Hmong and the Market : Cultivating Place and Belonging in Eau Claire, Wisconsin

Abstract

The Eau Claire Downtown Farmers Market, in existence for nearly three decades, is Eau Claire, Wisconsin's most prominent and vibrant sources of seasonal produce. As roughly 90 percent of the farmers market's vegetable farmer-vendors, members of the local Hmong community represent the market's core. Based on interviews with market vendors and administrators, Hmong and non-Hmong community leaders, city officials, and others, this research examines the role of the Hmong in the Eau Claire Downtown Farmers Market and the place of this role in the Eau Claire community.