At Bayer Hawaii we celebrate the importance of education and the many career paths available in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM),  

Bronson Kahue-Burrows, production manager at Bayer’s Molokai farm is a shining example of a STEM career.

Born and raised on Molokai, Kahue-Burrows has been an employee of Bayer Hawaii for more than 15 years. He has worked his way up the ranks and has held several positions, including seasonal laborer, seed technician, production assistant, and now his current position as production manager.  

“The production manager role is my favorite so far, as I am able to give back and help stabilize Hawaii’s needs with the needs of a global business,” said Bronson. “We are different culturally. Any business should understand that we need to be considerate to the culture and we need to have the corporate policy work with our local values.” 

As production manager, Kahue-Burrows is responsible for mid-season operations. A typical day on the job includes oversight of the Molokai farm’s irrigation and fertigation, in-season field observation and documentation, and field management. He is currently filling in as the integrated pest management (IPM) manager overseeing the farm’s daily IPM practices, which include field scouting, pest identification, and the implementation of physical controls to eliminate pests. 

When Kahue-Burrows is not working on the farm, he enjoys spending his time fruitscaping at his family’s 40-acre homestead lot on Molokai. Similar to landscaping, fruitscaping is the act of carefully designing an aesthetically pleasing landscape, while incorporating edibles to harvest and enjoy. Kahue-Burrows is currently focusing on grafting mangoes for future propagation to feed his family with aspirations to also feed the community.  

“I believe it is very wasteful to grow things that are pretty, but not functional,” said Bronson. “There’s so much you can do with fruit trees, like trimming a citrus tree into a perfect hedge. They’re nice, functional and provide nourishment.” 

Kahue-Burrows is one of nearly 600 employees across Bayer’s farms on Oahu, Maui and Molokai. While careers can range from field worker to engineer to human resources specialist, skills in STEM are essential. Bayer continues its efforts to foster the next generation of Hawaii innovators by supporting STEM educational programs and volunteering at schools across Hawaii.  

“My bosses at Bayer pushed me to pursue my degree. I’m nothing but grateful to Bayer for this opportunity that I never thought I would get,” added Bronson.