It’s almost Halloween at Kula Country Farms! A favorite host site for STEMworks™ Agriculture & Business Internships, the upcountry family-run business owned by Chauncey and Teena Monden is located on the slopes of Haleakalā at 6240 Kula Highway. It’s a favorite stop for both locals and tourists alike, and the keiki adore the Pumpkin Patch. Over 60 varieties of locally grown edible and decorative pumpkins, squash, and gourds, alongside a children’s garden, farm animals, and a sunflower patch, make for an exciting Fall event.
Chauncey, a graduate from the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa and a fourth-generation farmer, took over the family farm in 1998 when his father retired. His wife Teena runs their open-air farm stand that is stocked with their home-grown fruit, produce, fresh-baked goods, and specialty items. Also, their daughter Tess has a smoothie, tea, coffee, and goodies truck on the property, next to the farm stand.
“We’re known for our Strawberry U-pick, and many other farm-related events,” Chauncey shared. “We started the stand because we wanted to promote local agriculture and to sell directly to customers. Our specialty crops like year-round strawberries give us that opportunity. One of the benefits of being a farmer is the gratification you feel when you produce a consistent product that people keep coming back for.”
Teena’s exceptional creativity keeps the stand continually growing which helps keep the farm going. She added, “The stand’s product line is always increasing, along with events held at the farm. For example, the third Saturday of each month we host a popular craft fair with locally made items. This month, come and pick your own pumpkins! The 2026 Fall Pumpkin Patch will be open through the month of October from 9am-4pm. We greatly appreciate all the community support!”
Our family farms with love!
– Chauncey and Teena, Kula Country Farms
Student Space Exploration Day, one of many career awareness programs offered by STEMworks™ to Maui County students, welcomed middle and high schoolers to an exciting day of STEM-inspired (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) space events. Students enjoyed a special live presentation and talk story with astronaut Scott ‘Scooter’ Altman about living and working in space. They also experienced hands-on scientific demonstrations and presentations of advanced technologies by experts in the field.
Altman, a retired United States Navy Captain, talked about his four Space Shuttle missions as well as his time as a Naval aviator, test pilot, engineer, and astronaut. Recalling his initial rejection from the astronaut program, Altman inspired the keiki to never give up and to always keep trying, as he himself did.
“I like to engage with students because it’s important that we connect with the next generation and get them interested in space-related issues,” he said. “It will be students in this age group, whom I am talking to today, who might be the first ones on Mars!”
Lori Ann Koyama, Lāhainā Intermediate STEMworks Media Production and Graphics teacher, said, “My students were excited to meet the astronaut and to do the hands-on experiments. This day gets them thinking about future careers that are available to them and they always come away wanting more.”
Bernadette Detera, engineer, explained what she does. “We showed the students a 3-D visualization of over 34,000 objects in space which we track. We talked about what satellites contribute to our daily lives, for example, GPS navigation, weather prediction, and long-distance communication. These show the importance of humanity’s future in space.”
Anela Arakawa, 8th grade, Lāhainā Intermediate, noted, “I learned about all the different satellites and how they work and how many objects there are in space. It makes me want to know more, go to college, and get a law degree. Maybe I’ll work in Space Law!”
Jaysen Acoba, 8th grade, Maui Waena Intermediate School, added, “I’m interested in robotics and what it can do for our society in the future. It’s what I love about Student Space Exploration Day; it’s all so inspiring. I want to go to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, a world-renowned research university, and help develop technologies that will create a safer space and a better world.”
Student Space Exploration Day really opens the students up to different opportunities they never even thought of. It is vital to get exposure like this for them. STEMworks makes it all happen!
– Lori Ann Koyama, Teacher, Lāhainā Intermediate School
‘Oko’a Farms, a Maui certified-organic farm established by Ryan Earehart and business partner Sal Gil Coca, began in 2008 and has dramatically boosted Maui’s fresh food system. ‘Oko’a, meaning ‘unique’ in Hawaiian, reflects the team’s commitment to a holistic approach to agriculture. Between their two ‘Oko’a stores, Kulamalu Town Center and Wailea Village, they offer 160 varieties of fruits, vegetables and herbs. ‘Oko’a grows over 125 crops on their farm, with the rest supplied by trusted local growers.
“The magic behind our farm comes from Sal’s expertise in farm production and my passion for community networking through healthy food.” said Earehart. “Together, we have built a robust network of dozens of local vendors and producers. We began our operations on a lone parcel of land in Kula, then expanded to four weekly farmer markets where customers would wait 30 minutes to purchase our produce.”
Now, in their stores, they sell produce that looks and tastes incredible. People say they have the freshest, highest-quality, organically-grown produce on the island. “Our mission is to invest in Maui’s future by strengthening food security and supporting other local farmers,” Earehart noted. “We continue to find unique ways to move in the direction of local food resilience by educating our customers about regenerative, organic, and sustainable farming practices; all thriving in harmony with the land.”
Earehart and Gil Coca also represent a powerful collaboration on Maui that bridges sustainable agriculture with STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) education. They provide immersive, hands-on learning experiences that prepare local youth for cutting-edge careers in food production and climate-smart technology. This year, ‘Oko’a will also become a host-site for Maui Economic Development Board’s STEMworks™ Agriculture Business & Technology Internship Program.
“Interns on the farm will learn how modern technology and scientific principles solve real-world agricultural challenges,” Earhart added. “We focus on vertically-integrated farming, starting from the soil, to seed, to finished nutrient dense food: Studying how ’Oko’a recycles nutrients by utilizing waste from our farm operations, tilapia ponds, and chickens and goats, to fertilize our organic crops; Soil Microbiology: Learning how to nurture underground mycelium networks to naturally transport nutrients between crops without relying on chemical fertilizers; and Agribusiness Technology: Developing modern skills in farm logistics, supply chains, and tech-driven resource management.”
To witness our farming practices firsthand, we offer farm tours to explore the fields where we cultivate over 125 unique crops, have over 1,000 pasture-raised free-range chickens for egg production, and goats rotationally grazing throughout the year.
– Ryan Earehart, co-owner ‘Oko’a Farms
The Harrison and Helen Miyahira STEM Center at Maui High School recently hosted Maui Economic Development Board’s (MEDB) STEMworks™ Innovators Summer Camp program. Camp Kauwela, named after the Hawaiian word for summer, is a place for middle school students to learn, grow, and explore. It blends STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) education with Hawaiian culture to inspire students to discover new ideas and potential career paths. Using 3-D printers and Microbit processors, 38 middle-school students and nine high-school STEM experts produced 14 Hawaiian-themed projects done over a period of five days, with a showcase held for families and friends on the last day.
“Camp Kauwela is based on scaffolding mentoring: a teaching method where a mentor breaks complex skills into smaller steps providing support until the mentee grows more confident while completing tasks above their current skill level,” explained Leslie Wilkins, MEDB President & CEO. “Together, the younger students are learning from the older students how to use these tools to improve our community.”
Lalaine Pasion, STEMworks Program Specialist, shared, “Camp Kauwela blends STEM education with Hawaiian culture to inspire students to look to the past to shape solutions to solve current challenges. Through hands-on learning, students developed skills, connected with local stories, and deepened their understanding of Hawai‘i’s land and people. More than anything, they left with a stronger sense of identity, heritage, and the power they have to make a difference, all while exploring how science and technology can help shape a better future for Maui.”
“I made life-long friends at Camp Kauwela,” said Alexis, one of the students. “Our Hawaiian word was Kupuna. We were able to express a deeper pride and understanding of our heritage as we worked on our project titled Medminder, a wrist device using Microbits to help kupuna remember to take their meds.”
Madison, in another group of participants, used a 3-D printer to make a ‘Charger Weight’. “Our Hawaiian word was Malama (to care),” she said. “Our team built a device to connect to phones that would solve the problem of chargers getting lost, falling or breaking. I also learned about different careers and how to work together on challenges and share creative solutions that can make an impact for our community. Thank you, MEDB!”
Mahalo to all our partners, volunteers, and supporters who made this year’s Camp Kauwela so special. More information about STEMworks can be found online at www.stemworkshawaii.org.
– Lalaine Pasion STEMworks Program Specialist
As part of the upcoming Ke Alahele Education Fund Benefit Dinner and Auction, the Maui Economic Development Board (MEDB) is inviting local students to apply for the 2026 Daniel K. Inouye Innovation Award. Established to honor the late U.S. Senator Daniel K. Inouye’s vision of Maui Nui as a center for innovation and technology, the award recognizes outstanding student projects that demonstrate creative and impactful applications of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) to serve and strengthen the community. Projects may be completed through school coursework, clubs, internships, STEM programs, or independent study.
Applications are open to Maui County public school students in grades 6-12, as well as students who graduated from high school in 2026. Individual students and teams of up to five members may submit projects completed during the 2025-26 school year or Summer 2026. Applications must be submitted through MEDB’s online application portal by 11:59 p.m. on Monday, August 17, 2026.
As part of the application process, students will describe their project’s objectives, development process, STEM skills and tools utilized, project outcomes, and community impact. Applicants will also be asked to explain how their project addresses a community concern or provides a meaningful service to others. At least one photo of the completed project is required, and students may also submit supporting materials such as presentations, research papers, videos, and lab reports to strengthen their application. A bibliography or work cited is required with submission if applicable.
The recipient of the 2026 Daniel K. Inouye Innovation Award will be announced during the Ke Alahele Education Fund Benefit Dinner and Auction, where a cash prize will be presented. The award celebrates students who combine technical knowledge, creativity, and service learning to develop practical solutions to real-world challenges facing Maui Nui communities.
MEDB is also accepting table reservations, auction donations, and event sponsorships for the Ke Alahele fundraiser. Proceeds support STEM education initiatives that provide opportunities for students from kindergarten through college and careers, helping to build the skills, confidence, and pathways needed for Hawai‘i’s Future.
For more information about the 2026 Daniel K. Inouye Innovation Award and to access the online application, visit www.medbpathways.org.
To be acknowledged with an award that carries the name and legacy of the late Senator Inouye is an incredible privilege. It is deeply meaningful that our work, in some way, reflects his vision of Maui Nui as an innovation center where the Science and Tech of our students can take root and flourish.
Aileen Kim
