Hmong American Farmers Association

The Hmong American Farmers Association (HAFA) is growing community wealth with Hmong American family farmers in the Twin Cities.

Since Hmong refugees began resettling from Laos and Thailand to Minnesota in the 1970s, many families have relied on their agricultural heritage to make a living growing produce and flowers for local farmers markets.

Today, Hmong American farmers are leading the Twin Cities local food economy, making up 60% of all farmers in local farmers markets.

Still, Hmong farmers continue to face many barriers to accessing land, financing, training, research and markets and building sustainable family businesses.

In 2011 a group of Hmong American farming families formed the Hmong American Farmers Association (HAFA) because we believed the best people to support Hmong farmers are Hmong farmers themselves and that we are all lifted up when those who are affected by an unfair food system lead the change we seek.

As part of an integrated approach to community wealth building, HAFA manages a 155-acre farm in Dakota County where member families can lease land, hone their business and agricultural practices, and sell produce to the HAFA Food Hub.

The HAFA Food Hub aggregates and sells members’ produce through community-supported agriculture (CSA) shares, schools, retailers and institutions.

Through collective business development, education and advocacy, we are building paths to wealth creation, not just income generation, toward a sustainable, fair food economy for all.