As we celebrate Women’s History Month and Agriculture Week, Maui Economic Development Board (MEDB) is happy to introduce a remarkable individual who embodies resilience, leadership, and a passion for community impact. Tambara Garrick, Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) for Hawaiʻi Farm Project’s Maui Gold Pineapple, is not just leading market initiatives, she is crafting a narrative of empowerment and sustainability in the agricultural sector. She was recently acknowledged for her contributions to a thriving future for Maui Nui by Pacific Business News as one of their 2024 Women Who Mean Business honorees.
A 2017 Ka Ipu Kukui Fellow, Garrick participated in the year-long leadership development program and now serves on their board of directors. The uniquely designed program addresses the many challenges that face Maui. Garrick’s journey, from a childhood farm stand to becoming CMO at Maui Gold Pineapple, is a testament to her deep-rooted connection to agriculture. She is passionate about supporting small businesses and sustainable practices for our future generations. In addition to her long-time involvement with Future Farmers of America, she serves on numerous boards, including those for County of Maui Workforce Development, Chamber for Hawaiʻi Restaurant Association, and Lahaina Town Action Committee.
“It’s all about being able to navigate challenges, including the recent Maui wildfires, which call for an enormous amount of resilience and strategic thinking,” Garrick said. “In response to the devasting fires, I helped initiate the Pineapple Pledge. With every purchase of a Maui Gold Pineapple the company donates to the relief organizations providing aid to the affected community. This initiative not only supports those in need, but also helps protect farm jobs and pineapple production operations. Additionally, Maui Gold recently contributed $2,000 to support Lahainaluna High School’s Robotics Team, assisting promising STEM students with travel and opportunity costs.”
In her role as CMO, Garrick oversees the planning, development, and execution of marketing and sales efforts across the company’s family of brands. Her responsibilities range from creative influence on business strategy to driving the company’s growth. “Our future includes continued Maui Pineapple Tours, exporting, consulting with other farms, and ensuring legislature to protect them,” Garrick noted. “Additionally, working with the MEDB STEMworks™ Ag Internship Program, our manager, Rudy Balala, teaches our youth the importance of agriculture. We are grateful to MEDB for helping to set that up.”
We continue to send pineapples to Maui Food Bank, the Food Hub, and others in need. The future of agriculture on our island is more vital than ever.
Tambara Garrick, CMO, Maui Gold Pineapple
A World Peace Event, presented by Mindfulness Presentations, Films and Concert, will be held on Saturday, March 23 and Sunday, March 24 at the Iao Theater in Wailuku. The fundraiser for Keola Beamer’s Mohala Hou Foundation, whose mission is to spread aloha around the world, will include a full weekend program. On Saturday the 23rd, the presentation kicks off at 1pm with the film Himalayan Prayer for World Peace 3D by PBS award-winning Maui filmmaker and humanitarian, Dr. Tom Vendetti, and a stage presentation on World Peace and Compassion byTibetan Flautist Nawang Khechog. The event will continue with a panel discussion on Telescopes, Microscopes and Human Consciousness, followed by two additional films.
On Sunday the 24th, the World Peace Concert begins at 3pm with Maui born and raised slack key master, Jeff Peterson and Khechog, plus Dr. Vendetti’s film: Tibetan Illusion Destroyer 3D. “Peterson, the son of a paniolo at Haleakala Ranch, was exposed to the sounds of slack key at an early age,” Vendetti noted. “His style fuses traditional slack key with elements of classical and jazz guitar, styles at which he is also adept. His most recent solo album, Maui on My Mind,shows his love for the island. His concerto for slack key guitar, Malama ‘Aina, has three movements dedicated to the three volcanoes in Hawaii, Haleakala, Kilauea, and Mauna Loa.”Peterson commented, “I am proud of the rich heritage of Hawaiian music my father introduced me to. In addition to performing, I have taught guitar online during the pandemic and at the University of Hawaii. Playing slack key has brought me peace. I strive to share this peace with others in Hawaii and worldwide.”
Khechog, born in Tibet and a frequent Maui visitor, is a self-taught musician, Tibetan flute player and composer. It has been said that his sublime flute playing defies time, leaving one speechless.“One of the marvels of music is that it cultivates kindness, compassion, and love,” said Khechog.“These precious human values are the foundation of true happiness. They are at the core of peaceful coexistence with one another and with our environment.”
I am honored to be part of this World Peace Event. The initiative serves to make the world a better place through music, film and aloha.
Dr. Tom Vendetti, Maui Filmmaker & Humanitarian
Observing Women’s History Month during March, Maui Economic Development Board celebrates revered poet and activist Dana Naone Hall, who was recently named the Hawaii Land Trust 2023 Champion of the Land.
A $3.2 million gift from the Laurence H. Dorcy Hawaiian Foundation established a new Hawaiian studies chair at the University of Hawaii at Manoa Hawai’inuiākea School of Hawaiian Knowledge. In 2020, the Dana Naone Hall Endowed Chair in Hawaiian Studies, Literature and the Environment was named in her honor.
Hawai’inuiākea Dean Jonathan Osorio said, “Through this endowment, we teach new generations of Hawaiians about their ancestors who honed social, environmental and cultural management skills over a thousand years. Powerful, fearless community leaders like Dana Naone Hall have been key to the perpetuation of Hawaiian knowledge over the last 50 years, as they worked tirelessly to protect our oceans, streams and forests from urbanization and tourist-driven development.
A graduate of Kamehameha Schools and UH Manoa, Naone Hall writes about the inexhaustible relationship of the Hawaiian people to their native land. Among her many contributions is Life of the Land: Articulations of a Native Writer, covering more than three decades of her political and cultural engagement in public, federal, state and county processes.
In her book, Naone Hall defines activism as, “99 percent trench work.” She encourages engagement to benefit the life of the land by protecting and restoring cultural sites across the islands. She says, “This ensures that the life of the land will continue to be perpetuated for future generations.” Naone Hall seeks to leaven polemical language with poetic expressions of aloha ‘aina and conveys as much pertinent information as possible to aid those in decision-making positions. In her poem Keone’o’io Fishpond, she writes, “If you do not see / how those here raised / the soft-nosed needlefish, / Look again.”
University of Hawaii President David Lassner said, “We are humbled and honored to have this new endowed chair honoring such an influential and inspirational educator and advocate as Naone Hall. She will have an impact stretching across generations that will infuse new energy into the application of Hawaiian knowledge, enriching not only our Hawaiian communities, but our world.”
Naone Hall’s political activism culminated in the protection of numerous sacred places. She challenges us all to reflect on our values, to live them, and to act.
Jonathan Osorio, Dean, UH Manoa Hawai’inuiākea School of Hawaiian Knowledge
Black History Month honors the achievements, triumphs, and contributions of African- Americans to U.S. history and culture. As we recognize and reflect on influential voices, past and present, and also enter Women in History month in March, Maui Economic Development Board celebrates Maui resident Judge Bevanne J. Bowers. Appointed Per Diem Judge in the District and Family Courts of Hawaii’s Second Judicial District on December 20, 2021, Bowers became the first African-American female appointed judge in Maui County. She is also a member of the Maui County Bar Association, the African American Law Association of Hawaii, Maui County Nonprofit Association, and much more.
Additionally, Bowers was appointed Executive Director of Maui Mediation Services in May 2015. Formed in 1982, the 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization provides alternative dispute resolution, facilitation, and training to residents of Maui, Molokai, and Lanai. The nonprofit was selected as Maui United Way’s Partner Agency of the Year for 2019-20. Upon moving to Maui from Tennessee in 2011 to start her own law practice, Bowers took the basic mediation training and became a volunteer to help serve the community. “It’s the best decision I ever made,” she explained. “Mediation is a voluntary process that offers an effective and inexpensive way to resolve a dispute quickly and provides an alternative to court proceedings.”
Bower’s dedication to helping others was honored in 2020 with a distinguished O’o Award as Maui County’s Outstanding Nonprofit Executive Director. “Our mediators are all professionally trained volunteers who have undergone extensive training, “she said. “We provide creative ways of resolving all types of disputes, from family matters and landlord/tenant conflicts to consumer/merchant and employment issues. We help people find their own best solutions, and also teach conflict resolution skills in our Youth Program for ages 8-18.”
Bowers added, “Everyone should take this training! Even if you don’t want to become a mediator, these important skills can be used in any context, anytime, in all types of situations. It’s an opportunity to make a difference. My judgeship is a privilege I don’t take lightly. My joy has always come from helping others. There’s no greater gift you can give than to be of service.”
Never give up! You can accomplish what you set out to do if only you believe in yourself.
Judge Bevanne Bowers, Per Diem Judge, District and Family Courts of Hawaii’s Second Judicial District
The Maui Quilt Shop on Central Avenue in Wailuku is packed full of fabrics, quilt patterns, and quilt kits with a contemporary Hawaiian style, besides patterns and kits for basic quilting. In this distinctive Maui store, a haven for any quilter and fabric lover,a remarkable humanitarian gesture occurred. Owner Marilyn Sameshima shared, “I am astounded by the generous and beautiful quilt donations that came to the Maui Quilt Shop’s Aloha Quilt Donation Drive for those affected by the Lahaina and Upcountry fires. The Maui Quilt Shop received approximately 5,650 quilts from Hawaii and around the world! To date we have distributed over 5,000. The fire recipients are very appreciative and touched by the quilts. They will always hold this expression of caring dear to their hearts. My incredible staff and volunteers assisted in the effort and their continued support and endless hours of work contributed to the success of the mission.”
In addition to the quilts, people donated blankets, pillowcases, and other items made by quilters and guilds from across the country, Canada and worldwide, to distribute to survivors in Lahaina and Kula. “Survivors continue to visit us to pick up these treasures given to them by generous people in their time of need,” Sameshima noted. “We send our thanks to those who kept Maui in mind. We hope the entire community will continue to remember our survivors and donate to other recognized groups such as the Maui Food Bank, Maui Strong Fund, and Maui United Way.”
Sameshima knows how much time, effort, expense and tender loving care goes into making quilts. She continues to be awed by the worldwide response of donations. “These handmade quilts were made with loving hands,” she added. “The donated quilts have been, and continue to be, appreciated by the survivors of this horrible fire. They have also been received by first responders, firefighters, and their families. Many of them also lost their homes and loved ones. Using a grass-roots network to get the word out that quilts are available, we were able to make sure they found caring homes.”
Mahalo to all who contributed to our Aloha Quilts Donation Drive. Thank you for caring about Maui!
Marilyn Sameshima, Owner, Maui Quilt Shop
The Spirit Horse Ranch (TSHR) Inc., a 501(c)(3) Maui nonprofit, helps adolescent and other survivors of abuse and trauma through the healing energy of equine-assisted learning, organic gardening, creative expression, and the healing energy of the Haleakala setting. Operated by the Deponte family, TSHR began in 2021 on Triple L Ranch. It is one of the few remaining Paniolo cattle ranches on Maui with 132 acres of lush land on the mountain slopes. The program is fueled by a certified and dedicated team, with facilities and curriculum to ensure a safe environment. It also serves as a sanctuary for the retired Triple L Ranch horses to love and be loved.
“A growing body of evidence suggests that the unique human-horse connection improves the physical and mental health of both species,” said Paige Deponte, TSHR Founder and Executive Director. “As the horse and person bond, a healthy connection via self-awareness grows, resulting in emotional healing. Our programs are centered on the concept that by building a working relationship with a horse, any participant can develop important skills that can translate to all aspects of their daily lives.”
The TSHR team and Trauma Informed Care Facility are available to survivors of abuse, grief and trauma in the Maui community. The work fosters healing, resilience and emotional well-being to all those who have endured painful experiences, including the hardship from the Maui wildfires. The ranch has extended the scope of their program to encompass all age groups, free of charge, with a special day dedicated to first responders and those caring for the welfare of others. Through their different initiatives, TSHR addresses distress in a holistic manner, integrating both emotional and physiological aspects of healing.
“To date, we have provided 533 sessions to the community since the wildfires, and will continue to be here for anyone who needs help,” Deponte added. “We have seen the unique reciprocal bond between the two species continue to thrive, grow and surprise. To help rebuild our community’s resilience, we invite our Maui ‘ohana to come and learn effective coping tools here at our ranch.”For more info email: info@thespirithorseranch.org or call 808-280-7070.
TSHR Equine Therapy Program for children 11-17 is open to all agencies and schools, beginning January 2024.
Paige DePonte
Founder & Executive Director
The Spirit Horse Ranch
Dr. Busaba Yip, cultural director and docent of the Wo Hing Museum, Society Hall and Cookhouse is slowly recovering from the August 8th wildfires. Losing everything—home, business, personal possessions—she could only weep the first few days. Yet, while the Lahaina fire destroyed all the Wo Hing buildings, it did not destroy Yip’s commitment to keep hope alive, to rebuild and restore.
In years past, Chinese New Year (CNY) was celebrated at Wo Hing with lion dances, Chinese artifacts and music, tea celebrations, and numerous fun activities. “While grieving Lahaina’s losses, we can still celebrate new beginnings at the various CNY events on Maui,” said Yip. “February 10th begins the year of the Wood Dragon. That day we will have a CNY offering and display table with Chinese artifacts at the Upcountry Farmers Market from 8am-11am. Plus, Kwock Hing Temple in Kula will have a CNY celebration February 25th at 11am.”
The date for CNY is determined by the lunar calendar. Each year, the date falls on the second new moon after the winter solstice. The ancient Chinese calendar is based on the 12-year cycle of the animal zodiac. This tradition recounts 12 mythical animals descending from heaven to usher in spring and a new harvest, with each year assigned to one of the twelve animals. Each year, CNY is also associated with one of the five elements: earth, wood, fire, metal, and water. In 2024, wood and dragon take center stage, making it the Year of the Wood Dragon. The dragon, a mythical and powerful animal, brings hope for growth, and renewal.
Yip added, “Inspiring imagination and leadership, the Year of the Wood Dragon is a time to celebrate with family, friends, fireworks, and lanterns. A tray of sweetmeats called Chuen-hop (togetherness) is also shared. It is a time to reflect on our lives over the past year, to plan for the future, and to try to recreate what Wo Hing used to be. Right now, though, my wish for the community is to be safe, and to have a healthy and happy New Year as we rebuild our West Side and island community together.”
The most common greetings heard are Kung Hee Fat Choy, May Wealth and Prosperity Be Yours, and Sen Nien Fai Lok, Happy New Year!
Dr. Busaba Yip
Cultural Director & Docent
Wo Hing Museum, Society Hall and Cookhouse
Julia Allisson Cost is from a family of well-known artists. Her father, Curtis Wilson Cost, is one of the most acclaimed artists on Maui and her mom, Jill, is a multi-talented sewist, fabric and fashion designer and business manager. Julia, with a double BA in Studio Art and Dance from Scripps College and an MFA in Dance from the University of California, Irvine, is a painter, textile designer, sewist, author, illustrator, and dancer. Inspired by her upcountry surroundings, she captures the world on canvas through painting and transforms her paintings into textile designs. Those designs have become the raw material for her clients who sew artistically.
“I’m just an island kid, born, raised and based on Maui,” Julia said. “My dad is a realistic landscape painter and has the longest running one-man gallery in the state of Hawaii, the Curtis Wilson Cost Gallery. He’s been archiving rural Hawaii as it looked before modern development through his oil paintings since 1973. My mom had her own one-woman batik and sewing business called Kulia Batiks. The love my parents showed me through the world of art flows into my relationships with my clients. That people love my fabrics enough to sew incredible garments with them is quite an honor.”
Most recently, Julia released her first picture book, The Girl And The Boat, which tells a story of friendship through 30 richly detailed oil paintings that invite you to explore countless details and interpret the story for yourself. It is about a little girl who lives high on a mountain overlooking the sea. One day, she finds a toy boat in a field of wildflowers and carries it home, washes it, sews it a new sail, and then goes on a series of adventures with it.
Julia added, “I painted every page of this book with the goal that each scene would stand alone as a work of art. I created the props and sewed the quilts and costumes so that I could paint everything from life and achieve a level of rich detail and realism. The story ignites imagination while beckoning to explore the paintings again and again.” For more info visit: https://juliacost.com.
Living in so much beauty upcountry inspires my work.
Julia Allisson Cost, Artist, Author, Dancer
In December, a Coffee with a Cop event was held at the Dairy Road Starbucks. Police officers in green Starbucks aprons surprised customers with free coffee and conversation. “Coffee with a Cop brings officers and the community members they serve together,” said Jun Hattori, Traffic Division officer. “Over coffee we get to discuss issues people may have and we’re able to learn more about each other.”
In 2016, the first Coffee with a Cop Day took place. The Hawthorne Police Department in Hawthorne, California initially launched the idea to seek new ways to interact with their community more successfully. As a result, Coffee with a Cop is currently nationwide.
On Maui, Coffee with a Cop hopes to break down barriers between police officers and citizens by allowing opportunities to ask questions and voice concerns. Taking time to meet at neutral island locations enables candid discussions about current concerns. “In a casual atmosphere, it is easier for people to share what’s on their mind,” said Sean Marzoeki, an upcountry community police officer. “Surprisingly, in a short time, citizens and police officers get to know each other and discover mutual goals for the communities they live in and serve.”
Helping to build trust and foster a sense of community, officers have embraced the event as a way to connect with residents they may never meet otherwise. “We are constantly told stories about positive connections and interactions at Coffee with a Cop events,” said Marzoeki. “It’s great to talk story and be asked questions we can answer. Most people don’t know how to approach an officer. Like today at Starbucks, we just put on the green apron, worked behind the counter, and even got to also talk story with the people in the drive thru.”
The Maui Police Department officers are looking forward to more meetings in the new year. Coffee with a Cop is sure to create a valuable connection in our communities. When officers hear their community’s needs from the people themselves, they’re better able to support them and to see officers as their ally in protecting families and neighbors.
There are a lot of things to talk about over coffee these days. I’m very happy about this effort to show what community policing looks like.
Sean Marzoeki, Upcountry Community Police Officer
