KAILUA-KONA — The 11th annual Kona Coffee and Small Farm EXPO is planned from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. today in the Makaeo Events Pavilion at Old Kona Airport Park.
The event is free and open to the public. In addition to vendors representing services and equipment for coffee and small farming, there will be a technical talk story, guest speakers, giveaways, blind coffee tasting, food concession, live music by Mauka Soul and mini breakout sessions.
Speakers include Suzanne Shriner, KCFA president; Hawaii Department of Agriculture Chairman Scott Enright; CTAHR’s Dean Comerford and Shawn Steiman of Daylight Mind Coffee Company.
Breakout sessions start at 12:30 p.m. with Pacific Coffee Research demonstrating the protocol and tools necessary for on the farm coffee cupping. At 1:05 p.m., UH-CTAHR Extension Agent Andrew Kawabata will discuss coffee root-knot nematode followed by Agri-Logic Consulting at 1:30 p.m. with crop insurance training. At 2:05 p.m., Linda Kow with the USDA Farm Service Agency will discuss access to credit for commercial agricultural producers. Darrel Crisp, of Little Fire Ants, will discuss bait station development and its benefits and features at 2:25 p.m.
A coffee roasting workshop will take place Saturday. Reservations are required by emailing kenaicoffee@aol.com.
Info: www.konaexpo.com.