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s we move into the final weeks of 2016 at HAFA, we are fondly looking back on our accomplishments, and diligently planning for next year. These past successes are particularly important to HAFA because they signify that we are growing as an organization, but also they show how our farmers are seizing previously inaccessible opportunities and growing community wealth.
s we move into the final weeks of 2016 at HAFA, we are fondly looking back on our accomplishments, and diligently planning for next year. These past successes are particularly important to HAFA because they signify that we are growing as an organization, but also they show how our farmers are seizing previously inaccessible opportunities and growing community wealth.HAFA’s core mission is to advance the prosperity of Hmong American farmers through cooperative endeavors, capacity building and advocacy. We feel that we lived up to these values this past year by expanding our training sessions and wholesale contracts; growing our staff, resources and presence in the community; and making our business development program more robust.
We worked with farmers to hone their business practices and agricultural skills this year by hosting over 40 training sessions from growing peaches in high tunnels to break even analysis and accurately pricing products. The amount of produce we were able to distribute increased dramatically in 2016 as well! For the first time, we offered a Fall and Thanksgiving CSA share and our sales almost doubled due to great community partnerships. Thank you to Seward Coop, Urban Oasis, Sweet Science, Birchwood Café, Ward6, Common Roots Café, Shared Ground Coop, The Good Acre, Twin Cities Mobile Market, and East Side Coop who all lifted up our sales.
HAFA also continued to deepen our partnerships with local schools.Head Start Ramsey County, Shakopee Public Schools, Hopkins Public Schools, St. Paul Public Schools, South Washington County, and Minneapolis public school all served our produce at school lunches this past year. Hooray! We are ecstatic to be a part of the Farm to School movement that is sweeping the metropolitan area and hope to continue to do our part to get healthy, local, culturally appropriate food to our young people.
In 2016 we also helped over 30% of our farmers sign up for non-insured crop disaster assistance program (NAPS). Crop insurance is an important tenant of a sound farm operation, but in the past, the paperwork and process was quite intimidating for our farmers. This year with HAFA’s assistance, many farmers were able to safeguard some of their crops, and just in time, as the rainy weather this summer destroyed many roots vegetables. Luckily they were protected by NAPs and were able to file for crop loss.
Perhaps most importantly, our farmers report that they continue to feel more empowered and secure in their farming operations, which has always been our goal! This success would never have been possible without all of you. Thank you! Happy holidays to you all and see you again in 2017!
We are dedicated to advancing the prosperity of Hmong farmers through cooperative endeavors, capacity building and advocacy. HAFA was started and is led by family farmers. Organizing is in our DNA.