ABOUT US
Guiding Maui County farmers to become integral members of our local food supply chain and community fabric.
OUR MISSION
Maui Farmer Support Network provides coaching, resources, and voice to strengthen Maui’s regenerative farmers and build a connected network of small-scale agricultural producers.
OUR VISION
A vibrant, farmer-led agricultural future for Maui, rooted in regenerative practices and strong community networks.
OUR STORY
Maui Farmer Support Network (MFSN) is a Hawaiʻi-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to strengthening the viability and resilience of Maui’s small-scale and regenerative farmers. Through hands-on coaching, technical assistance, and practical resource-sharing—including our Tool & Equipment Lending Library—we help farmers start, stabilize, and scale their operations. MFSN serves as both a trusted guide and a collaborative hub, connecting producers to funding opportunities, land access pathways, and peer learning. Our work is grounded in mālama ʻāina values and a deep commitment to food sovereignty, farmer success, and a thriving local agricultural economy for Maui County.
Maui Farmer Support Network was founded by Georgia Pinsky and Dr. Phyllis Robinson. For years, working with Hawaii Farmers Union, these visionary women had witnessed the incredible enthusiasm and passion of FAM alumni—graduates who had just completed a transformative seven-month crash course in regenerative farming—and saw a critical gap. These new farmers needed ongoing support, practical resources, and guidance to make the leap from their previous lives into their futures as local food producers. This was the moment when the vision for the Maui Farmer Support Network took root—a community-based lifeline, designed to walk alongside these farmers on their regenerative journey.
In 2021, the seeds of the Maui Farmer Support Network were planted under the working title of the Maui Family Farmer Training Network. By 2022, the idea was formally incorporated as an LLC, partnering with Food Security Hawaiʻi as our fiscal sponsor. That year, we received a crucial grant from the County of Maui Office of Economic Development to provide one-on-one farmer coaching during the COVID era. Through this focused, personalized approach, we quickly realized how powerful one-on-one guidance was for small farmers, laying the groundwork for the Maui Farmer Support Network we are today.
In 2024, a major milestone was reached: we were awarded our 501(c)(3) determination from the IRS, officially recognizing Maui Farmer Support Network as a nonprofit organization. This status opened doors for new funding opportunities, expanded partnerships, and gave us the structure we needed to scale our coaching, advocacy, and resource-sharing programs. With this nonprofit foundation, we continue to grow, serving small farmers across Maui.
MEET THE TEAM
We wouldnʻt be anything without the ever stronger network of SKILLED people who are all working towards Food Security, and a better Maui for future generations.
GEORGIA AMBER PINSKY
Executive Director
Aloha e FARM-ily. I am committed to improving our local access to good, clean food. I am focused on working with and for organizations that are working to improve our community, and our planet. I am reliable, enthusiastic, and motivated. I hold a BA from UH Hilo, and I was born, raised, and homeschooled here on Maui.
I will help connect you to the resources you need to meet your goals. My Coaching is focused on you and YOUR FARM and I can connect you with resources you need to move forward on your goals.
PATRICIA PARENTE
Bookkeeper
Patricia Parente supports Maui Farmer Support Network (MFSN) with bookkeeping and QuickBooks technical assistance, providing steady, detail-oriented financial support that helps keep the organization running smoothly. Known for her kind and patient approach, Patricia works closely with staff to build confidence and clarity around financial systems and reporting. Through her work with multiple nonprofit organizations on Maui, Patricia brings a strong understanding of the nuances, compliance requirements, and real-world constraints that mission-driven organizations face. At MFSN, Patricia’s thoughtful guidance strengthens internal financial practices, supports transparency, and helps ensure the organization maintains solid fiscal footing as its programs and partnerships continue to expand.
RENEE RACHEL BAKER
On Site Event Coordinator
Renée Rachel Rivera is the Events Host for the Maui Farmer Support Network (MFSN), Renée handles event coordination, hosting, operations, and collaborative visioning—helping build welcoming, no-pretense spaces where farmers and partners can show up as they are, feel supported, and strengthen the network together. From her homestead in East Maui, Renée brings real-world growing experience across different climates and communities. Her work is shaped by a commitment to decolonizing approaches, circular economies, locavorism, and building systems that actually sustain people and land over time. She connected with MFSN through the Seeds of Wellbeing Farmer Mental Health training, which deepened her drive to support Maui's agricultural community—especially around resilience and well-being. Currently completing her MSW, working in macro practice, she works with women and Indigenous farmers, co-facilitating spaces that hold complexity and foster real connection led by community elders. As a budding video artist, she enjoys archiving honest stories that reflect individual and collective human experiences
OLATOKUNBO TIXO AUGUSTUS
Advisor
To be added soon!
AVI BERMAN
Tool Operator and Mechanic
Abraham “Avi” Berman serves as the Tool Library Mechanic and Tool Operator for Maui Farmer Support Network (MFSN), bringing decades of hands-on mechanical experience to the organization’s equipment lending programs. Avi has been working with engines since his teenage years, developing deep practical knowledge across a wide range of machinery—from small dirt bikes and chainsaws to heavy equipment. At MFSN, Avi plays a critical role in keeping the Tool & Equipment Lending Library safe, reliable, and field-ready for Maui’s farmers. His work ensures that shared equipment remains accessible and functional for small and beginning producers who depend on these tools to maintain and grow their operations. Beyond his mechanical expertise, Avi is also an active small farmer. Together with his wife and son, he operates a family farm that contributes fresh food to rural Maui communities. His lived understanding of the daily realities farmers face informs his practical, solutions-oriented approach and his deep commitment to supporting Maui’s agricultural resilience.
CELESTINE CASSERLEY
Associate Director of Operations
Celestine Casserley is the Associate Director of Operations for the Maui Farmers Support Network (MFSN), supporting program operations, website development, and internal systems that strengthen the network’s work and impact. Born and raised in Kula, Hawaiʻi, Celestine brings a deep understanding of both community and business operations, with previous leadership experience at a Maui-based women’s health nonprofit and a background in tech and nonprofit systems. After the 2023 fires, she shifted her focus toward supporting Maui’s recovery and long-term resilience. She is passionate about climate action rooted in community and was drawn to MFSN for its commitment to farmers, regenerative agriculture, and strengthening Maui’s local food systems for future generations.
MEET THE BOARD
TIRZAH RODERS
Board Chair
Tirzah Rodgers serves as Board Chair of Maui Farmer Support Network (MFSN), bringing deep agricultural roots and a strong working-class perspective to her leadership. With family ties to Maui ranching ʻohana and raised by her mother Joanie, a farmer, Tirzah carries forward a multigenerational connection to the land and to Hawaiʻi’s agricultural traditions. Professionally, Tirzah has spent many years working as a bridger welder, developing a reputation for precision, resilience, and hands-on problem solving in demanding field environments. Her background in the trades grounds her leadership in the real-world experiences. As Board Chair, Tirzah is deeply committed to ensuring that MFSN remains responsive to the needs of small and beginning farmers. She brings practical insight and a strong belief in the dignity of agricultural and skilled labor to guide the organization’s continued growth and community impact.
BONNIE NEWMAN
Vice Chair
Gratefully resided full time on Maui since 1986 (born in London England; raised in Ontario Canada). I lived for 20 years in the Los Angeles area where I became a Divorce Attorney and then the busiest Divorce Mediator in west L.A. at that time. I’ve been a licensed Maui Realtor-Salesperson for over 35 years. Now I am thankfully living in Maui Meadows so I can swim in our pristine ocean at least 3 mornings each week. I’ve sung all my long life: professionally (classical and Opera) when I was younger; here at Unity Church over 33 years as well as Temple of Peace and the Beit Shalom Synagogue; and many diverse places just for Fun; plus a high soprano member of Maui Choral Arts choir! I am pleased and proud to be a new member of this esteemed Board.
MORGAN LOPEZ
Treasurer and Acting Secretary
I have always loved being in nature. The great outdoors is a place of wonder, play, adventure, and communion with the greater forces of life. As a child, my father and grandparents fostered these affections with hikes and camping framed by protocols for being a responsible, considerate guest and recognizing the profound connection to “God’s Country.” As a young adult, my relationship with the natural world did not change, but my understanding of humanity’s role in environmental destruction and humanitarian crises grew. Through the years—the ups, downs, and detours, I realized that the most freedom, satisfaction, and security one could obtain is by creating a self-sufficient way of life tied to stewarding the land and nurturing the community. In 2011, I moved to Maui, Hawaii, which further sparked my imagination about growing food and sustainability. While living on the edge of a jungle in a subtropical paradise, I harvested apple bananas, lilikoi, avocados, inga, and star fruit, drank collected rainwater, and had just enough solar energy to charge my phone and plug in some Christmas lights at night–it was very romantic. In 2012, I participated in creating a permaculture-based farm community on a 7-acre property and Haiku, and in 2017, I co-created a farm and landscape business that focuses on regenerative permaculture practices. I am honored to support our agricultural community by serving on this board.
DR. JANINE HOLSTEIN
Board Member
Dr. Janine Holstein is the owner and founder of the farm at Maui Majesty, www.MauiMajesty.com. She has a PhD in Clinical Psychology, a Masters degree in Sociology, and a Master of Social Work degree. She is a professor in the social sciences at several universities. She has worked in many areas of psychology and social work including as therapist, clinical supervisor, clinical director, policy director, and in executive management for non-profit behavioral health agencies. Her farming background includes 2 certificates as Master Gardener, one in Los Angeles, CA, through UCLA, and one on Maui, in HI through UH. She also completed the Go Farm Hawaii program on Kauai through UH. She also completed the Farm Apprentice Mentorship Program.
PAUL APAO
Board Member
Paul Apao serves as a Board Member of Maui Farmer Support Network (MFSN), bringing extensive land stewardship experience and deep regional knowledge to the organization’s leadership. As a landowner and active farmer in the Nā Wai ʻEhā region, Paul has a firsthand understanding of the opportunities and challenges facing Maui’s agricultural sector. His work on the land reflects a long-term commitment to responsible resource management, water stewardship, and the continued viability of local food production. Paul’s perspective helps ground MFSN’s strategic direction in the practical realities of working agricultural lands at scale. Through his board service, Paul supports MFSN’s mission to strengthen and sustain Maui’s farming community, offering valuable insight that bridges large-scale land management with the needs of small and beginning producers across the island.
FUNDERS
COM MDOA
The County of Maui Department of Agriculture (COM MDOA) is a key partner in strengthening Maui County’s agricultural community. Through its support of Maui Farmer Support Network (MFSN), COM MDOA primarily funds MFSN’s Farmer Coaching Program, which provides individualized, one-on-one guidance to farmers and food producers. This program helps participants build viable businesses, navigate regulations, improve production practices, and respond to real-world challenges unique to farming in Maui County. With COM MDOA’s investment, MFSN is able to meet farmers where they are, offering practical coaching that increases resilience, long-term sustainability, and success across Maui’s agricultural sector.
COM EP&S
The County of Maui Environmental Protection and Sustainability (EP&S) advances initiatives that protect natural resources, reduce waste, and promote climate-smart solutions across Maui County. Through its Landfill Diversion Grant, EP&S supports Maui Farmer Support Network’s regenerative farming programming with “Waste to Agricultural Wealth.”. This funding covers wood chipping, cardboard distribution, and composting education, helping farmers divert organic waste from landfills while building healthy soils. The program transforms local waste streams into valuable agricultural inputs, strengthening farm resilience and supporting a more circular, sustainable food system.
Atherton Family Foundation
The Atherton Family Foundation has been a valued supporter of Maui Farmer Support Network (MFSN) since 2023, providing funding for MFSN’s Tool & Equipment Lending Library. This support helps farmers access essential equipment without the financial burden of ownership, reducing barriers to production and improving farm efficiency. Through Atherton Family Foundation’s investment, MFSN is able to strengthen farm viability, encourage resource sharing, and support a more resilient and collaborative agricultural community in Maui County.
Rotary D5000
Rotary District 5000 provided funding to Maui Farmer Support Network (MFSN) in 2025 through the Fire Recovery Fund, supporting farmer wellness events and skills-building workshops. This funding helps address the ongoing impacts of wildfire and disaster-related stress within Maui’s agricultural community by creating spaces for connection, learning, and recovery. Through these workshops and gatherings, MFSN supports both practical skill development and personal well-being, strengthening farmer resilience and fostering long-term recovery across Maui County’s farming community.
Womenʻs Fund of Hawaii
The Womenʻs Fund of Hawaiʻi is a longtime champion of programs that advance economic security and leadership opportunities for women statewide. Maui Farmer Support Network (MFSN) is honored to be in its second year of support from the Womenʻs Fund, with funding dedicated to skills development and confidence-building for women farmers. This investment supports workshops, peer learning, and practical training that empower women in agriculture to strengthen their businesses, build community, and thrive as leaders within Maui County’s farming sector.
Nuestro Futuro Foundation
The Nuestro Futuro Foundation invests in grassroots organizations advancing equity, opportunity, and long-term community well-being. Through its support of Maui Farmer Support Network (MFSN), Nuestro Futuro strengthens organizational capacity and sustainability, helping ensure that farmers—particularly those historically underserved—have access to consistent, high-quality support. This funding enables MFSN to maintain core operations and administrative infrastructure, allowing staff to focus on delivering impactful programs that build resilience, stability, and opportunity within Maui County’s agricultural community.
RCUH-CTAHR
The Community Care and Crop Resilience (CCCR) Program, funded through the Research Corporation of the University of Hawaii, College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (RCUH-CTAHR), supports the mental wellness of Maui County farmers. This three-year grant provides dedicated funding for farmer mental wellness programming, recognizing that strong farms depend on the well-being of the people who steward the land. Through this support, Maui Farmer Support Network (MFSN) will offer resources and programming that help farmers manage stress, build resilience, and strengthen community connections across Maui’s agricultural sector.