Kona Pacific Farmers Cooperative Adds New Training Workshops to the 2008 Kona Coffee Cultural Festival

Espresso training, coffee roaster training, a farm tour and a new professional coffee tasting class will be held ahead of this year's Kona Coffee Cultural Festival on the Big Island.

The Hawaii Coffee Training Workshop series sponsored by the Kona Pacific Farmers Cooperative includes two new programs for 2008: an advanced espresso class and a coffee cupping workshop that instructs coffee tasting to rigorous international standards.

Nov. 3 - Advanced Profile Roasting led by Paul Thornton, roastmaster and green coffee buyer for Coffee Bean International, licensed Q grader and board member of the Specialty Coffee Association of America. This roasting workshop is designed for experienced coffee roasters and will instruct attendees to use proven techniques that enhance the quality and consistency of coffee roasting.

Nov. 4 - Coffee Farm & Mill Tour of local cooperative plantations. Put on your hiking shoes and walk through fields, pick coffee cherries and meet local farmers!

Nov. 5 - Beginning Espresso led by Andrew Hetzel, president of Hawaii-based Cafemakers, board member of the World Barista Championship and Hawaii's only resident Q Grader. This barista training workshop will introduce novice baristas to fundamental concepts of espresso extraction, espresso tasting and espresso machine operation.

Nov. 6 - Advanced Espresso, also led by Andrew Hetzel. This workshop continues with advanced hands-on activities and exercises that improve barista skill and the flavor of specialty coffee drinks.

Nov. 7 - Cupper's Training: An introduction to professional coffee cupping using the Coffee Quality Institute Q Grading system. Participants will learn to objectively evaluate coffee flavor and overall quality.

Classes will be held from 9:30 AM to 3:30 PM at the Hale Halawai center on Ali'i Drive in Kona for a fee of $225 per training workshop and $99 for the farm tour. Class sizes are limited and advance registration is required. For more information or to register, contact the Kona Pacific Farmers Cooperative at (808) 328-2411 or visit www.kpfc.com.

About the Kona Coffee Cultural Festival

The 38th Annual Kona Coffee Cultural Festival celebrates Hawaii's 180-year coffee tradition from November 7 - 16, 2008. Enjoy nearly 50 Festival events including contests, tastings, ethnic foods, parades, a scholarship pageant, farm tours, art exhibits, an outdoor concert and more! For more information about the Festival, visit www.konacoffeefest.com.

About the Kona Pacific Farmers Cooperative

Known as the oldest and largest coffee cooperative in the United States, the Kona Pacific Farmers Cooperative has been continuously processing coffee since 1910. The coop offers education events for industry professionals and free daily tours of coffee operations for consumers. For more information, visit the KPFC website at www.kpfc.com.