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AMBAR ESPINOZA: On a bright Saturday morning, Juan Rodrigo and Juan Carlos Cala are harvesting from squash plants at Wilder Forest northeast of Saint Paul. In a few hours, they'll be driving around the Twin Cities, delivering the produce to local grocery stores, primarily Latino markets. The brothers each have a full-time job, but they spend mornings and weekends working their land. Juan Rodrigo says, it's a challenge.

JUAN RODRIGO CALA: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]

INTERPRETER: We're learning, the market is difficult for small producers. So the key to our success is to produce vegetables and herbs that are organic and just simply difficult to get locally around here.

AMBAR ESPINOZA: The Calas are part of a program called the New Immigrant Agriculture Project. Almost 80 farmers pay subsidized-leased rates to rent crop land. They're mostly Hmong, Latino, and Somali. The program leases acreage to farmers for three years until they're eligible for loans to buy land.

The Minnesota Food Association started this program in 1998, and the US Department of Agriculture sponsors it. The program goes beyond training farmers on labor skills. The Cala brothers, for example, are learning about sustainable agriculture, niche marketing, health and safety, and even farm business management. Juan Rodrigo says organic farming is new to him and his culture.

JUAN RODRIGO CALA: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]

INTERPRETER: As Mexicans, were still learning that organic farming has many benefits for a person, the environment, and the state's economy. Latinos tend to buy cheap produce because organic is expensive, so it's been difficult to sell my vegetables. Also, in Mexico, when I farmed, there weren't any regulations on pesticides.

AMBAR ESPINOZA: This is the Cala brother's first summer in the program, and Juan Rodrigo says they're applying what they learned at home in Mexico and enhancing it with what the program is teaching them here. The Minnesota Food Association encourages them to experiment with the kind of crops they grow. In many cases, it also allows the farmers to grow traditional products from their home countries. The Cala brothers grow some specialty squash and epazote, a fennel-like spice.

Programs that help new immigrant farmers are starting to become a nationwide trend. There are more than 20 similar immigrant farming programs. Nigatu Tadesse is with the USDA's Farm Service Agency in Saint Paul. Even though Minnesota's immigrant population is small, its farming program started before states like California.

NIGATU TADESSE: Minnesota is really in the forefront in helping immigrants to become successful. Large number of vendors at the farmer market in the Twin City areas are Asians. So this is a product of the assistance that they have been obtaining from Minnesota Food Association.

AMBAR ESPINOZA: Tadesse says such programs are among one of the priorities at the USDA. Minnesota's program was born to respond to the growing number of immigrants here. Alvaro Rivera is a director of the New Immigrant Agriculture Project. He says changes in welfare and food policy for immigrants encouraged the project.

ALVARO RIVERA: Our program is looking for people to fill out a business plan. So in 2003, we developed a formal curriculum that provide for the people the training and education to be in good shape to prepare his own or her own business plan.

AMBAR ESPINOZA: Rivera says more immigrant farmers are learning about the project and want to be a part of it. Despite the program's good intentions, many of its participants lack the credit to acquire a loan. So far, only one family has been able to purchase their own land. Today, the program has sites in Wilder Forest, Owatonna, Worthington and Chaska.

But finding more land near the Twin Cities has also been a problem because of suburban development. Rivera says when landowners see everything developing around them and their property taxes increase, they feel pressure to sell their land to developers. The Cala brothers are also in search for better land to lease. But Juan Rodrigo Calla says he's not discouraged by challenges

JUAN RODRIGO CALA: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]

INTERPRETER: In this country, you can do anything. We found the keys and the door to knock on. We're working on our long-term dream of organic farming. We've already taken the first step, and on we go.

AMBAR ESPINOZA: His goal is to have his own land within less than five years. Ambar Espinoza, Minnesota Public Radio News.