Meet the Mill City Farmers Market Vendors Part 1: Der's Farm
Thursday, July 20, 2023 at 1:42AMArticle by Becky Fillinger
Jeffrey Thao
We’ve focused on several team members at the Mill City Farmers Market this season and now turn our attention to some of the farmers. First up is Jeffrey Thao, the owner's son and farmer’s market representative for Der’s Farm. He spoke to us about the genesis of the farm and the wonderful flowers he brings to us all season long.
Q: Please tell us the history of Der’s Farm. Where is your farm located?
A: Der's farm started in the early 1990's by Yeng Lee (my mom, Mrs. Der Thao) a few years after they arrived in the US as refugees from Laos in 1986 after the Vietnam war ended. My father worked as a bus driver and my mom worked all kinds of jobs, whatever she could to get some money to raise a big family. She worked two shifts and money in the household was still very tight – plus she had trouble finding childcare working so many hours.
L to R, Jeffrey Thao's parents, Der Thao and Yeng Lee, at the farm.
So, my mom started farming - planting vegetables with her sister-in-law. Once she started farming, she figured out that she was able to make money from selling the produce and could babysit her kids at the same time too. That became a thing for my mom and what she launched continues year after year. My mom passed in 2014, but her husband Der Thao and kids are still farming
The farm is located on 20 acres on two plots in Rosemount and Hampton.
Q: Why does Der's Farm grow flowers? Do you also still grow and sell vegetables?
A: Der's farm started to grow flowers because from one of my mom’s previous jobs, she loved working in a flower wholesale place. She loved flowers and making bouquets at her job. So she decided to plant flowers and started to invest in perennial flowers such as lilies and peonies. As years go by, she planted new flowers every year and the flower farm just ‘blossomed’ from there on. She was one of the first Hmong farmers to grow flowers in Minnesota. We still grow vegetables but far less than the flowers. The vegetables that we plant are mainly Brussels sprouts, asparagus, tomatoes, peas, and little bit of sweet corn.
Above and below, shoppers line up for Der's Farm flowers and produce.
Q: How many employees work for the farm?
A: There are no employees, it’s just family here. We have three adult family members who work at the farm.
Q: What flowers do you grow and sell?
A: Oh, so many. Gladiolus, Lilies (Asiatic and oriental), Asters, Blue Salvia, Dahlias, Snapdragons, Lisianthus, Statice, Babies Breath, Globe Thistle, Peonies, Zinnias, Baptisia, Gomphrena, Celosia and many more.
Q: What's the first and last flowers of the season?
A: Our first flower of the season is Baptisia and Peonies. The last flowers of the seasons are usually Dahlias and Ornamental Kale.
Q: May visitors come to your farm?
A: We’re really not set up for visitors to the farm. We are a working farm, always planting and cutting flowers to sell. People will usually think that "wow your fields must be so pretty with all the flowers blooming." But actually, since we are always harvesting the flowers there are not that many blooms in the fields. But we do let our customer pick up orders or check out what flowers we have at the farm by contacting us first.
Q: How may we stay current with your news?
A: The best way is to follow our Der's Farm Facebook page to see when we will have certain flowers and what flowers will be coming in season. We also post what flowers we’re bringing to the Mill City Farmers Market week by week.
