9th Annual Ka'u Coffee Festival Ho'olaue'a Highlights

Jamie Kailiawa (center right) danced at the Ka'u Coffee Festival Ho'olaule'a for her late husband Bull Kailiawa, one of the famous Ka'u Coffee farmers who helped build the industry. Kailiawa belongs to Debbie Ryder's Halau Hula Leionalani. Photos by Julia Neal

Mahalo to all our volunteers, sponsors and participants who helped support the festival!

The festival drew more people to our all day Ho'olaule'a and more sales of coffee than years before to make 2017 our best year yet, according to coffee farmers the community members who helped put on the event. The Ho'olaule'a, on the grounds of Pahala Community Center, featured four halau hula, ten musical groups and a karate dojo. It was emceed by Makana Kamahele, with the all-day entertainment sponsored by the Edmund C. Olson Trust II and sound by Ka'u Productions Sound & Lighting. 'O Ka'u Kakou provided logistical support and several volunteers.

Dayday Hopkins of Farm Credit Services Hawai'i said she plans

to continue to help the Ka`u Coffee farmers with land security.

Expert baristas prepared and presented Ka'u Coffee inside Pahala Community Center as part of the annual Ka'u Coffee Experience. 2017 Miss Ka'u Coffee Queen Jami Beck and her court met the public, their pageant having opened the festival season at Ka'u Coffee Mill with the competition for Miss Ka'u Coffee, Jr. Miss Ka'u Coffee, Miss Ka'u Peaberry and Miss Ka'u Coffee Flower.

Tours to coffee farms carried visitors onto the fertile slopes of Mauna Loa where Ka'u coffee grows.

Ka'u Coffee Growers Cooperative presented its own and individual booths of its many farmers. The Palehua Cooperative and independent Ka'u coffee farmers were well represented at the outdoor venue in Pahala.

Diversified ag was also on display, from Ka'u Valley Farms' new tea plantings to the Bee Boyz, who showed off a glass-cased bee hive and bottled honey with honeycomb.

Educational displays ranged from the Alakaha Kai Trail Association, showing its efforts to preserve the Ka'u Coast and public trails, to health organizations like Ka'u Rural Health Community Association, which has its own telemedicine kiosk in Pahala.

Farm Credit Services of Hawai'i was represented by Dayday Hopkins who has worked with Ka'u coffee farmers for decades. She said she will attempt to help Ka'u coffee farmers finance the purchase of their farms, should the landowners subdivide them and put them up for sale. Hawai'i Farm Bureau, University of Hawai'i, the USDA and other providers of assistance and supplies and services to the farmers were on hand.

Photo by Jesse Tunison

Tours to coffee farms carried visitors onto the fertile slopes of Mauna Loa where Ka'u coffee grows.

Diversified agriculture was also on display, from Ka'u Valley Farms' new tea plantings to the Bee Boyz, who showed off a glassed in bee hive and bottled honey with honeycomb.

With thousands of people attending, the Ho'olaule'a also provided an opportunity for non-profit organizations to raise funds by selling food and refreshments. It was a place where artists and crafters could extend their reach and where visitors and residents alike could explore samples of what our community offers.

Big Island Video News released its coverage of the ninth annual Ka'u Coffee Festival,
highlighting volunteers Gail Kalani and Anne Fontes with the coffee cherry picking contest.
See www.bigislandvideonews.com. Photo by David Corrigan