Farm Happenings for July 4, 2020

Hello Happy July 4th weekend!

I just wanted to let you know that we changed the time to Thursday at 10 am for getting in your farm preferences because it will allow us to harvest. We also wanted to let you know that we are over the first few weeks usually CSA has less variety and now we are at the peak of the season where we can offer all of the variety available at the farm. We are also learning how to use Harvie our software and doing our best to answer questions and arrange pick up. Remember before the customization period you can reschedule your pick up for a different location. We also have How to links we can send you for your specific questions so please email or call with questions. We want your experience to be smooth sailing!

Currently update on our beekeeper we have one hive at the farm now and looking to increase the diversity and also with recent rain we got 4 inches and another 2 inches yesterday so the fields are pretty wet. So we are doing our best to get you clean vegetables that just means we are taking more time harvest and prep. Thank you for your continued patience and all of your delicious facebook post online. Your photos have inspired others to cook from home and join the csa which is encouraging . We added a bonus item into your boxes either zucchini, garlic scapes or radishes.

Enjoy your July weather and veggies!

Mhonpaj’s Garden is a 9-acre certified organic vegetable farm owned by May Lee and her daughter Mhonpaj. With 5 acres in Stillwater and 4 acres in Marine on St. Crox, May and her family grow a variety of vegetables, bedding plants and herbs.
In 1980, May, her husband Chue, their children and May’s mother immigrated to the United States from Loas as refugees. They found work farming conventionally, but when May’s mother was diagnosed with cancer after working with pesticides in the United States, May knew she needed to start farming organically.
May’s daughter Mhonpaj was connected with the Minnesota Food Association (MFA) and learned about their New Immigrant Agriculture Program (now called the Farmer Education Program). The Lee’s were accepted into the three-year program, which gave them access to the MFA’s 60-acre certified organic incubator farm, Big River Farm, and connected them with a Hmong-speaking coordinator who helped them find resources and answer questions about organic farming. Together they resolved issues ranging from drip irrigation setup to product liability insurance to insect control.
In 2010, the Lee’s “graduated” from the MFA program and went on to become the first Hmong-owned certified-organic farm in Minnesota. May and her family now farm leased land along the St. Croix River.

In addition to farming, May spends lots of time educating other growers about organic practices through the MFA and as a Master Gardener volunteer for Ramsey County. She and her family also share their culinary heritage through cooking demonstrations and classes.

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