Service Spotlight: Sharyl Lam Yuen & Three Decades of Community Impact
A Lifetime Devoted to Grove Farm and Volunteering
These days, it’s rare to find a person that has devoted more than three decades to a company. Yet, Vice President Sharyl Lam Yuen is in her 31st year with Grove Farm and doesn’t intend to slow down anytime soon. When asked about her longevity with Grove Farm, she said, “The company (Grove Farm) has always been good to me and taken care of its employees. I also like what we do for the community.”
Everyone who has worked with Sharyl knows she is extremely organized and efficient — a talent that goes beyond running our office. On the home front, she is the overall “administrator” in running the Lam Yuen home. She loves to bake — see her recipes for pankeke, chocolate chip macadamia nut banana bread, and ‘ulu chips on our Grove Farm website – and cook large meals for her husband, Doug, their two sons and three grandchildren.
These days, “Grandma Sharyl” can be found in the bleachers at her grandson’s basketball and baseball games, attending her granddaughter’s dance recitals, and flying to Maui to watch her eldest grandson — all of 10 years old — race cars.
If that isn’t enough to fill a 24-hour day, Sharyl has always been committed to volunteerism. The Grove Farm Foundation’s Employee Volunteer Grant Program makes employee community service all the more meaningful as our personal time spent volunteering with a qualified organization allows each employee to designate a $1,500 contribution from the Foundation to their organization. Sharyl serves as the secretary of the Kapa‘a High School Foundation and also as the secretary for the Contractors Association of Kaua‘i. In the past, she volunteered with the Samuel Mahelona Memorial Hospital Foundation and the Līhu‘e Hongwanji Preschool, and she also devoted many years to the Boy Scouts of America.
Sharyl said, “Volunteering is inherited from my mom, who as far back as I can remember was always helping in the community.” Her energy comes from her dad, who she says, “could never keep still — he was always moving.”
Thank you, Sharyl, for all that you do for Grove Farm and for our community!
P.S. If you want a nostalgic dessert that takes you back to the ’70s, try Sharyl’s JELL-O cheesecake recipe. Her first job as a teenager was at the Kapa‘a Big Save Snack Shop, where she learned to bake from the old-time bakers.
The Garden Island Newspaper’s Best Farmers Market – for the Third Consecutive Year!
Thank you, Kaua‘i, for voting the Grove Farm Market as the Best Farmers Market in 2024!
The Grove Farm Market was born out of the pandemic when sunshine markets were paused, our local farmers had no place to sell their produce, and our community needed a safe and convenient place to purchase fresh food. Today, the Market is thriving under the management of Grove Farm’s Marleen Duarte.
Come down to the Grove Farm Park in Puhi every Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to midday and enjoy the freshest produce and best food offerings. Also, on the first Saturday of every even numbered month, our local crafters come together for a craft fair. Our next Craft Fair is coming up just in time for holiday shopping on Saturday, December 7.
Pumpkin Giveaway Grows Statewide
What began as a West Kaua‘i pumpkin giveaway 11 years ago has grown into a statewide event. Through the support of Hawai‘i State Senate President Ron Kouchi, and the mighty efforts of Stephanie Iona, Laurie Yoshida and their team at the Hawaii Crop Improvement Association (HCIA), the pumpkin giveaway that started on Kaua‘i has reached keiki on Moloka‘i, Lāna‘i, Maui, and Hawai‘i Island.
This year, Stephanie enlisted the help of Teddy Arroyo and his family, who handed out 300 pumpkins at the Grove Farm Market on Saturday, October 19. We hope everyone had a wonderful Halloween with their local pumpkins!
Lenley is the daughter of Elshae and Cameron Largusa. Elshae is an engineer and surveyor at Kodani & Associates Engineers, one of the many engineering firms that Grove Farm partners with in our work for the community.
Walking to End Alzheimer’s Walk
It was a beautiful morning on Saturday, October 19 for a brisk walk at the Puakea Golf Course as hundreds of participants came together to fundraise and advance the fight to “End Alzheimer’s” with the Alzheimer’s Association.
Supporters were met with a performance by Taiko Kaua‘i before they set off on a two-mile walk. Informational booths, giveaways, prizes, and a breakfast from Puakea Grill were all part of the fun.
Happy Thanksgiving from Grove Farm
