicines" to fight the diseases and asked if programs with quick reimbursements are available. Farmer Miles Mayne noted that the biggest challenge for farmers who process their beans beyond picking the cherry is cash flow. He said with all of the costs, it could take six months of processing and holding green beans to sell, for example, before the farmer received income to cover the investment.

      Kawabata and the farmers also talked about the examination of leaf and soil samples being helpful and she recommended four times a year. 

      Kaʻū Coffee Growers Cooperative President Gloria Camba talked about some coffee trees looking healthy with high bean production but that leaves turn yellow as harvest time approaches. Kawabata explained that the trees with yellow leaves are "hungry" and need more fertilizer when they are full of green beans, before they ripen.

     Farmers can contact Kawabata at 808-322-4894 and andreak@hawaii.edu.

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THE ROLE OF SHAC, the Synergistic Agriculture Council, was explained by Kaʻū Coffee farmer and

marketer Ralph Gaston, of Rusty's Hawaiian.  He serves as Secretary for SHAC and gave an update on its work on Tuesday at the Kaʻū Coffee Growers Cooperative meeting. 

    Gaston explained that SHAC is a nonprofit representing the Hawai'i Macadamia Nut Association, Hawai'i Coffee Association, Hawai'i Floriculture & Nursery Association and Hawai'i Papaya Industry Association. 

    SHAC sponsors education, research and marketing as well as some financial help for farmers.

    Gaston reported that he will attend the 2024 Taiwan Coffee & Tea Exposition on behalf of Hawai'i coffee farmers Nov. 15-18 and that Kaʻū Coffee farmers can submit green beans as samples for potential buyers to inspect there.  He said SHAC and Hawai'i Coffee Association plan a reverse trade show with Taiwan and possibly China buyers coming here in the Fall of 2025. Contact Gaston at ralph@rustyshawaiian.com. See more on SHAC at https://www.shachawaii.org.

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Multiple government and non-profit agencies are joining in the Stop the Ant program for October.

OCTOBER IS STOP THE ANT MONTH in Hawaiʻi and a multi-agency effort will encourage residents to collect and submit ants from their properties to help detect and control the spread of invasive little fire ants (LFA) and other harmful pest ants that may be new to the state.

    The campaign is supported by the Hawaiʻi Invasive Species Council (HISC) and administered by the state Department of Land & Natural Resources in cooperation with Hawaiʻi Department of Agriculture and University of Hawaiʻi programs, including the Hawaiʻi Ant Lab, Coordinating Group on Alien Pest Species, and the Invasive Species Committees on each island.
    DLNR Chair Dawn Chang, who also co-chairs the interagency HISC, said, “Detecting and controlling invasive ants is one the most important things we can do for our natural areas, our outdoor lifestyle, and our local economy. This campaign by HISC and our partners helps us understand where these ants are, and we mahalo our residents for taking the time to collect and submit samples from their yards and businesses.”

Stop the Ant organizers encourage teachers offer activities that collect study,
and identify ants during Stop the Ant Month in October. Photo from DLNR

  LFA is considered among the world’s worst invasive species because they can form supercolonies consisting of millions of stinging ants. LFA stings are painful and can cause itchy red welts that last for weeks. Stings to pets’ eyes cause injuries that may result in blindness. Unlike the tropical fire ant, a ground-nesting ant that has been present since the 1800s and are commonly encountered at beach parks and dry, sunny areas, LFA are tiny ants, measuring 1/16 of an inch long, and orange in color. Stings tend to occur when the ants fall from trees or vegetation onto people, or when infestations become so large that the ants move into yards, homes and businesses.
    Recent detections of new infestations highlight the importance of resident reports in early detection of these ants. Infestations that are found early enough can be eradicated, and tools are available to suppress LFA even when local eradication is no longer possible. Controlling infestations prevents millions of dollars in impacts and perpetual costs for entire communities.

Little fire ants and many other invasive ants are the target of Stop the Ant Month.

    The Stop the Ant campaign also aims to find other, new invasive ant species that could impact Hawaiʻi, like the Red Imported Fire Ant (RIFA). RIFA are responsible for billions of dollars in agricultural and infrastructure losses and medical costs. Detecting and responding to new harmful ant species to minimize widespread long-term costs is a priority for the state. The risk is high because ants hitchhike on goods, such as in the high volume of goods from around the world that are imported to Hawai‘i.
    Anyone can request a free ant-collection kit by visiting www.StopTheAnt.org, or can make their own using household supplies. A one-minute video, How to Collect a Sample, is available at the website and shows the step-by-step procedure for collecting ants from a property, freezing, then submitting them for identification. Samples can be mailed or dropped off for identification at: 

    Big Island Invasive Species Committee, 808-933-3346, 23 East Kawili Street, Hilo, HI 96720

    Hawai‘i Ant Lab in Hilo, 808-315-5656, C/O Hawai‘i Department of Agriculture, 16 E. Lanikāula Street, Hilo, HI 96720

    Hawai‘i Ant Lab in Kona, 808-209-9014, c/o CTAHR Extension Office, 79-7381 Old Māmalahoa Hwy, Kealakekua, HI 96750

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A fire crew is set to conduct an aerial
 survey on Oct. 2 of impacts at Nāpau
Crater, shown during the eruption
on Sept. 17. USGS photo

HAWAI'I VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK FLIGHT OPERATIONS FOR OCTOBER are announced: 
    Oct. 2 between 6:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. a fire crew will conduct wildfire suppression efforts, assess the potential for future fire spread, and survey fire impacts near Nāpau crater, around the 3,500-ft. elevation.
    Oct. 16 between 6:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. for ʻuaʻu (Hawaiian petrel) monitoring on Mauna Loa, between 4,000- and 9,000-ft. elevation.
    Oct. 22 between 7 a.m. and 11 a.m. for invasive trees control and mapping, from 800- and 3,500-ft. elevation in the Ka'ū desert to Pepeiao area and a single point in the East Rift Zone of Kīlauea area.
    Oct. 28 between 9 a.m. and 12 p.m. to transport crew and equipment for fence replacement on Mauna Loa between 4,000- and 6,500-ft. elevation.
    USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory may conduct additional flight operations over Kīlauea and Mauna Loa to assess volcanic activity and maintain instrumentation.
   An HVNP statement says, "The park regrets any noise impact to residents and park visitors. Dates and times are subject to change based on aircraft availability and weather. Management of the park requires the use of aircraft to monitor and research volcanic activity, conduct search-and-rescue missions and law enforcement operations, support management of natural and cultural resources, and to maintain backcountry facilities."

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HAWAI'I SENATOR BRIAN SCHATZ QUESTIONED PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE DONALD TRUMP'S mental health on Tuesday, drawing media attention. Posting on X, Schatz stated that it was reasonable "to wonder if there's something actually going on" with Trump.

Sen. Brian Schatz

    Salon magazine reported that "Donald Trump's apparent inability to keep the facts straight on Iran sparked a fresh set of worries over the 78-year old's potential cognitive decline," months after "81 -year old Joe Biden left the Presidential race due to a similar sequence of gaffes. "During a speech in Milwaukee (on Tuesday), Trump referred to 'the president of North Korea, who was basically trying to kill me,' seemingly confusing the leader with Iran’s. U.S. intelligence found that the country was plotting to assassinate Trump in July," according to the story in Salon.
    "In another, Trump claimed that an Iranian attack during his presidency that left 34 U.S. troops with traumatic brain injuries was not as severe as a reporter suggested, asking if the soldiers 'had a headache.' He went on to say 'nobody was hurt except the sound was loud.'"
    Schatz posted on X, "I think it’s reasonable to watch this clip, add the withdrawal from a 60 minutes interview, and wonder if there’s something actually going on. I don’t know- maybe he’s fine, but it’s not a wacky or nasty thing to inquire about."

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