Industry Experts to Present During Coffee College at Ka‘u Coffee Festival

Leaders in the specialty coffee industry will present many educational opportunities for island coffee farmers at the ninth annual Ka‘u Coffee College on Sunday, May 28, at the Pahala Community Center.

Ka’u Coffee Festival photo.

“This year’s college offers a number of hands-on workshops. The first is on how to breed the flat bark beetle to make the insect act as a biological control to fight the coffee berry borer,” explains long-time festival organizer Chris Manfredi. “Second is an introduction to the science of coffee fermentation and we cap it off with a workshop on how to maximize efficiency and quality of your wet mill.”

The Ka‘u Coffee College is a place of learning, sharing and networking. It has featured some of the industry’s leading professionals from around the globe.

This years theme is, “Boosting Coffee Quality and Profits.”

Presentations Will Include:

The college will open with “Rearing and Releasing Flat Bark Beetles on Your Farm,” presented by Andrea Kawabata and Jen Burt with the University of Hawai‘i CTAHR cooperative extension service. Working out of the Kona Research and Extension Center, Kawabata is an associate extension agent who provides outreach to the coffee, tropical fruit and nut industries. She has been coordinating coffee berry borer integrated pest management recommendations to statewide growers and conducts research applicable to farmers.

Burt provides technical support to the Areawide Mitigation and Management for Coffee Berry Borer and Flat Bark Beetle Projects.

Dr. Peter Follett will present “Flat Bark Beetle Predators-Behavior in the Field and Next Generation Breeding Stations.” Follett is a research entomologist with Hilo’s USDA Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center and studies integrated pest management, biological controls and postharvest technology in support of Hawai‘i’s tropical fruit and coffee industries.

“Understanding the Science of Fermentation,” by Dr. Shawn Steiman will look into the science of coffee fermentation and its importance. A coffee scientist, consultant, entrepreneur and author, Steiman’s research has focused on coffee production, entomology, ecology, physiology, biochemistry, organoleptic quality and brewing.

“Getting the Most Out of Your Wet Mill” presented by Diego Botello will be followed by a field visit for a hands-on demonstration of wet milling equipment. Botello is with Penagos Hermanos y Compania S.A.S., a leading manufacturer of agricultural processing equipment. Penagos wet mills are used globally—including in Ka‘u.

“This wet mill presentation affords a rare opportunity to meet first-hand with the manufacturer—to achieve the best possible results from their equipment—from an efficiency and quality perspective. Even if you’re not using Penagos equipment this is must-see event if you’re wet-milling coffee,” notes Manfredi.

Admission to the Ka‘u Coffee College is free, though donations are accepted.

All activities at the Ka‘u Coffee Festival are open to the general public; some require a fee.

For more details click here or call 808-929-9550.