Receiving support from River Market Community Co-op is deeply meaningful for our farm and our family. As a small, beginning farm, accessing the equipment needed to manage weeds and increase production is one of our biggest challenges. This grant not only helped  us move forward in a practical way, but also gave us encouragement and reassurance that our work matters. It reminds us that our efforts to grow healthy food for our community are seen and valued.

We began farming just three years ago on a single acre with very limited tools, relying mostly on hand labor. Since then, we have expanded to nearly five acres. Along the way, we have built strong relationships with customers through wholesale partnerships and farmers markets. Each season has been a learning experience, helping us grow into a more resilient and sustainable operation.

Expanding from one acre to five acres has been both exciting and challenging. Securing land, managing increased production, and adapting to new systems has required ongoing learning and persistence. Weed pressure and labor demands have grown significantly, pushing us to find better tools and solutions to continue moving forward.

Our farm proudly serves a diverse community, including Asian, African, Hmong, and American families. We focus on growing culturally meaningful vegetables that are often difficult to find in traditional grocery stores.

Beyond providing fresh produce, we enjoy helping customers discover new vegetables, recipes, and food traditions. Our farm is not just about growing food—it is about connection, culture, and community.

Many of the crops we grow, such as roselle, bitter leaf, njama njama, molokhia, Hmong mustard greens, and traditional corn varieties—hold deep cultural meaning. For many of our customers, these foods are a connection to home and family traditions. For others, they offer a chance to learn and experience something new.

Growing up in Laos shaped the way we farm today. Farming was part of everyday life, centered on hard work, family, and respect for the land. While Minnesota’s climate and systems are different, these early experiences continue to guide our work and values.

To us, sustainability is not just a concept, it is part of our daily work. It means caring for the soil, reducing waste, and building a farm that can support our family long-term.

It also means finding ways to improve efficiency, especially in managing weeds. Weeds compete with crops for nutrients, water, and sunlight and require significant manual labor. As our farm grows, reducing this labor while maintaining healthy crops is essential. Insects like flea beetles and aphids also continue to create production challenges.