Kauai Coffee Co. wraps up harvest with new G.M. by Blake Jones – The Garden Island NUMILA — As you sit down to read the Sunday paper with a morning cup of joe, it might not occur to you what
Kauai Coffee Co. wraps up harvest with new G.M.
by Blake Jones – The Garden Island
NUMILA — As you sit down to read the Sunday paper with a morning cup of joe, it might not occur to you what when into the beverage that provides not only an a.m. ritual but a welcome surge of energy.
If you happen to be sipping that coffee on the Westside, the answer is closer than you may realize.
“We take it all the way from the ground to the bag here at the Visitor Center,” said Wayne Katayama, president and general manager of Kauai Coffee Co., which spans from Kalaheo to ‘Ele‘Ele.
Last weekend, Kauai Coffee Co. wrapped up its seasonal harvest of the 3,000-acre plantation. And while things may have gone according to plan, there were a few differences this year.
Leadership fell to Katayama, who joined the company in April following a career with the now-closed Guava Kai. In addition, the summer growing season was one of the driest on record, forcing the company to drastically conserve water.
But Katayama said the experienced staff, as well as careful watering, got the company over any hurdles.
“What was very important was that everybody adapted to the situation,” he said.
The harvest got a soft start during the last week of August and finished Oct. 2. During that time, it was a 24-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week operation that required 125 seasonal workers, Katayama said.
The rainfall this year was 50 percent of normal, causing the plantation to run out of water three to four weeks into the summer, said Agriculture Research Supervisor Greg Williams. The company was so effective with its water use that the Kaua‘i Soil & Water Conservation District recognized Kauai Coffee’s efforts.
In addition to drip irrigation systems, strategically placed windbreaks and an enhanced nutrition program, about 90 percent of the 1.5 million gallons of water used per day at the processing plant during the harvest goes back into the fields.
Along those lines, green waste from the processing, including the cherry skins and a dry parchment that lines the beans, are composted.
Currently, Kauai Coffee farms six varieties of the American staple. Five more — all hybrids developed by the Hawaii Agriculture Research Center lab — are just about ready to move from a small nursery at the Visitor Center to an acre of land a piece to test their mettle.
The year-old seedlings are not genetically engineered, said Williams. As hybrids, they have been cross-pollinated the natural way but to a similar end: in search of a more productive, flavorful bean.
According to Williams, the hybrids are the result of a collaborative effort funded by Hawaii Coffee Association members, all of whom will be trying out the new varieties.
Those that meet standards for commercial production, cupping and economics could be introduced in full scale within a few years. But it’s not likely all will stand up to the tests, as only five of an initial 12 varieties made it this far.
In terms of cup quality, Katayama said coffee is judged on taste, body, acidity and aroma. During the harvest, the crop is sampled daily as it exits the dryers, which prepares it to be stored or shipped. In addition, the beans roasted on-site and packaged for sale are taste-tested every Tuesday and Thursday.
As Katayama settles into the driver seat at Kauai Coffee, now with one harvest under his belt, he said he’d like to look into programs that certify or validate the environmentally friendly methods used on the plantation. This could take the form of involvement with the Rainforest Alliance, a nonprofit organization that works to conserve biodiversity by transforming land-use and business practices.
“We’re doing everything, and I think it’s just (about) being recognized,” Katayama said.
The new varieties on shelves now — Kauai Blue Mountain and Mundo Nova — are both peaberries, or cherries that produce only one round bean instead of two. They are available online and at the Visitor Center.
For more information, visit www.kauaicoffee.com or call 335-0813.
• Blake Jones, business writer/assistant editor, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 251) or bjones@kauaipubco.com.
