Lee’s One Fortune Farm is a small family owned farm located in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains in McDowell County. The Lee family is part of a community of Hmong farmers. The Hmong people are native to Laos and Vietnam, and many came to the United States as refugees after the Vietnam War. Western North Carolina is home to one of the largest Hmong communities in the United States. Lee’s One Fortune Farm specializes in growing Asian produce. They sell their produce at farmers markets where they encourage customers to try foods that they may have never had before!
Farming
Food From Farms
There are many different kinds of farms, and some farms produce only vegetables while others produce just fruit, and still others produce types of meat or poultry. Find out about the different kinds of foods that are raised on farms around the world in this introduction to the world of farming.
Meet Your Farmer: Lee’s One Fortune Farm
Spend an afternoon with farmer Chue Lee and her daughter Ariel at Lee’s One Fortune Farm in McDowell County, North Carolina. The Lee’s grow many interesting crops on their family farm, including the purple sweet potatoes and bok choy (an Asian leafy green vegetable that is related to cabbage) seen in this video. They also grow Asian pears and persimmons, bitter melon, several varieties of rice, and more. The Lee’s sell their produce at farmers tailgate markets throughout Asheville. Learn more about the history of this family farm and the rice they grow.
Driving My Tractor
A great singalong, complete with a CD or access audio singalong and video animation online at barefootbooks.com/drivetractor. Learn about farming through the seasons. Sung by SteveSongs.
A Farmer’s Life for Me
One, two, three it’s a farmer’s life for me! Spend a day out in the fields and find out what farmers do! You’ll also find endnotes with fascinating facts about animals and crops. Go to www.barefootbooks.com/farmerslife to access your audio singalong of music by The Flannery Brothers and video animation online. This book is also available in a
The Farmer
In the town, everyone is sleeping. But not Paul. Paul mows. Paul rakes. Paul sows. Paul draws water. And soon Paul has beautiful plants and flowers growing all around him. But one day, the water dries up. The sun beats down. Paul despairs. But thanks to his animal friends, and a bit of rain, help
Maria Paints the Hills
Real-life Santa Fe painter Maria Hesch (1909-1994) painted innocent narratives of her life as a young girl growing up along the river and next to her grandfather’s alfalfa field that linked the family to the nearby church. In Maria Paints the Hills, acclaimed writer Pat Mora imagines the story of the young Maria revealed in
Before We Eat: From Farm to Table
Before we eat, many people work very hard―planting grain, catching fish, tending farm animals, and filling crates of vegetables. This book reminds us what must happen before food gets to our tables to nourish our bodies and spirits. This expanded edition includes back-of-book features about school gardens and the national farm to school movement.
On the Farm, At the Market
On the farm, workers pick vegetables, collect eggs, and make cheese. At the market the next day, the workers set up their stands and prepare for shoppers to arrive. Amy, the baker at the Busy Bee Café, has a very special meal in mind-and, of course, all the farmers show up at the café to
Pancho Rabbit and the Coyote: A Migrant’s Tale
In this allegorical picture book, a young rabbit named Pancho eagerly awaits his papa’s return. Papa Rabbit traveled north two years ago to find work in the great carrot and lettuce fields to earn money for his family. When Papa does not return, Pancho sets out to find him. He packs Papa’s favorite meal—mole, rice