Peb Lub Neej Food and Medicinal Sovereignty Cooperative (PLN)

From Survival to Solidarity

Peb Lub Neej was born from relationships, not strategy.

It began with the lived experiences of Hmong and Southeast Asian women farmers who have long carried the weight of feeding their families, preserving culture, and holding community together—often without recognition, protection, or stable support.

At the heart of this story are Friendly Hmong Farms and Sisters in Bloom—two interconnected efforts rooted in care, land, and collective survival.

Sisters in Bloom: Women Leading with Care

Sisters in Bloom grew from the deep relationships among women farmers—many of whom were quietly holding families, farms, and communities together while navigating trauma, economic precarity, and isolation.

What started as informal gatherings—sharing seeds, flowers, meals, and stories—became a powerful women-led network rooted in mutual aid, healing, and economic cooperation. Sisters in Bloom created space for women to be seen not just as laborers, but as leaders, culture bearers, and decision-makers.

Through flowers, medicinal plants, and value-added products, Sisters in Bloom s

Friendly Hmong Farms: Growing Food, Protecting Families

Friendly Hmong Farms emerged from the need to support Hmong farmers navigating land access barriers, market instability, and language and cultural exclusion in Minnesota’s food system. Built by farmers for farmers, Friendly Hmong Farms has always been more than a farm—it is a hub for advocacy, technical assistance, healing gatherings, and food distribution.

Over time, it became clear that farming alone was not the only risk farmers faced. Immigration enforcement, family separation, and fear of public visibility began to destabilize farms overnight. Farmers who had built livelihoods over decades were suddenly forced to choose between safety and income.

Friendly Hmong Farms responded the only way it knew how: by organizing care, sharing resources, and refusing to let farmers face crisis alone.