KULA — With the announcement of its 2021 award winners, Maui County Farm Bureau (MCFB) celebrates those members who demonstrate tremendous support for Maui agriculture. This year’s winners are Member of the Year Heidi Watanabe; Farm Family of the Year, the Hegele Family; and Mike Lyons Award, Hawaiian Electric Company.

The awards were presented at MCFB’s annual General Membership Meeting held virtually on Thursday, Oct. 14.

2021 Member of the Year Watanabe has served on the board of MCFB for more than ten years, and she is currently secretary of both MCFB and Hawaii Farm Bureau.

Since May 2020, she has been coordinator of the Farm Product Purchase Program, which buys food from farmers and ranchers at wholesale prices and distributes it to community nonprofit agencies. With Watanabe at the helm, this program has proven to be a win-win for both Maui agriculture and Maui residents, even in these difficult times.

For more than 30 years, the Hegele Family has been a part of Maui County Farm Bureau. This year, MCFB is proud to recognize Paula, Roger, Joe, Henry and Colin Hegele of MauiWine as the 2021 Farm Family of the Year.

As MauiWine’s president, Paula has collaborated with C. Pardee Erdman and his family to ensure the company’s success through the years. Since its beginnings as Tedeschi Vineyards in 1974, MauiWine has evolved into a 25-acre vineyard and 26,000-case production facility, with a visitor center and historic tasting room. For a decade, MauiWine presented the annual Ulupalakua Thing, bringing together thousands of people to meet farmers, ranchers and chefs. The Hegele boys volunteered at the event and worked in the vineyard as teenagers. Now, as men, all three are members of the hard-working MauiWine team — that’s family dedication!

Each year, the Mike Lyons Award is given to a person or organization whose support for Maui’s agriculture industry has truly made a difference. Hawaiian Electric Company has been a partner in MCFB’s Agriculture in the Classroom since the program was first introduced in schools more than 15 years ago.

HECO is also a founding and unwavering supporter of Maui AgFest and 4-H Livestock Fair. MCFB and many farming and ranching members benefit from collaboration and partnership with HECO.

“Agriculture has an essential role in our island community, and it’s important to recognize those folks who go the extra mile to ensure its success,” said Warren Watanabe, MCFB executive director.

“We are pleased to congratulate Heidi Watanabe, the Hegele Family and HECO for being champions of agriculture on Maui.”

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