Minnesota is home to one of the largest Hmong communities in the nation, starting in the 1970’s as Hmong refugees settled here from Laos and Thailand. Today, Hmong American Farmers make up more than 50% of the farmers at our metropolitan farmers markets, aiding in the strong, local food system we know today. We’re honored to highlight the Hmong American Farmers Association (HAFA) this month as our Change Matters partner. Read more to learn about HAFA’s history, current programs, and how our Wedge community can continue to support their work.

HAFA’s APPROACH & programs

As part of an integrated approach to community wealth building, HAFA’s model addresses land access, new markets, trainings and capacity building, financing, and research and data collection. Key to this infrastructure is their 155-acre farm in Hastings, where member families can lease land, receive agricultural and entrepreneurial education, and sell their produce through HAFA’s Food Hub. The HAFA Food Hub sells members’ produce through their CSA (community-supported agriculture) to individuals, schools, retailers, and institutions.

• land access

  • The largest and most urgent barrier for Hmong farmers is long-term access to accessible farm land. Through HAFA’s 155-acre farm, members can invest in specialty produce that garners higher profit margins, and can access federal loans and crop insurance to protect them from climate change.

• business development

  • By providing financing options and access to capital, HAFA members can invest in equipment to make their operations more efficient and productive. Through a partnership with the Eastside Financial Center, HAFA members can undergo credit and financial assessments, attend financial management trainings, and meet with farm management instructors to write business plans and generate financial statements. Members may also save up to $2,000 in an IDA and have that amount matched 1:1 to purchase needed equipment. This multi-dimensional business development program is one-of-a-kind in the country, and a model for future community development.

• alternative markets

  • Farmers reliant on sales from farmers markets alone are vulnerable to any changes within that market. That’s why HAFA’s Alternative Markets Program (AMP) works to gather produce grown from its members to sell wholesale to hospitals, schools, food processors, distributors, and grocery stores, or directly to consumers through its CSA program.

• research

  • In an ever-changing agricultural landscape, HAFA’s mission is to ensure their members have knowledge of the latest farming techniques (from cover crops to high tunnels).

• trainings

  • Through a community partnership with the Latino Economic Development Center and a grant from the USDA, HAFA members have access to a bilingual training training program aimed at increasing the farming and business acumen of immigrant farmers. Since its inception, HAFA’s training program has hosted over 20 workshops and trained over 500 members on topics from soil health to food safety, to high tunnels and the latest farm machinery.