There has been quite a battle brewing between the small coffee farmers and bigger commercial enterprises. It got to the point, in Hawaii, that the forces aligned on the other side of this issue got proxies in their dogs, cats and children’s names to take control of the Kona Coffee Council and water down the Kona name.
Please take the time to register your concern on this issue. Click on the link in the message. And, please cut and paste this into a message of your own and pass it on now. Time is of the essence.
Aloha all,
Thank you for being a friend of smithfarms. I am leaning on your kindness to ask you for this favor below and I would not do it if our chances weren’t so good and also, the fact that numbers of names DO matter to our Legislature.
We are asking you for your help in helping all the Kona Coffee farmers in Kona. We have a big chance to succeed and Bob and I are begging for your help and here’s why……
As I wrote in to our newsgroup
“Two great Legislators in our Hawaii State Legislature did indeed introduce 2 Bills asking that the amount of Kona in a Kona blend, be raised to 75 per cent Kona coffee at least, to use the Kona name. We Kona Coffee farmers have fought for this such an introduction for 14 (!) years. A Bill in our House of Representatives and one in our Senate!
Now is the time to mobilize. You all care about coffee and we really need your help.
We Farmers have an electronic petition on line and I am blatantly begging that you take a second and go here
Time Is Of The Essence as they may hear the bills this week! Yikes!!!
Numbers of names do(!) matter and every one of you who signs it, will be directly helping a farmer of Kona Coffee!
We have a huge nasty opposition of blenders who want to keep their investment low and keep the Blend at only 10 per cent real Kona. (The other 90 per cent is probably super junk.) Our opposition has paid lobbyists and many schmoozers who are doing their work.
We looked into a Lobbyist but he asked for $24,000 and we don’t have it. The Kona Coffee Farmers is totally volunteer and certainly, non-profit! So we are grassroots- actually coffee shrubs and ever so hopeful but time is of the essence!
Thanking each of you in advance, for taking the time to sign the Petition and for helping the Farmers.
If you would like further information about these bills, you are welcome to visit http://KonaCoffeeFarmers.org and click on the link “KCFA Legislative Programs/Blend Law Reform.”
Thank you for your help. It is the power of the mighty (computer) pen at work. It really matters so much to all Kona Coffee Farmers!
Mahalo nui from very far away, Cea & Bob
[Submitted by Ensenada Jim]
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