May Lee has been at Big River Farms (BRF) for 16 seasons as a farmer and an employee. She currently serves as our Farm Operations Specialist and has also been a farming mentor and educator.
May’s story as an organic farmer begins with the story of her mother. For years, her mother worked on a U.S. farm that exposed her daily to toxic chemical pesticides. Eventually, her mother developed cancer linked to pesticide poisoning. As May watched, her mother grew ill and passed away. This great sadness in May’s life made her aware of the dangers that conventional farming practices have on people’s health and the environment.
After her mother's death, May resolved to make changes in her own life. When she heard about BRF's farmer education program, she applied and made the move from conventional, industrialized farming to organic farming. Now, she mentors others in sustainable agriculture practices and, along with her family, runs an independent farm here called Mhonpaj's Garden (named after one of her five daughters). You can find their fresh, organic veggies for sale at the downtown St. Paul farmers market, the Mill City farmers market in downtown Minneapolis, and the White Bear Lake farmers market. May contributes veggies to the BRF CSA and operates her own independent CSA program.
Historically, farming was part of life in Laos where May was born. She grew up surrounded by corn fields, rice fields, and rice paddies. As the second child and oldest daughter of a large family, May lived the farming life. She continued in this traditional lifestyle as a young wife and mother. In 1980, May’s family was among the many groups of refugees who left Laos for Thailand in the wake of the United States' withdrawal from Vietnam. By this time, May was married and had two children. Her family spent a year in Thailand before resettling in the U.S. Everything, says May, was unfamiliar here and sometimes shocking.
When asked, May admits a part of her still lives in Laos. In many ways, she is a resident of two countries. She loves her adopted home: “People are honest here,” she says. She feels her children are fortunate, and that they have been given a good education and many opportunities in Minnesota. But, she admits, she still misses the buffalo and rice paddies of Laos. We're so grateful for all of May's farming knowledge, wisdom, and skills!
