Contact Information:
Dorothy Her
Program Coordinator
[email protected]
651-757-7391 (Please leave a detailed message with your full name)
Program Coordinator
[email protected]
651-757-7391 (Please leave a detailed message with your full name)
Hi friends, family and community members,
My name is Dorothy Her and I am the founder of Kab Npauj Healing Garden.
As a child, I remember being at the farm picking fresh peppers for my grandparents. The peppers were so tiny; perfect for my little fingers to pick. I also remember the loads of sugarcane, kajtsib, which seemed to be my favorite of all the fruits and vegetables because of how tall and sturdy they grew, yet so sweet leaving nothing but laughter and a smile on my face. Those are some of my happiest memories of my grandparents being in their own true selves connecting to the sun, Earth, wind, and the food that they planted and gave love to. And most of all, it reminds me of what being Hmoob and Indigenous feels like -- loving all things.
Since than, I have moved back to Saint Paul, Minnesota in the Summer of 2014 after being away in La Crosse, Wisconsin for 6 years. The Hmoob community in La Crosse really brought me back to my Indigenous roots as a Hmoob being. While there, I had struggled with understanding my own identity and with building self-worth and self-love in who I am as a Hmoob female bodied person who is also a survivor of sexual assault and domestic violence.
I spent much time with elders there and through their expertise in farming, they taught me the value, respect, and the important connection that we have to Mother Earth and all things that surround us. I also learned the importance of food justice and its role in our communities. I was able to find healing and comfort in who I am through farming, and understand its power in building self-worth and confidence in young people; as well as healing us from intergenerational trauma.
I bring back with me lessons learned in our interrelations with spirituality, health and healing. Healing the community and building a better future for our children through intergenerational teachings. I am excited to continue to learn and to provide this space for the community, specifically the youth and elders to learn and teach one another, and to build our future leaders. Learning to farm, speak Hmoob, oral stories, and building healthy relationships with one another.
Our team is super excited to give back to the community through sharing and passing on knowledge. Thank you to my soul sisters Dolly Her and Davina Her for their commitment and dedication and wanting to be a part of this (especially when no one else wanted to take on this challenge with me). A special thank you to Hli Xyooj and Mai Pa Kou Yang, our Farming Mentors and #1 supporters who believed in us. Also thank you to the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer for allowing us to farm on your property, Natural Resources Conservation Services (NRCS) for your sponsorship, and Minnesota Food Association (MFA) our fiscal agency.
If you would like to enroll your child or would like more information, feel free to contact us.
Meet the rest of our team:
Dolly Her
Youth & Elder's Advocate
My name is Dorothy Her and I am the founder of Kab Npauj Healing Garden.
As a child, I remember being at the farm picking fresh peppers for my grandparents. The peppers were so tiny; perfect for my little fingers to pick. I also remember the loads of sugarcane, kajtsib, which seemed to be my favorite of all the fruits and vegetables because of how tall and sturdy they grew, yet so sweet leaving nothing but laughter and a smile on my face. Those are some of my happiest memories of my grandparents being in their own true selves connecting to the sun, Earth, wind, and the food that they planted and gave love to. And most of all, it reminds me of what being Hmoob and Indigenous feels like -- loving all things.
Since than, I have moved back to Saint Paul, Minnesota in the Summer of 2014 after being away in La Crosse, Wisconsin for 6 years. The Hmoob community in La Crosse really brought me back to my Indigenous roots as a Hmoob being. While there, I had struggled with understanding my own identity and with building self-worth and self-love in who I am as a Hmoob female bodied person who is also a survivor of sexual assault and domestic violence.
I spent much time with elders there and through their expertise in farming, they taught me the value, respect, and the important connection that we have to Mother Earth and all things that surround us. I also learned the importance of food justice and its role in our communities. I was able to find healing and comfort in who I am through farming, and understand its power in building self-worth and confidence in young people; as well as healing us from intergenerational trauma.
I bring back with me lessons learned in our interrelations with spirituality, health and healing. Healing the community and building a better future for our children through intergenerational teachings. I am excited to continue to learn and to provide this space for the community, specifically the youth and elders to learn and teach one another, and to build our future leaders. Learning to farm, speak Hmoob, oral stories, and building healthy relationships with one another.
Our team is super excited to give back to the community through sharing and passing on knowledge. Thank you to my soul sisters Dolly Her and Davina Her for their commitment and dedication and wanting to be a part of this (especially when no one else wanted to take on this challenge with me). A special thank you to Hli Xyooj and Mai Pa Kou Yang, our Farming Mentors and #1 supporters who believed in us. Also thank you to the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer for allowing us to farm on your property, Natural Resources Conservation Services (NRCS) for your sponsorship, and Minnesota Food Association (MFA) our fiscal agency.
If you would like to enroll your child or would like more information, feel free to contact us.
Meet the rest of our team:
Dolly Her
Youth & Elder's Advocate
My name is Dolly Her and I am a Psychology major at Hamline University who grew up in Frogtown. I am a Hmoob woman who wants to grow my own fruits and vegetables. I would like to know where the food that I am eating is from, Food Justice. My position for the Kab Npauj Healing Garden is the Youth and Elder's Advocate. I have a strong passion for advocating for youth and elder's, as well as gardening. To know how Hmoob farmers farmed before coming to the United States is very important to me and I am highly excited about learning from the Hmoob elders who will be teaching our youth.
Davina Her
Public Relations
Davina Her
Public Relations
Hi, my name is Davina Her and I am currently attending the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities as a freshman. I’ve joined the Kab Npauj Healing Garden team to help youths search for their self-worth as Hmong individuals and to let youths have fun in a safe space during the summer while learning Hmong farming techniques from Hmong elders. My position in Kab Npauj Healing Garden is the PR, Historian, and Secretary. I look forward to working alongside elders and youth in learning how to farm using Hmong farming techniques.
Hli Xyooj
Farming Mentor
Farming Mentor
Mai Pa Kou Yang
Farming Mentor
Farming Mentor
