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Mai Nguyen

Co Director at Minnow

Mai Nguyen is a farmer, farmer organizer, agricultural policy advocate, and co-director at Minnow, an organization that secures farmland tenure for California's farmers of color while advancing indigenous sovereignty.12 They have a diverse background in sustainable farming, climate science, and land justice advocacy.

Mai specializes in growing heritage grains from Vietnam and other countries using organic, drought-tolerant, and soil-enriching methods.1 They operate a farm in Sonoma County, California, where they cultivate 25 varieties of genetically diverse grains using sustainable practices.1

Prior to co-founding Minnow, Mai worked on climate mitigation through farming, advocacy, and organizing California's first worker cooperative farms.2 Their experience with land insecurity issues and developing immigrant-owned agricultural cooperatives led them to focus on land justice.2

Mai's work extends beyond farming. They have been involved in various initiatives, including:

  1. Co-founding the California Grain Campaign in 2016 to help small-scale farmers build a market for diverse grains.1
  2. Working on land rematriation projects, such as Kai Poma, which engages with the state of California to return land to Indigenous tribes.2
  3. Advocating for policies that support farmers of color and promote regenerative farming practices.2

Mai's approach to farming and advocacy is deeply influenced by their Vietnamese and Buddhist upbringing, which taught them about interconnectedness and responsibility to the planet's ecosystem.1

Highlights

Jan 8 · usfca.edu
Meet Mai Nguyen '26 | University of San Francisco
Growing the Foundations of Land Justice - HEAL Food Alliance
Dec 13 · youtube.com
HEAL Platform for Real Food Member Story: Farmer Mai ... - YouTube
HEAL Platform for Real Food Member Story: Farmer Mai ... - YouTube
Oct 4 · sdfsa.org
Introduction to Cooperative Businesses with Mai Nguyen, Minnow
Introduction to Cooperative Businesses with Mai Nguyen, Minnow
Oct 28 · anthemawards.com
In Conversation with Mai Nguyen of Work & Co - Anthem Awards
Jan 27 · patagonia.com
Don't Forget Your Roots - Patagonia Stories
Nov 9 · en.wikipedia.org
Mai Thi Nguyen-Kim - Wikipedia

Related Questions

What inspired Mai Nguyen to transition from climate science to farming?
How does Mai's Vietnamese and Buddhist upbringing influence their farming practices?
What are some of the challenges Mai has faced in securing land tenure for farmers of color?
How does Minnow's work contribute to addressing climate change and social inequality?
What specific varieties of heritage grains does Mai grow on their farm?
Mai Nguyen
Mai Nguyen, photo 1
Mai Nguyen, photo 2
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Location

San Diego, California