ACTIVISM

In order for the world to be the diverse, abundant, and peaceful place that supports every single person to thrive, we need to take action on the farms, with our families and friends, and in all aspects of life.

We need to humanize not only agriculture, but all our systems. Our guiding principles are climate justice and racial equity. These are some of the projects I am or have worked on in order to tackle our biggest challenges–climate change and social inequality, and collaborate with others to make the world we want and deserve.

  • Food belongs to the people, yet our access to food is restricted by private ownership of land, equipment, and seeds. We can restore these resources to the commons by advancing food sovereignty. My current work on the California Grain Campaign is part of that effort. The mission of the Campaign is to create a robust California grain economy by growing climate adapted heirloom seeds, educating farmers and eaters, affecting policy, and assisting in farmland restoration.

    I also assist farmer-led efforts for food sovereignty by supporting development of democratic governance and equitable, collective agreements. Our sovereignty relies on our ability to govern together, and I help create inclusive and accountable governance systems.

  • Land is fundamental to our existence. The way we have worked the land has been abusive to the earth and people. We have laid monoculture of crop and the mind, and eroded the biological and social diversity that makes the world healthy and joyful. We must address the fact that displacing people from land has been an inextricable link to the process of extermination, so the work of supporting our social diversity requires us to make space by reparatively redistributing land. I co-founded the organization Minnow towards this end, wherein the organizational mission is to secure farmland tenure for California’s farmers of color while advancing indigenous sovereignty. Minnow is part of the collaborative project the People’s Land Fund to attain land and capital for the people.

    I am currently collaborating with Dr. Adam Calo on a miniseries of the Landscapes podcast to discuss how land justice is an essential precondition to fighting climate change and creating social equality, to share the tools and achievements we’ve already made, and explore what else can be done to accelerate justice.

    I also assist farmer-led efforts for food sovereignty by supporting development of democratic governance and equitable, collective agreements. Our sovereignty relies on our ability to govern together, and I help create inclusive and accountable governance systems.

  • Farmers not only feed us, but can also be land stewards who connect us to the earth. Yet, farmers, particularly farmers of color, have long been undersupported. I am involved in regional, state, and national policy and organizing efforts to gain equitable resources for farmers. I am currently active in organizing the Essentials for Essential Workers Campaign that is advocating for California to provide farmers a basic income. This income would provide some financial predictability as farmers implement climate change-adaptive practices, which require high investments in the face of many risks: wildfires, floods, drought, and other climate extremes. This Campaign draws from my experience organizing farmers to gain the rights we deserve. I founded the Asian American Farmers Alliance so that we can share technical knowledge as well as increase our political representation. I co-founded the California Farmer Justice Collaborative, which helped pass the 2017 Farmer Equity Act–California’s first agricultural civil rights bill. I served on the inaugural California Farmer Equity Advisory Committee created by the Equity Act. And, I started the California division of the National Young Farmers Coalition to provide policy education and mobilize indepdent farm owner operators, namely farmers of color, to shape our state policies in support of our livelihoods.

  • If we are to be equal, we need to practice making decisions as equals. Democratic decision-making can be done at the community and business scale, and Farmer Mai helps people strengthen their ability to democratically work together for common cause. I have been part of cooperatives and have been a co-op developer over the past twenty years, with professional experience at the California Center for Cooperative Development and Minnow, and formal training through CooperationWorks. I provide co-op development through workshops and one-on-one assistance. I am currently partnering with the San Diego Food Systems Alliance and CoFED to foster a democratic, local food economy in San Diego County. I also assist individuals and organizations to identify and live their vision, mission, and values towards the greater purpose of climate and social justice.

  • Our bodies, wombs, and transitions rely on our environment and community for nourishment and support. I assist people to understand their rhythms, to source ethical, safe, and healthful foods, to create nourishing rituals, and to prepare for or move through different stages of life. Growing up in a refugee community and working in refugee resettlement, such as my time at the International Rescue Committee, I have focused on food cultivation, preparation, and recycling as means to supporting good health during major physical transitions: injury, relocation, birth, and grief.

Help Me Secure Land

These farm practices have long-term benefits when I have land security. I currently lease land, which places the farm in a state of precarity. Get in touch if you would like to donate land, sell land off-market, or contribute to a purchase.