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.
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.
June 17, 2022 - MPR’s Hannah Yang reports on Sharing Our Roots, a nonprofit group that creating a support system for beginning and newly emerging farmers and BIPOC farmers. It also teaches regenerative agriculture techniques while also addressing food insecurity within southern Minnesota.
June 22, 2022 - On this Appetites segment, a MPR’s Mecca Bos presents a story from the North Star Journey Project. Bos profiles Dream of Wild Health Farm in Hugo, Minnesota. It is one of the few Native-led farms in the Twin Cities, with a focus on the indigenous tradition of utilizing edible plants.