Humbleweed Beginnings

Miky Eum is the farmer and owner of Humbleweed Farm in Champaign, Illinois. She recently completed Farm Dreams Intensive, the first part of our three-part training program Stateline Farm Beginnings®. Helping farmers like Miky turn their farm dreams into reality is our goal, and we hope Miky's farm dream story inspires you as much as it does us.

Miky: The inspiration to become a farmer came to me in several steps. A tree identification course in college got me hooked on horticulture and I began pursuing a certificate in horticulture and landscape design. My instructor at the time, who is now my mentor, inspired me to start growing food. I volunteered on his no-till vegetable farm one summer but even at that point, becoming a full-time farmer wasn’t on my mind. It wasn’t until I came across a video of a Korean-American farmer, Kristyn Leach of Namu Farm in California, that I got inspired to start farming seriously. Seeing someone that looked like me farming gave me the confidence that I needed to become a farmer myself.

My farm dream is to reconnect with the land and my Korean heritage. To use natural farming methods to grow Korean produce in the midwest. To pave a path for future Asian-American farmers. To live a holistic, balanced life while farming where work and play are given equal attention.

Miky breaking down her cherry tomato trellis with Korean peppers in the back right

During my first growing season as Humbleweed Farm, I had lots of ideas that I wanted to bring to life but didn’t have the tools or resources to achieve them. I also realized that I needed to improve my business skills. At first, I tried learning everything on my own. Having to frantically squeeze in all of the on and off-farm tasks on my own as a single-member LLC was overwhelming, and I needed help.

I learned about the Stateline Farm Beginnings® program from staff at The Land Connection in Champaign, Illinois. I signed up for the course because I knew I needed to take a step back from the nitty-gritty of my farm business and look at the bigger picture of the quality of life that I wanted for myself. I was burning myself out with my two off-farm jobs while starting my small farm business and I hadn’t realized it. I knew I wanted to be able to articulate my farm dream better and felt that having a support system that kept me accountable to do this deep soul searching would be beneficial. I cannot recommend the Stateline Farm Beginnings® course enough to new and aspiring farmers. The course is thoughtfully curated and structured, with lots of opportunities to practice sharing your farm story and your farm dream. The Farmer Training staff are personable and they really root for you to be successful. It is not an exaggeration when I say that I didn’t want to miss a single class because each class was valuable and fun. The aspiring farmers in my cohort were vastly supportive of each other and each one of them has made a positive impact in my farming journey. I know that I will be in touch with all of them even after we have completed the program at the end of this year.

Humbleweed Farm production beds

The space that I have the privilege to farm on is just under a quarter acre of raised beds. The property is peri-urban and we are surrounded by corn and soybean farms, neighbors, a church, and a cemetery. I’ve faced a few challenges in the past year, such as with neighbors' pets, and sharing space and tools with landmates, but the opportunities given to me are far greater. I am beyond thankful for the opportunity to start my farming journey without having to worry about paying for land or utilities in my first years of growing. Little did I know in the beginning that networking and having genuine relationships with my peers will bring upon this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

As for produce, I grow a variety of Korean vegetables - Korean perilla leaves, Korean peppers, Korean melons, Korean zucchini, and Korean radish. Growing Korean produce means I get to reconnect with my Korean heritage. As I grow these plants, I learn their Korean names, the cultural and historical context of these crops, and how to use them in Korean meals. When I use the veggies I grew to make Korean meals that my mom used to make for me, I feel a deep connection to what I’m eating. When I open up a seed packet from Second Generation Seeds or harvest fruits from my field, I think about my ancestors. When I connect with a customer about a Korean vegetable or dish that we both love, I know that what I’m doing is making some impact in the community. I also grow produce that is not a Korean variety, however, I feel most attached to the Korean produce I grow.

Korean chili harvest

My goal for my second growing season is to provide Korean chili powder to my customers. I have spoken to fellow farmers and have made some progress to find potential certified kitchens to launch this value-added product by the end of the year. Korean chili powder is used in most Korean dishes so I am very motivated to continue to produce delicious and clean Korean chili. Two more goals for this growing season are to launch a short trial summer CSA and to become an authorized SNAP retailer to be able to accept SNAP EBT payments from customers. I started going to the farmer’s markets in Champaign-Urbana because of this program and I believe it is very important to reach customers that are unfamiliar with the seasonal, local food movement. I am very much looking forward to the learning connections coming up in Stateline Farm Beginnings® as well. I am eager to expand my knowledge in effective record keeping, composting, and crop planning on a working farm. But most of all, I look forward to continuing to meet farmers that will inspire me to keep moving forward.

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Miky completed the Farm Dreams Intensive course of Stateline Farm Beginnings® and plans to continue the program through the end of the year. To keep up with her farm journey, check out her website or follow along on Instagram.