Meet the Farmer

 
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Moua Farm

Ge Moua

Established In 2010

Location Elverta, CA

Acreage 10

What they sell Organic mixed vegetables and cut flowers

When they began working with KTA 2018

Advising focus Land access; emergency funding; tools & equipment; financial systems

Support our ongoing advising work with Moua Farm by giving to KTA.

 

Ge Moua learned to farm from her parents, carrying on a tradition that had been passed down for generations in their small village in the mountains of Laos. She later started a family of her own and together they immigrated to the U.S., eventually settling in California. The family’s urban existence was a far cry from the fields where Ge grew up, but she reconnected with her heritage when she planted a small backyard garden that provided nourishment and culturally relevant produce for her children. Ge’s initial passion for feeding her family grew into a calling to feed the community around her, and Moua Farm was born. 

Today, the farm is a family-run operation selling their produce at farmers markets from Sacramento to the Bay Area. Ge and her husband, Meng, farm their 10 acres of organic vegetables and flowers together, while their children support at markets. Committed to being a part of every step from seed to market, Ge appreciates all the learning that is inherent in farming and is eager to share her decades of knowledge with those she feeds. As she says, “Whatever we contribute to our surroundings will be given back to us.” In this way, Ge nourishes her customers as if they are family.

 
 

Support Moua Farm

In February 2024, Ge had a tunnel greenhouse and recently delivered modular home destroyed by wind and rain. Ge had been steadily investing in her land and infrastructure to be able to live on her farm as well as prepare for future weather events - thus the loss is particularly devastating. 

Read about and support Ge from Moua Farm as she and her family recover. We also invite you to increase the reach of Ge's GoFundMe by sharing the link. You can also learn more about Ge and Moua Farm in KTA’s 10th Anniversary Film, “A Decade of Growing Community.”

 
 

Where to Find

Sacramento (Central), Sun 8am-12pm
Clement St. in San Francisco, Sun 9am-2pm
Reserve online in advance of markets

 

Advising Snapshot: 2023

We first connected with Ge five years ago through Liya Schwartzman at California FarmLink. Since then, both KTA and FarmLink have partnered to support Ge through unstable land situations as she journeyed toward purchasing her own farm in Elverta. Alongside Ge’s experience securing land, KTA Regional Director Sarah Gearen worked with her on applying to regional farmers markets during her early days in our advising program. As the COVID-19 pandemic struck, Ge worked with KTA to access emergency funds and create lasting partnerships with community-based organizations that have helped her grow and maintain her farm. 

Since acquiring land Ge has focused on investing in infrastructure improvements on her property. In 2021, Ge applied for a State Water Efficiency & Enhancement Program (SWEEP) grant to fund structural upgrades for her farm, including the installation of an off-grid solar powered pump and a more resilient underground water main line. The application for the grant was complex and time-consuming. Ge, already stretched thin managing her farm, turned to Senior Farm Business Advisor Federica Beatrice for assistance. Ge was awarded $58,000 in funding from SWEEP and has been able to significantly reduce her greenhouse gas emissions and more efficiently water her fields.

More recently, Farm Business Advisor Carine Hines has helped Ge continue to access critical capital and build essential infrastructure. Initially focused on projects including a greenhouse, funded by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), and a walk-in cooler, Carine pivoted toward emergency aid in early 2023 to support Moua’s recovery from the flooding and high winds during the winter storms.