HAFA CSA Newsletter Originally Published on February 23, 2018 E-Newsletter Dear CSA Members, Greetings from the HAFA Farm! The farm has been resting this winter, but farmers and staff have been busy with trainings. Farm Planning, Soil Health, Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), Post-harvest Handling and Break-even Analysis are just a few of the many […]
Season’s Greetings from HAFA!
Season’s greetings from the HAFA staff! The farm is closed and covered with a bed of snow. We just finished a series of one to ones with our farmers and their children. And we are completing our budget and planning for 2018. Can you believe the holiday season is upon us? It’s the time of […]
The Power of Collaboration: As Seen Through the Eyes of John Flory
“Collaboration, especially in these times, is so powerful,” says John Flory, Special Projects Director for the Latino Economic Development Center (LEDC). For the past 13 years, LEDC has been working to support Latino entrepreneurs throughout Minnesota. Like LEDC, the Hmong American Farmers Association (HAFA) too works to uplift Hmong entrepreneurs. In fact, it was through […]
Stories of Success: Working towards a more sustainable and fairer food economy for all
As 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 […]
We must be like a bird
Naton Vang was only eight years old when he started walking alone in the tropical forest of Laos. When it thunderstormed and the raindrops collected on his white collared shirt, the only thing that kept his clothes dry was a shriveled plastic bag held high above his head. His feet would get wet because the only […]
Winter trainings bring shared learning and cooperation
With the days starting to get longer, I am reminded of how soon the HAFA Farm will open. Coordinating the farmer trainings during these winter months has shown me how critical it is for farmers of all ages and backgrounds to pursue community and knowledge with other growers. On top of this, many of the trainings have […]
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.