Kailua Kona, Hawaii - Kona Coffee farmers care passionately about 100% Kona Coffee and are getting tired of the failure of the Hawaii State Legislature to protect their precious gourmet product. So the lady farmers of the Kona Coffee Association (KCFA) decided to get the public's attention in a daring way, by going naked, tastefully in their 2009 Calendar.
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Taking a twist on idea from the famous movie Calendar Girls, the ladies take a month each, to demonstrate the activity that takes place on a Kona coffee farm to bring the seductively delicious product from seed to cup.
The ongoing fight is against the use of the word “Kona” in a 10% Kona “blend” where the other 90% of the bag is foreign fumigated coffee beans of unknown origin. The current Hawaii labeling law allows only 10% Kona to be in a in a Kona Blend. This legal form of deception has riled the farmers and the KCFA will stop at nothing to educate coffee drinkers about it.
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| © Susan Dabritz / SeaPics.com |
The resulting blend is a disappointment to those who were expecting to taste real Kona coffee. This disappointment is damaging Kona coffee's reputation, and the low price of Kona Blend masquerading as real Kona drives down the price that farmers get for the genuine product.
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| © Susan Dabritz / SeaPics.com |
"The Naked Truth" about 100% Kona Coffee is a high quality, professionally photographed 2009 calendar which is sure to provoke, amuse and educate. Each page accurately depicts the farming activity that takes place during a particular month on a Kona Coffee farm, demonstrating what is involved in producing this world famous gran-cru varietal coffee -100% Kona Coffee.
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| © Susan Dabritz / SeaPics.com |
From Miss January through Miss November, there are eleven real lady Kona Coffee farmers who dared to bare all to promote 100% Kona Coffee and to aid in the fight against 10% Kona Blends.
"We are producing a hand-tended, artisan coffee that should be the pride of all Hawaii," said Mary Lou Moss, the originator of the project, "yet our legislators allow mega corporations to continue to trade unfairly on our precious Kona name. A bold step was needed, and we took it."
Christine Sheppard, editor of the calendar, said, "I knew our farmers were passionate about their coffee but this was an unexpected proposal when our years of efforts at the State Legislature failed. The passion shows through and I hope coffee drinkers will appreciate what went into this production."
The Naked Truth about 100% Kona Coffee 2009 Calendar is available from the KCFA website http://www.konacoffeefarmers.org
