Agriculture has been an integral part of Minnesota’s land and water for a thousand years. While crops have changed, the spirit of farming has remained constant. MPR Archive presents a selection of stories that reflect the diversity of what has been harvested, such as corn, soybeans, wild rice, and even tree fiber. This collection is also about the many hands that toil in, and care for, the soil and water…from the migrant farm worker in Red River Valley’s sugar beet fields, the Hmong immigrant planting near Homer, the Chanarambie Township farmer amidst the 1980s farm crisis, and Ojibwe members following ancient harvesting traditions.
February 21, 2007 - MPR’s Mark Steil reports on local discussions on federal farm dollars and how subsidies are spent. Southern Minnesota farmers told Minnesota 1st District Representative Tim Walz they want changes made in the legislation to help small farmers. The meeting in Worthington is one of several Walz will hold. It's a discussion which touches just about anyone who owns farmland anywhere in the U.S.
July 19, 2007 - MPR’s Roseanne Pereria reports that while farming runs deep in the Hmong culture, many Hmong farmers are isolated both by culture and language from the rest of U.S. agriculture. They often have difficulty getting resources and finding information. Pereria interviews one local grower who work towards changing that.
July 14, 2008 - Morning Edition’s Cathy Wurzer interviews Mee Moua, a Minnesota state senator, about the impact on Hmong farmers after a storm devastated crops south of the Twin Cities. The many small plots of crops are important to their family income. Moua discusses State Capitol efforts to find ways to support farmers affected.
March 4, 2010 - MPR’s Sasha Aslanian and Paul Tosto present a tale about two women who have forged an unlikely alliance to help each other through a rough patch in the economy....and through one of life's tragedies.
July 9, 2010 - MPR’s Laura Yuen reports that Hmong American farmers are searching for undeveloped farmland in the Twin Cities, fueled by the growing demand for locally grown produce. But Asian growers sometimes encounter hostilities.
January 7, 2011 - Immigrant farmers are fixtures at farmers' markets in the Twin Cities. But they don't sell as much to restaurants, grocery store chains, or direct to consumers through CSAs. In Minnesota, these are barriers that Hmong, Latino and African farmers face as they try to make a living off the land.
August 26, 2013 - On this episode State Fair U, Morning Edition Producer Jim Bickal visits the Agriculture Horticulture Building to get a lesson in Minnesota-style apple-making from Peter Moe, director of operations and research at the U of M's Minnesota Landscape Arboretum.
May 13, 2016 - MPR’s Marriane Combs reports on "Seeds of Change" exhibit at Museum of American Art in downtown St. Paul. The exhibit focuses on the creation of a Hmong collective farm and illustrates how the project is allowing farmers to plan — and plant — for the future.
September 26, 2017 - MPR’s Nancy Yang reports that art and farming join forces when the Hmong American Farmers Association and a trio of Twin Cities artists add a new staple to the CSA produce box. The result is ArtCrop.
July 15, 2021 - MPR’s Dan Kraker profiles framers and ranchers in north central Minnesota as they battle against the toll of severe drought conditions. Kraker also talks with climatologists about dry weather.