Newsletter: Help Keep MFSN's Services FREE
MFSN GROWEr'S REPORT
OCTOBER 2026 | ISSUE 04
Help Keep MFSN Coaching & Other Services FREE
Mahalo for being part of the MFSN community. As we plan for another year of supporting Maui County farmers, we really need your kōkua.
Each year, we ask our participants to complete a brief 20-minute Annual Assessment. If you have filled it out already - MAHALO NUI LOA!
Why it Matters:
Your feedback helps us understand what farmers need, show the impact of our programs, and secure the funding that allows us to continue providing these services at no cost.
Your voice helps shape what MFSN can offer next year — so we truly appreciate you taking the time to share your experience with us.
Still Recovering from the 2026 storms?
We understand that the impacts of the 2026 storms are still being felt. If you still have storm damage, debris, cleanup, or just any work that needs attention to get you back in working order, MFSN would like to help.
We’re looking at organizing volunteer workdays (aka Laulima Days - at farms that could use an extra set of hands.
Fill out our Laulima Day Interest Form and let us know what kind of help you need. We’ll be in touch as we organize upcoming a workday.
No one grows alone.
InauguraL Open Farm Tour - Oct 24 &25
ATTEND OR DONATE TO THIS NEW EVENT
Be part of the inaugural Maui Open Farm Tours! This new community event is an opportunity to explore local farms, meet the people growing our food, learn about land stewardship, and connect with Maui’s agricultural community.
This event is being presented by Maui Tomorrow, Teran James Young Foundation and Maui Farmer Support Network.
A Letter from the Executive Diretor of Maui Farmer Support Network
Hi, I’m Georgia, co-founder and executive director of the Maui Farmer Support Network.
I’m making a direct, personal ask today: please donate and become a new recurring donor to MFSN.
Why do recurring donors matter? Because every month, farmers are navigating challenges that don’t wait for a grant cycle. A water problem, a broken piece of equipment, a paperwork deadline, a new opportunity, a difficult season — these are the everyday realities of farming.
MFSN exists to help farmers navigate those obstacles, connect to resources, build relationships, and keep moving toward their goals. Our work is made possible through grants, partnerships, and community support — and that last piece really matters.
Community donations give us the flexibility to cover the expenses that grants don’t cover, and they allow us to expand our capacity to provide wellness support to farmers.
That flexibility is important because not every need fits neatly into a grant budget. Sometimes farmers simply need someone to show up, listen, help them find the next step, or connect them to the right person or resource.
And your support does something else, too.
When you become a recurring donor, you’re showing that our community believes in farmers and believes this work should exist. That community support matters when we approach foundations, government agencies, and other funders. The more individual people who stand behind MFSN, the stronger the picture we can show of local investment in the farmers we serve.
Even a small monthly gift makes a difference. $10, $25, $50 a month — whatever feels meaningful to you — creates a dependable base of support that helps us keep showing up for farmers.
So if you believe in small and beginning farmers, regenerative agriculture, local food systems, and the people working every day to grow something here on Maui, I’m asking you to join us. Overcoming Obstacles. Achieving Goals. Growing Farmers. Mahalo for believing in our farmers — and in the work we’re doing together.
No On Grows Alone,
Georgia A Pinsky
Tool of the month
FREE QuickBooks Subscription + Training for Farmers from gofarm
GoFarm Hawaiʻi is offering FREE year of QuickBooks Online subscription + one-on-one training for farmers.
Participating farmers receive:
1 year of QuickBooks Online at no cost
Up to 7 hours of one-on-one bookkeeping support
Support from a professional bookkeeping service
This opportunity is designed for established agricultural businesses with active sales that are ready to improve their record-keeping and financial systems.
Spots are limited, and grant funds must be used by the end of the year. Apply soon if this could benefit your farm.
2nd Tool of the month
Lānaʻi MFSN RESOURCEs & SUPPORT
Book a Farm Coach for FREE Have a question or need help figuring something out? Coaching isn’t just for big farm challenges.
MFSN coaches can help with things like taxes, agricultural water rates, ag assessments, farm plans, finding funding, and navigating other resources. If you’re not sure where to start, we can help you figure it out.
Our inaugrual FREE Composting & Soil Management Workshop on Lānaʻi — October 17. Join us for first (and definitely not our last) hands-on workshop covering composting, cover crops and green mulch, and chop-and-drop with nitrogen-fixing plants. Learn practical techniques for building healthier soil and take new ideas home to your farm.
Community Contribution OPPORTUNITY
Donate YOUR ACCESS PRODUCE to Hale Kau kau or Volunteer your time
This month, we’re highlighting Hale Kau Kau, a local organization that prepares approximately 220 meals each day for community members and delivers meals to homebound residents in South Maui.
Hale Kau Kau accepts all types of fruits, vegetables in good condition for their meals. Donations can be dropped off 7 days a week, from 9 AM–10 PM at Saint Theresa Catholic Church in Kihei.
Hale Kau Kau relies heavily on volunteers. volunteers help prepare the approximately ~6000 meals served each month.
Have extra farm produce? Have a little time to give? This is one way our agricultural community can help support our neighbors.
MFSN Resources
MFSN HIGHLIGHS:
Check out our Free composting classes
COMPOSTING
Turn food scraps and green waste into something useful! Join us and partner orgs for a hands-on workshops covering home composting, sheet mulching, healthy soil, and climate resilience. Participants will also receive a free compost starter kit to take home.
WOMEN IN AG
"Show up, Speak Up, Be Heard"
Growing confidence & voice for women farmers in Maui County. Learn, find, trust, and use your voice in ways that feel authentic and empowering. Join us in growing your Voice.
FREE CARDBOARD
We are distributing free cardboard from businesses to any growers. Sheet mulching can help suppress weeds, retain moisture, protect soil, and build healthier growing areas, while giving used cardboard another useful purpose on the farm.
Every local farm contributes to something bigger.
Maui County growers help strengthen food security, steward agricultural lands, support local families, and build resilience for future generations.
Whether you're stewarding a garden bed or one hundred acres, your work matters.
Mahalo for everything you do.
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