Kula Country Farms
Lighting the way for Maui’s farming ‘ohana
story by Mona de Crinis
photographs by Chris Amundson
Chauncy and Teena Monden nurture the land and community on their 40-acre upcountry farm, showing how small family farms can endure, adapt and thrive.
A colorful roadside landmark just a coconut’s toss from Rice Park, Kula Country Farms invites travelers to slow down and savor the flavor of Upcountry life. The cheerful general store brims with produce from local growers, specialty jams, sauces and other made-on-Maui goods, while hand-lettered signs, hay-filled wagons and flower beds hint at the family spirit within.
Open daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., the farm stand – an outgrowth of Chauncy and Teena Monden’s 40-acre family farm in Polipoli – is far more than a place to sell extra crops. Visitors can browse for just-picked fruits and vegetables, honey, baked goods, spices and crafts; sip a hot or iced drink from the Maile Tea Company cart; or trade a favorite novel at the Free Little Library hut. Each October the fields transform into the island’s best-known Pumpkin Patch, drawing families for food, games, entertainment, artisan booths and more than two dozen varieties of pumpkins and gourds.
Behind the fun lies a deeper purpose: preserving a 70-year legacy of farming on Haleakalā’s slopes. The Monden family’s story began in the 1940s when Chauncy’s Japanese immigrant family first planted cabbage and onions in the region’s fertile soil. Today Chauncy, a fourth-generation farmer, and his wife, Teena, have expanded production to include strawberries, blueberries, flowers, pumpkins and more.
Operating a small farm on Maui, however, is an endurance test. Rising costs, labor shortages and competition for grocery store shelf space make creativity essential. The retail stand and leased acreage makai of Kula Highway now provide vital supplemental income that keeps the family business alive. “It’s a struggle,” Teena said. “Farming is back-breaking work. It’s hard to find people who want to do it.”
To bridge that gap, she pours energy into events and displays that connect visitors to local agriculture. Seasonal markets feature neighboring growers; school groups learn how food travels from seed to table. What began as a roadside stand has become an Upcountry gathering place – part produce market, part community classroom, wholly rooted in laulima, or many hands working together.
Hope for Maui’s agricultural future may rest, fittingly, in the next generation. Two of the Mondens’ three adult children have returned to the farm, blending tradition with technology. One daughter founded the Maile Tea Company, growing and drying mamaki leaves on site for her signature teas. Their son operates agricultural drones – some the size of a small van – to help manage more than 50 acres of crops.
The couple’s other daughter is studying veterinary medicine in Scotland, where Teena noticed farming communities that thrive by supporting one another. “If you’re going to serve eggs in your restaurant, they come from the farmer down the road,” she said. “They respect that they’re a small community that needs each other.”
That same spirit defines Kula Country Farms. What started as a family venture has become a beacon for Maui’s broader farming ʻohana – a place where locals and visitors alike are reminded that sustainability begins with connection. By nurturing both the land and the relationships around it, the Mondens are proving that the island’s small farms can endure, adapt and flourish.
Kula Country Farms stands as more than a picturesque stop on the highway – it’s a living reminder that Maui’s agricultural roots still run deep, and that with cooperation and care, they’ll continue to bear fruit for generations to come.
Each October, the fields transform into the island’s best-known pumpkin patch.
