Pat: So you don’t feel like writing a post today.
Mark: No. Too hot, and there’s too much vog.
Pat: There goes the myth about Hawaiians being so used to the heat of the tropics that they never feel it.
Mark: Who says that?
Pat: Nobody. Listen, you feel like talking about coffee?
Mark: I always feel like talking about […]

I did not mention in the previous post that the coffee trees are still doing well, even in the vog. Actually, I believe it is because of the vog. As mentioned in previous various posts on BehindTheCoffee.com, apparently the additional cloud cover and the stimulation of rain caused by the particulates are both really good […]

There may be a ray of light starting to shine on the Kona Coffee District, and all the people who live therein. I report this cautiously, because with volcanoes, you can never tell for sure until after it happens.
But it seems that there are some signs of lessening activity.
Sulfur dioxide emissions are considerably down, although […]

Just thought I’d throw in some volcano thoughts, since I haven’t mentioned the eruption for a while. Funny how that is. My mother used to say you could get used to anything, over time. Well… what she actually said was, “You could get used to hanging, if you could do it long enough.” Tough old […]

Okay, this list is for the adventuresome. The tours these smaller farms give are basically by appointment only, and can be pretty informal. This can be good, because it means very personal attention to you, since you may be the only people on the tour. But the downside is that sometimes tours can’t be given […]

This list is of farm tours includes farms that are again in the upper echelon of Kona coffee farms, and I know some of the people involved. I think their tours should be interesting. One of the best parts of touring Kona coffee farms is that each gives a different view. All the farms are […]

There are a number of coffee companies in Kona that offer tours. That does not do you a whole lot of good if you don’t take a journey to Kona, but if you do, it’s a really great thing to do while you’re here.
I’m going to do this list in three parts. This first list […]

Have you ever wondered why there’s an aroma of coffee floating deliciously in the isle at the store where they have the bags of coffee? It’s pleasant, for sure. Kind of draws you into thinking about having a cup so you can smell that aroma again.
Surely it does not come from any tinned coffee. Vacuum […]

I do not mention the East Rift lava flow very much, because it normally has the most impact on the east side of the island, especially when it marches to the sea and creates what we call ‘laze’, which is the hydrochloric acid produced when magma flows into the sea. Smells like and tastes like […]