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| Deadline for vendors to sign up for spaces at May 12 Ka`u Coffee Festival has been extended to Monday, April 23. |
KA`U COFFEE FARMERS received news last night that coffee farmers who take good care of their farms can come back from the devastation of coffee berry borer infestation. Those who don’t clean their farms and use at least one of several non-toxic treatments to push back the pest not only risk losing their coffee income, but put their neighboring farmers in dire straits. If more isn’t done to stave off the coffee berry borer, suggested Dr. Elsie Burbano, of the University of Hawa`i, Kona might look for a new crop to replace its century-old coffee industry.
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| Dr. Elsie Burbano |
Talking during a workshop for coffee farmers sponsored by U.H., the Department of Agriculture and Hawai`i County, Burbano also warned that the spread of the coffee berry borer to places like Kaua`i, where mechanical harvesting is used, would be devastating as the pest would be much harder to control there.
The Ka`u Coffee industry is in a much better situation than Kona with fewer farms infested and farmers taking care of the problem right away. Visiting agribusiness student Karla Casco, from Honduras, presented findings from farms in Ka`u using the fungus Beauveria bassiana that kills the coffee berry borer. “It is working,” she said. Any farm with more than two percent infestation will find that treating the coffee trees is cost effective, said Casco, presenting a chart showing the point at which farmers start saving their coffee and their income by spending money on treatment and prevention. During her 15-week stay in Ka`u, Casco located coffee berry borers on farms where the growers were unaware of their presence. She also experimented with several prevention and abatement programs.
The Ka`u Coffee industry is in a much better situation than Kona with fewer farms infested and farmers taking care of the problem right away. Visiting agribusiness student Karla Casco, from Honduras, presented findings from farms in Ka`u using the fungus Beauveria bassiana that kills the coffee berry borer. “It is working,” she said. Any farm with more than two percent infestation will find that treating the coffee trees is cost effective, said Casco, presenting a chart showing the point at which farmers start saving their coffee and their income by spending money on treatment and prevention. During her 15-week stay in Ka`u, Casco located coffee berry borers on farms where the growers were unaware of their presence. She also experimented with several prevention and abatement programs.
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| Karla Casco, a university student from Honduras, gives her final report to Ka`u Coffee farmers. Photo by Julia Neal |
Another possible deterrent to the coffee berry borer was presented by Burbano. Kaolin spray is made of a fine clay that coats coffee berries like Christmas tree flocking and deters infestation by borers. Kaolin also can protect the cherries from sunburn and does not affect the taste of the coffee, Burbano said.
Other experiments include various ground covers, an attempt to force the coffee trees to bloom at one time to shorten the season for coffee berry borer reproduction, and various handmade and commercially available traps.
GARBAGE FROM PAHALA, WAI`OHINU AND OCEAN VIEW is trucked to the West Hawai`i landfill, and according to a Nancy Cook Lauer story, more garbage is headed west. She reports in today’s Hawai`i Tribune Herald that “78.8 percent of garbage from transfer stations countywide was dumped at the West Hawai`i landfill in Pu`uanahulu in March, compared to 52.8 percent in 2011.” In February, 70.4 percent was sent to Pu`uanahulu.
Other experiments include various ground covers, an attempt to force the coffee trees to bloom at one time to shorten the season for coffee berry borer reproduction, and various handmade and commercially available traps.
GARBAGE FROM PAHALA, WAI`OHINU AND OCEAN VIEW is trucked to the West Hawai`i landfill, and according to a Nancy Cook Lauer story, more garbage is headed west. She reports in today’s Hawai`i Tribune Herald that “78.8 percent of garbage from transfer stations countywide was dumped at the West Hawai`i landfill in Pu`uanahulu in March, compared to 52.8 percent in 2011.” In February, 70.4 percent was sent to Pu`uanahulu.
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| East Hawai`i landfill is filling up, and the county is making test runs with garbage sent to the other side of the island. Photo from University of Hawai`i Environmental Studies Department |
The pilot program is expected to end this month, the story says, quoting county Environmental Management spokesman Hunter Bishop as saying the purpose is to test a consultant study that concluded that it would be less expensive to truck garbage across the island than to expand Hilo landfill. Mayor Billy Kenoi told the public and the media that no decision has been made on whether to make the trucking permanent.
VOLUNTEERS PLANT NATIVE SEEDLINGS at Mauna Loa strip to help regenerate the forest during Friends of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park’s Forest Restoration Project Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. To register, call 985-7373 or email forest@fhvnp.org.
COUNTY COUNCIL DISTRICT 6 and Prosecuting Attorney candidates meet the public this Friday from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Ocean View Community Center. Candidates for the Council seat are Marie Burns, Maile David, Brenda Ford, Lee McIntosh and Bradley Westervelt. Candidates for Prosecuting Attorney are Lincoln Ashida, Paul Dolan and Mitch Roth. For more information, call 929-7236 or email marge@hawaii.rr.com.
OCEAN VIEW COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION hosts a fundraising Grand Re-opening BBQ and Open House on Saturday from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. This is the first of regular barbeques on the third Saturday of each month, replacing previously held monthly pancake breakfasts. “Come and see all the recent improvements to the building,” said association member Madalyn McWhite-Lamson. “This new event gives you an opportunity to enjoy good food, socialize, and enjoy a sense of fellowship and camaraderie.” Call 939-7033 with any questions.
VISIT OUR SPONSORS AT PAHALAPLANTATIONCOTTAGES.COM AND KAUCOFFEEMILL.COM.
THE DEADLINE FOR VENDORS to sign up for the Ka`u Coffee Festival has been extended to next Monday, April 23. For information and applications, visit www.kaucoffeefest.com or call Brenda Iokepa-Moses at 928-0550.
JESSICA LANDAU demonstrates the glass blowing process of lampworking, or torch work, tomorrow from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the front porch of Volcano Art Center Gallery in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Call 967-7565 or visit www.volcanoartcenter.org for more information.
JESSICA LANDAU demonstrates the glass blowing process of lampworking, or torch work, tomorrow from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the front porch of Volcano Art Center Gallery in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Call 967-7565 or visit www.volcanoartcenter.org for more information.
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| Pomai Longakit |
POMAI LONGAKIT performs original songs and her latest hit, Another Rainbow, tomorrow at 6:30 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. The concert is free; park entrance fees apply.
VOLUNTEERS PLANT NATIVE SEEDLINGS at Mauna Loa strip to help regenerate the forest during Friends of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park’s Forest Restoration Project Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. To register, call 985-7373 or email forest@fhvnp.org.
COUNTY COUNCIL DISTRICT 6 and Prosecuting Attorney candidates meet the public this Friday from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Ocean View Community Center. Candidates for the Council seat are Marie Burns, Maile David, Brenda Ford, Lee McIntosh and Bradley Westervelt. Candidates for Prosecuting Attorney are Lincoln Ashida, Paul Dolan and Mitch Roth. For more information, call 929-7236 or email marge@hawaii.rr.com.
OCEAN VIEW COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION hosts a fundraising Grand Re-opening BBQ and Open House on Saturday from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. This is the first of regular barbeques on the third Saturday of each month, replacing previously held monthly pancake breakfasts. “Come and see all the recent improvements to the building,” said association member Madalyn McWhite-Lamson. “This new event gives you an opportunity to enjoy good food, socialize, and enjoy a sense of fellowship and camaraderie.” Call 939-7033 with any questions.
VISIT OUR SPONSORS AT PAHALAPLANTATIONCOTTAGES.COM AND KAUCOFFEEMILL.COM.