Kūlia Lind (center) received first prize in the Queen’s Challenge wetland taro competition at the 30th annual East Maui Taro Festival. To the right is Penny Levin of E kūpaku ka ‘āina, host of the Queen’s Challenge, with Kūlia Lind’s father Pekelo. Photo courtesy E kupaku ka ‘aina

Jake Sipes of Haiku and Kūlia Lind of Kipahulu received the top honors for dryland and wetland taro, respectively, at the 30th annual East Maui Taro Festival on Saturday.

They were awarded $500 each as winners of the Queen’s Challenge, which is named after Queen Emma, who was an expert in planting and growing taro. Taro is known as kalo, a staple of Hawaiian culture.

In addition to honoring the farmers, the contest is meant to celebrate the wide diversity of taro that is still being grown today.

“The biggest is not always the best,” said event organizer Penny Levin of the group E kūpaku ka ‘āina. “Each entry is judged on the health of the whole plant — the health, weight and quality of the corm, including its starchiness, which is determined by a float test.”

Levin said a taro that floats indicates the starch has turned to sugar.

She said taro grown organically, as Queen Emma did, receives additional points.

Kūlia comes from a long line of taro farmers, including his grandfather and grandmother, Uncle John and Auntie Tweetie Lind.

Kūlia Lind (center) received first prize in the Queen’s Challenge wetland taro competition at the 30th annual East Maui Taro Festival. To the right is Penny Levin of E kūpaku ka ‘āina, host of the Queen’s Challenge, with Kūlia Lind’s father Pekelo. Photo courtesy E kupaku ka ‘aina

Kulia Lind was the second place winner in 2025.

Festival organizer Maria Aki Orr said the event has grown from having 500 to 1,000 in attendance its first year in 1993 to seeing thousands of attendees this year.

She said the goal of the festival is to act as a bridge to connect people and promote and protect Hawaiian culture.

Taro is mentioned significantly in the Kumulipo, the story of the Hawaiian genesis, as the eldest brother of the Hawaiian people, the first born child of Wakea, the sky father.

The second child, Haloa, was the first human, according to the Kumulipo.