Many Wisconsin farmers’ market vendors have spent decades producing food for their communities. Behind each table of fresh produce are years of knowledge, hard work, and experience.
Yet some growers have faced barriers that prevent them from accessing the educational programs, grants, and technical assistance that are designed to support farm businesses. That’s where Gaonou Thao comes in. As the bilingual farm management outreach specialist at the UW–Madison Division of Extension, she helps HMoob (Hmong)-speaking farmers across Wisconsin connect with the resources and opportunities that can strengthen their farms.
Growing vegetables has always been part of Thao’s story. Raised in a multigenerational family of gardeners, she spent her childhood planting, harvesting, and sharing food with loved ones. Those experiences taught her the value of agriculture as a way to connect to culture, family, and community.
When Thao first began working with HMoob farmers across Wisconsin, she met experienced growers who were eager to learn about business planning, marketing, and opportunities to expand their operations. But language barriers and a lack of culturally relevant outreach had prevented them from accessing information that could benefit their farms.
“Effective outreach begins with listening, building relationships, and meeting people where they are,” she says.
Rather than leading with forms and applications, Thao focused on building trust and helping farmers understand which resources best fit their goals.
Since joining Extension, Thao has collaborated with community organizations across Wisconsin to provide information in Hmong and offer workshops on topics such as recordkeeping, land access and leasing, and state and federal agricultural programs. Those efforts have reached more than 200 small-scale farmers and growers, many of whom speak Hmong.
For one farmer, that support opened the door to a longer growing season. The farmer wanted to extend production but was unfamiliar with the USDA’s Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), which helps farmers invest in conservation practices, including high tunnels. After receiving information and application assistance in Hmong, the farmer successfully secured funding to install a high tunnel, allowing crops to be grown earlier in the spring and later into the fall.
“The difference can be transformational,” Thao says. “Seeing farmers connect with resources, improve their operations, and gain confidence in navigating agricultural programs reminds me why this work is so important.”
Thao hopes consumers also recognize the stories behind the food they bring home. Every fruit, vegetable, and product at a farmers’ market represents months of planning, labor, and uncertainty, as well as generations of knowledge and tradition.
“We are what we eat,” she says. “By supporting local farmers, we help preserve cultural traditions, strengthen local economies, and build a healthier future for everyone.”
