Maui County Farm Bureau wins parade honors, announces board officers, membership awards

Maui agriculture was the big winner on Thursday, Oct. 1, as Maui County Farm Bureau (MCFB) was named “2026 Overall Winner” and “1^st Place Mobile Unit” of the Maui County Fair Parade. 

Hundreds of residents and visitors lined the parade route, cheering on some 3,250 participants as they made their way along Ka‘ahumanu Avenue to Kanaloa Avenue to kick off the 99^th Maui County Fair. Some of the loudest cheers were for the colorful 45- to 50-foot MCFB float, trimmed with bright “We Love Our Maui County Farmers & Ranchers” banners, and bedecked with island fruit and foliage, vibrant flower arrangements and waving farm families—with four goats prancing along behind!

“Rolling down the street, I was filled with pride being on our float with colleagues and friends who represent Maui’s diverse agriculture sectors,” said MCFB Executive Director Warren Watanabe. “Our float was a great visual reminder that when you support local agriculture and buy Grown on Maui™, from coffee and flowers to plants and pineapples, you’re supporting a lot of people: growers, floral designers, lei makers, chefs, nurseries, family farms and ranches—it’s all Maui agriculture.”

A grand mahalo to the County of Maui, Maui County Fair organizers and sponsors, and MCFB float participants: College of Tropical Agriculture & Human Resilience, Haleakala Creamery, J. Shishido Farm, Kula Country Farms, Mahi Pono, Maui Association of Landscape Professionals, Maui Coffee Association, Maui Gold Pineapple/Hawai’i Farm Project, Maui Growers and Floriculture Collective, Native Nursery, RDH Farm, and Maui Department of Agriculture.

“It was an honor and really exciting to help represent Maui’s floriculture industry in the Maui County Fair Parade,” said Matt Keiley of Helani Gardens in Hana and a member of the Maui Growers and Floriculture Collective. “Especially with all the challenges lately, we are grateful for this opportunity to come together as a community and celebrate good things like families, farms and flowers. Next time you need a lei or special arrangement, we encourage everyone to buy Grown on Maui™! Maui ag is such an important part of our island culture and way of life, and supporting our local farmers and growers is a beautiful way of ensuring that continues.” 

 “Supporting our local Maui Coffee community ensures continuation of growers, roasters and cafe owners who are dedicated to providing the freshest and highest quality locally grown coffee possible to your favorite cup each and every day,” said Chris Speere, president, Maui Coffee Association. “Given Maui Coffee’s worldwide reputation for consistency and depth of flavor, it makes sense to purchase and consume our local coffee, and thereby support the local people behind this longstanding tradition of excellence.” 

 “Joining the other farmers on the MCFB parade float and walking our goats gives us an opportunity to connect with the community and show who we are, because we are usually working on the farm!” said Rebecca Woodburn-Rist, owner and chief operator of Haleakala Creamery, a family farm specializing in handcrafted small-batch goat milk caramel and other treats. “We love being goat dairy farmers on Maui because we spend every day outside, stewarding the land and caring for our goats in order to produce wholesome and nutritious dairy products for our community to enjoy.” 

Woodburn-Rist is the newest member of the 2026-’27 MCFB Board of Directors. At MCFB’s September meeting, the board voted to change its bylaws to add one more director for a voting tie breaker. Woodburn-Rist joins the returning slate of officers and directors: Jayson Watts, president; Kyle Caires, vice president; Tim Stevens, treasurer; Ethan Romanchak, secretary; and members Rodrigo “Rudy” Balala, Theresa Thompson, Brendan Balthazar, Bryan Otani, Matt Keiley and James “Jimmy” Gomes.

“I was motivated to join MCFB’s board to apply my experience in agriculture and small-scale dairy farming and to continue to advocate for farmers and help guide the future of agriculture on Maui,” Woodburn-Rist said. “Farming is important not just to provide food but also to preserve open green spaces and habitats for native species. Goats will graze the pastures, maintaining weeds and overgrowth, and then convert all of that grass into milk, into food for us.”

For Kiana Smith, director of sales and marketing for Hawai‘i Farm Project, it’s all about giving people the experience of farming, whether that’s taking a farm tour, shopping at a local farmers market, or enjoying the farm float at the parade. “Each experience and purchase helps support local agriculture and the people who keep it growing,” Smith said. “Being part of the parade is a chance for our Hawaiʻi Farm Project ʻohana to celebrate the people, history and hard work behind Maui ag. We’re proud to honor those who came before us while representing the teams working every day to keep agriculture thriving on Maui.” Hawai‘i Farm Project is a group of Maui-based agricultural and agritourism companies—including Maui Gold Pineapple—dedicated to growing, sharing and preserving Hawai‘i’s farming heritage.

At MCFB’s September meeting, the board announced the 2026 Membership Award winners: Hugh Starr was named “2026 Member of the Year,” and Kyle Yamashita received the “2026 Mike Lyons Award.” Both awards celebrate those champions of agriculture who have made a positive and lasting impact on the Maui industry.  

Hugh Starr is owner/operator of his family’s small Momona Farm in Upcountry Maui, specializing in diversified fruit tree crops. Starr has worked with nearly every facet of the rural land industry in Hawai‘i, from cattle ranching to farm and ranch land sales and land use consulting. Born in the islands, he spent most of his youth in ranching communities on O‘ahu and Hawai‘i Island. He studied at Cornell University, specializing in agricultural economics/animal husbandry, before returning to the islands to work for ‘Ulupalakua Ranch. He has lived on Maui since 1968 with his partner and growing family of four children and five grandchildren. 

“Our MCFB is a long-time, respected stakeholder in our community,” Starr said. “I perceive Hawai‘i’s agricultural culture to be at a critical intersection of change and challenges…in the spirit of nurturing our future seven generations, I feel it’s my community duty to kokua this important transition.”      

Watanabe said Starr’s award as “Member of the Year” is well-merited. “Hugh is a longtime member who has always been actively involved in agricultural issues,” Watanabe said. “He has practical experience in ranching and land management but also understands and advocates for the basic needs of agriculture. He volunteers his time to research in depth and develops possible solutions for the many issues that confront the viability of our farmers and ranchers.”

Kyle Yamashita is a longtime state representative from Upcountry Maui and a dedicated advocate for agriculture. His career experience includes owning and operating a small business, and he has been a member of the Parent Teacher Student Association at King Kekaulike High School and a scoutmaster for Pukalani Troop 75. As chair of the House Finance Committee in 2024, Yamashita led the push for the largest tax cut in state history. He was replaced as finance chair at the end of the 2025 session but remains a member of the committee, and tax reform remains a priority for him. Yamashita represents Keahua, Hali‘imaile, Pukalani, Makawao, Pulehu, Waiakoa, Kula, Keokea and ‘Ulupalakua.

“Representative Kyle Yamashita has been a steadfast champion for agriculture across Maui and our entire state,” Watts said. “His years-long commitment and tireless support at the legislature have been vital in providing the resources, infrastructure and policies our local farming and ranching communities need to thrive. MCFB is deeply grateful for his dedication and leadership, and he is exceptionally deserving of this honor.”

MCFB represents a broad and diverse agricultural industry, of which a large and growing sector is floriculture. A recent surge of interest in handmade specialty lei has helped to revitalize this sector on Maui. 

The MCFB Board of Directors meets the first Wednesday of each month, except when general membership meetings are held in March, June, September and December. General meetings are held on the third Wednesday at Kula Community Center. 

For more information about MCFB, visit www.mauicountyfarmbureau.org.