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Heirloom Rice Thrives In Western North Carolina With Help From Hmong Farmers

Western North Carolina is home to one of the largest Hmong populations in the United States. Many Hmong families find ways to honor their culture through food. Tou and Chue Lee, owners of Lee’s One Fortune Farm, are one of those families.

This story originally aired in the Feb. 4, 2024 episode of Inside Appalachia.

When you think of rice, you might not think of Western North Carolina. However, Hmong farmers have been growing rice in the North Carolina mountains for nearly five decades.

Tou and Chue Lee are two of these farmers. They are the owners of Lee’s One Fortune Farm in Morganton, North Carolina. Named for the family legacy Tou and Chue hope to inspire, Lee’s One Fortune Farm aims to make fresh rice, along with Asian fruits and vegetables, accessible to local people.

The Lees grow multiple varieties of rice — sweet sticky, red and purple. They are also working with family members to develop a black shell variety they hope to sell within the next year. Fresh rice is unlike anything that you can find in a conventional supermarket. The sweet sticky rice is fragrant and somewhat chewy, while the red rice has a flavor similar to chestnuts. The purple rice is also nutty and has a deep inky purple color. The sweet sticky rice is one of the Lees’ most popular varieties.

“The sweet sticky rice has a very nice, kind of a honey, sugar cane aroma — a subtle freshness that is hard to explain,” Tou said.

The sweet sticky rice field at Lee’s One Fortune Farm in Morganton, North Carolina.

*Credit: Rachel Moore/West Virginia Public Broadcasting*

He likens the rice to a fresh loaf of bread. It may be hard to describe, but once you experience it, you will know what to look for.

Origin Story

While each of the rice varieties that the Lees grow is distinct, the sweet sticky rice has a legendary beginning in North Carolina. It started with a handful of seeds, passed down through a network of Hmong families.

“Someone visited Laos back in the 1980s after they came to the United States,” Tou said. “They were able to visit their families and acquire a few — I mean, not even ounces — worth of seed. I would say no more than maybe 40 to 50 seeds.”

The family planted the seeds in California. Tou said the rice grew, but it did not grow well because it was not suited for the California climate and terrain. So, the growers in California sent some rice seeds to friends in North Carolina — this is how Tou’s family acquired some. They planted the seeds just to see what would happen.

“Lo and behold, the thing germinated and took off and it almost grew as tall as a full grown adult,” Tou said.

The Lees have been growing the sweet sticky rice ever since. Tou said it has completely adapted to Western North Carolina.

“It started off as an heirloom from Laos, but as many years as it’s been here in Western North Carolina, it might as well be considered an heirloom in the Western North Carolina area,” said Tou.

Before and after: sweet sticky rice after it has been harvested and toasted (left), and sweet sticky rice after the hulling process (right).

*Credit: Rachel Moore/West Virginia Public Broadcasting*

Blending Old And New Techniques

It may be considered an heirloom, but growing rice is still a lot of work. The Lees had to establish their rice field in a low-lying area about a mile from the rest of their farm. It does not grow in a conventional paddy, but the Lees do have to flood the field each year to ensure the rice has enough water, and to provide pest control.

Each year, Tou and Chue Lee flood their rice fields with 8–10 inches of water for pest control.

*Credit: Rachel Moore/West Virginia Public Broadcasting*

The Lees find ways to incorporate traditional Hmong practices throughout the growing season. Take seed saving. Each seed has to be hand selected. It is a time-consuming process.

“When the rice starts to mature, we actually go in there with buckets or bags and we walk around and hand select the most plump, the most well-defined rice that’s on the stalk, and we hand harvest those just for seed,” Tou said.

The Lees do implement more modern techniques during the harvesting process — by using a combine harvester, for example — but their hulling process looks similar to what it did when they were growing up in Laos.

Tou Lee and his aunt hull sweet sticky rice that has been harvested. First, the rice is boiled in a pot of water and debris from the field is skimmed off.

*Credit: Rachel Moore/West Virginia Public Broadcasting*

On a chilly October afternoon, Tou and Chue, along with Tou’s aunt, Pa Vang Lee, hull the rice. Hulling removes the outer layer of the rice, making it edible. First, Pa Vang scoops rice into a pot of boiling water. This allows the rice to sink and all the debris to float to the top so she can skim it off.

Then, Chue toasts the rice in a large wok over a gas flame. Toasting the rice starts the drying process and helps develop the flavor. The rice finishes drying on large tarps. When it dries, Tou runs it through the huller and it is ready to cook.

Chue Lee toasts rice in a wok to begin drying it before it can be hulled.

*Credit: Rachel Moore/West Virginia Public Broadcasting*

A Lasting Legacy

Growing rice may have its challenges, but the Lees believe it is important to keep doing.

When the Lees decided to settle down in Western North Carolina, Tou knew he didn’t want their culture to be hidden away in the background. The Lees bring their culture to the forefront by selling at farmers markets and introducing customers to Hmong foodways.

“The rice is something that brings our families back to remembering what our culture was in the old country and how we want to continue our culture here,” Tou said.

The rice is also an important piece of the Hmong new year, a huge annual celebration that takes place around Thanksgiving. In North Carolina, members of the Hmong community travel up to hundreds of miles to celebrate the holiday. Traditionally, this is when farmers would share their young, green rice with others.

“When the family gathers, you’ve got this fresh, new rice. You cook that and that is a means of making something that the whole family can enjoy together,” Tou said.

Now, the Lees are proud to share their rice with people outside of the Hmong community.

Rice is one of the Lees’ most popular items when they offer it at farmers markets. People line up long before the market opens to stock up. It was not always this easy for the Lees though. Tou said when he and Chue started selling at farmers markets a little over a decade ago, not many people knew what they were offering.

“I knew it was gonna be tough to start out with because people didn’t know what you have, so it’s a tough sell. We knew it would take a long time to develop it, and it did,” Tou said.

So, the Lees found their own ways to adapt. They share recipes and ideas with customers. Recipes like young, sticky green rice with succulent Hmong sausage, stuffed bitter melon or charcoal-roasted Japanese sweet potatoes, make Hmong cuisine accessible.

Tou and Chue Lee serve a meal of young, fresh sticky rice, Hmong sausage, hot sauce and an eggplant dip to guests of the Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project Farm Tour at Lee’s One Fortune Farm in September 2023.

*Credit: Rachel Moore/West Virginia Public Broadcasting*

Now, people beyond the Hmong community know how special Lee’s One Fortune Farm is. They respect the rice and they respect the produce, coming back year after year to stock up. Tou and Chue were able to help make rice thrive in North Carolina, and the community has shown they are willing to support it.

“The rice just seems to be in its home,” Tou said.

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This story is part of the Inside Appalachia Folkways Reporting Project, a partnership with West Virginia Public Broadcasting’s Inside Appalachia and the Folklife Program of the West Virginia Humanities Council.

The Folkways Reporting Project is made possible in part with support from Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies to the West Virginia Public Broadcasting Foundation. Subscribe to the podcast to hear more stories of Appalachian folklife, arts and culture.

The Gatlinburg Fire Of 2016, Inside Appalachia

This week on Inside Appalachia, a wildfire in 2016 escaped the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It killed 14 people, injured dozens more and destroyed parts of Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge. We talk with an investigative journalist who has new information on the incident. Also, four decades ago rice seeds from Laos crossed the ocean to California and made their way to a family of Hmong farmers in North Carolina. And the Appalachian trail has been exhaustively hiked, explored and written about, but it’s still got a few secrets left.

In 2016, a wildfire escaped the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It killed 14 people, injured dozens more and destroyed parts of Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge. We talk with an investigative journalist who has new information on the incident.

Also, four decades ago rice seeds from Laos crossed the ocean to California and made their way to a family of Hmong farmers in North Carolina.

And the Appalachian trail has been exhaustively hiked, explored and written about, but it’s still got a few secrets left.

You’ll hear these stories and more this week, Inside Appalachia.

In This Episode:

Investigating The Gatlinburg Fire Of 2016
The Sweet Sticky Rice Of Western North Carolina
Save The Salamanders!
An Appalachian Trail Mystery

Investigating The Gatlinburg Fire Of 2016

In 2016, a wildfire at Chimney Tops in Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee spread beyond the park boundaries into the nearby tourist towns of Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge. At least 14 people were killed. Many more were injured and thousands of residents and tourists had to be evacuated.

A new investigation revealed that National Park Service officials underestimated the severity of the wildfire and were slow to alert Tennessee officials about the danger.

Tyler Whetstone, an investigative reporter, spoke with Mason Adams about his reporting.

The Sweet Sticky Rice Of Western North Carolina

Tou Lee holds sweet sticky rice stalks in his rice field in Morganton, North Carolina.

*Credit: Rachel Moore/West Virginia Public Broadcasting*

When you think of rice, you might not think of Western North Carolina. But the area is home to several varieties of heirloom rice that made their way here from Laos nearly five decades ago. The rice was carried and cultivated by Hmong refugees.

One family now sells their rice at markets and to restaurants, and they’ve built a passionate following.

Folkways Reporter Rachel Moore has this story.

Save The Salamanders!

The West Virginia spring salamander.

*Credit: U.S. Geological Survey*

Have you ever heard of a West Virginia spring salamander? They’re a species found in the General Davis Cave in Greenbrier County, West Virginia, but there are only a few hundred left.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service wants to put the West Virginia spring salamander on the endangered species list.

WVPB’s Curtis Tate spoke with Will Harlan, a senior scientist at the Center for Biological Diversity.

An Appalachian Trail Mystery

The Appalachian Trail was completed in 1927. For 25 years, hikers took to the trail and traveled along the mountains from Georgia to Maine, but then the trail was moved. And the old trail was nearly forgotten.

Historian and podcaster Mills Kelly discovered the lost trail and wrote about it in his new book, Virginia’s Lost Appalachian Trail.

WMRA’s Chris Boros speaks to Kelly about rediscovering the trail.

——

Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert. Other music this week was provided by David Mayfield, Chris Knight, John Blissard, John Inghram, Eric Vincent Huey and Steve Earle.

Bill Lynch is our producer. Zander Aloi is our associate producer. Our executive producer is Eric Douglas. Kelley Libby is our editor. Our audio mixer is Patrick Stephens.

You can send us an email: InsideAppalachia@wvpublic.org.

You can find us on Instagram, Threads and Twitter @InAppalachia. Or here on Facebook.

Sign-up for the Inside Appalachia Newsletter!

Inside Appalachia is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

Historic Flooding In W.Va. And Federal Grant Bolsters Agriculture Innovation In KY, This West Virginia Morning

On this West Virginia Morning, the historic flooding in central and southern West Virginia washed away houses, vehicles and caused damage to roads and homes in the area. Briana Heaney has the story.

On this West Virginia Morning, the historic flooding in central and southern West Virginia washed away houses, vehicles and caused damage to roads and homes in the area. Briana Heaney has the story.

Also, in this show, a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture is going to support efforts from eastern Kentucky’s Mt. Folly Farm to help innovate agriculture nationwide. As Shepherd Snyder reports, the money is going to help support a regional farming workforce, promote climate-friendly practices, and promote tourism.

West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content.

Support for our news bureaus comes from Concord University and Shepherd University.

Caroline MacGregor is our assistant news director and produced this episode.

Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning

W.Va. Family Farms Turn To Agritourism To Survive

Among all the agriculture booths and displays filling the Capitol Rotunda, were Alex and Jade Hanna. The Greenbrier County couple operate a family farm that was established by Alex’s ancestors in 1787.

In a state traversed with hills and hollows, agriculture is often a challenge, especially for the small family farm. On Agriculture Day at the West Virginia Legislature, multi-generational farmers are honoring the past while focused on the future.

“We’ve done a wide range of things over those years. In my grandparents’ lifetime, they were dairy farmers, and they transitioned to beef farming,”’ Alex Hanna said. “I’ve done everything from sheep and poultry. But beef really took off for them.”

Beef and vegetables are the current Hanna Farm mainstays. Alex said the challenges these days are rising expenses that don’t net a profit when taking their beef and vegetables to market. He said the markets themselves are also dwindling.

“We can grow the best produce or the best cattle in the county. But if we don’t have a market for it, we’re not coming out ahead,” Alex said.

Alex noted that the West Virginia Grown promotion is a godsend for small family farms.

“They’re good about encouraging programs such as the Farm to School, we’ve sold a lot of produce to the Farm to School program before,” Alex said. “West Virginia Grown is really bringing knowledge to people in our state about the farmers that are here and what they produce.”

The Hanna Farm is like many small family farms around West Virginia that are resorting to agritourism as a way to make a profit. Their laundry list of ventures include a pumpkin patch, a corn maize, cut flowers, a food truck, whatever they can do to survive.

“We depend heavily on the public, especially with agritourism. We depend on the public to come to us,” Alex said.

No farmer ever says the job is easy, but the Hanna’s said they love what they do and plan to pass it onto the next generation.

Farmers, Ag Leaders Discuss Challenges For W.Va. Farming

There are several pressing issues facing the West Virginia farm community. One is finding alternative crops to make money.

On Agriculture Day at the Capitol, first generation farmer Tiffany Ward listed harvesting maple syrup and growing hops for local breweries. She said she and her husband switched to farming about five years ago when Raleigh County’s once thriving coal industry went fallow.

“My husband was a coal miner and we needed a back up plan and hops were not a thing,” Ward said. “Craft Breweries are growing now at a rapid pace so we decided to start growing hops.”

Another issue for West Virginia agriculture is the state of the state’s lab. State Agriculture Commissioner Kent Leonhardt says the state’s top scientists can’t safeguard food and more in a crumbling, 70-year-old lab facility. He says farmers small and big, along with the consumer, will suffer without the $55 million agriculture laboratory renovation his agency has requested.

“There’s water testing done, food safety, we help boost tourism by caring for the trees in our forests.” Leonhardt said. “And, if you have a pet, we make sure that the label on that food package gives your pet the nutrition that it needs.”

The commissioner says Gov. Jim Justice’s proposal that the state combine the labs for agriculture, the state police, the medical examiner and public health labs into one entity, simply won’t work.

“Nobody has shown me how combining them is going to save any money,” Leonhardt said.

Another issue for Ward is that the state needs to help small farmers like her with guidance so they don’t have to learn from scratch.

“We have different growing zones,” Ward said. “To find somebody in West Virginia who knows about that would have helped us in the beginning to grow a little faster.”

Leonhardt said the plans are in place to help small farmers, but they are limited by being underfunded.

“We have some field reps out there for small farmers to get started, but not enough to cover the state,” he said.

Leonhardt says the answer here is to fully fund the West Virginia Grown program, developed to best market West Virginia grown and made products to consumers. Leonhardt says the current funding does not take the program to its full potential.

W.Va. Farm To School Program Gets A New Look

West Virginia’s education and agriculture leaders have unveiled a new logo for the state’s Farm to School program. Officials say the new image is all about connection between local agriculture and schools.

The state’s Farm to School initiative worked with students from 199 schools across the state to create the newest image to represent the program. The program brings together schools and local farmers. According to its website, its goal is to “grow the next generation of farmers in West Virginia” and “increase the amount of local foods served in our schools.”

The new logo is in the shape of an apple. It features red, green and yellow colors. In the center, a farmhouse is on top of a hill, and there are clouds and sunshine circling the building with the program’s name underneath. The new logo is more colorful than the older one, which only featured the name of the program.

West Virginia Superintendent of Schools Clayton Burch said the logo puts a greater focus on the importance of farm-to-school education and resources. He said the program helps to ensure schools have nutritional options that come from local farmers, and in turn, it helps support those farmers.

“Child nutrition is one of the foundational supports for healthy learning. It is difficult for hungry children to learn, and the mission of this important program is to provide sustainable nutritional options to our schools while also supporting the important agricultural contributions to our economy,” Burch said. “We look forward to the next phase of farm-to-school in West Virginia, which allows us to use broad strokes to increase outreach so more people know of the work and are involved in its success.”

West Virginia Commissioner of Agriculture Kent Leonhardt said ensuring children eat well when they’re young will translate into good habits by the time they start working.

“In West Virginia, overall health continues to be a hinderance [sic] to entering the workforce. Instilling healthy eating habits into our school age children is one of the best investments we can make for our state’s future,” said Leonhardt. “Expanding farm to schools’ reach not only helps our economy now but better equips our workforce for decades to come.”

The voting process on the logo started on Oct. 14 and ended last week as National Farm to School month came to a close.

Students chose from three contestants, and the winning logo garnered 57 percent of the vote.

Farm to school education and outreach is a joint effort through the West Virginia Department of Agriculture (WVDA), the West Virginia Department of Education (WVDE) and the Farm to School Alliance.

The three agencies say the new student-led logo represents a greater commitment from the WVDA, WVDE and the Farm to School Alliance to expand branding, educational and other outreach efforts in the state.