For the new two-year term, Maui County Farm Bureau retained some current board members and elected some new ones, including Bobbie Patnode and Jayson Watts.
Bobbie Patnode is the “mom partner” in Patnode Family Farm, together with husband Jack and son Ben. The Patnodes have been farming commercially on Maui since 2012. Their farm on Crater Road grows mostly root vegetables such as Japanese and Korean daikon, beets, watermelon radish, onions, and more, all using organic methods. Being up high (3,700 feet), they are able to grow fruits like peaches and apples, with close to 50 fruit trees.
Bobbie grew up in the Northeast, where her father’s family farmed for generations, and met fellow farmer Jack in Minnesota. Bobbie is also a board member of the Kula Community Association, vice-chair of the Police Commission, and a member of the Ag Working Group.
“I’m particularly interested in working to help our Maui County farmers work better with the county administration, such as Planning, Water and Real Property Tax departments, so we all receive the support the county has enacted for us,” said Patnode.
Jayson Watts serves as Director of External Affairs and Strategic Initiatives at Mahi Pono, LLC. The farming company aims to transform approximately 41,000 acres of vacant sugar cane land into a thriving, diversified agriculture hub in Maui’s central plain.
A graduate of Baldwin High School and the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Jayson has a history of building sustainable community development initiatives and public-private partnerships. See full story on MauiNow.
