The story of “Mula”, Nepali farmers in Upstate New York

I vividly remember going to the White Branch Library in the RISE van, eager, excited, and nervous to meet the New American farmers I would be working with. They introduced themselves as they settled into the van, and I timidly introduced myself. There were 2 people from The Congo and 5 from Nepal in the van. Although shy in how they emoted their question, immediately after introductions, the Nepali farmers asked me, “Are you Nepali?” I chuckled a little bit because even back at Cornell, I would constantly be confused as someone from Nepal. I responded with a winsome smile, “ No, I am Mexican-American. Both of my parents came from Mexico and migrated to the United States in their early teens.” Their expressions looked amazed and intrigued at how similar two nationalities from different parts of the world could look so much alike. Thus, from this point forward, almost every single farm worker day available, I would see the Nepali farmers who viewed me as one of their own.

\Most of my days consisted of helping New American farmers through agricultural practices, and during my office hours days, I helped with social media planning, helping the education department with The Summer Academy Program as a volunteer with programming events, and the resettlement of a Guatemalan Family for my Native Spanish speaking skills. Throughout my time on the farm, the majority of Nepali farmers were older women, strong and resilient, working in the field to provide for their families. Initially, it was difficult to communicate with the farmers because of language barriers. I am a bilingual individual who speaks English and Spanish fluently, while the farmers spoke their native tongue and minimal English. Yet, it didn’t hinder any interactions between us because we all shared a love for agriculture that allowed us to bond and create a relationship of trust and respect. 

Something that I did relatively often was to ask the farmers what a vegetable was called in their native language and its culinary usage, as I was curious to understand the nuances in their cultures. One specific vegetable that all the Nepali farmers grew was Mula, more widely known here in the United States as radish and turnip (note: Nepali culture generalizes both of these vegetables into one). You see, the farmers who were a part of The Syracuse Agriculture Program loved Mula and would always find ways to incorporate more mula into their fields, such as creating a cropping system that implemented growing Mula in between either corn or potatoes. I addressed two specific farmers as, Papa and Mama: Nepali farmers Parti and Pompa; they taught me how to critique and identify good tender mula versus overmature mula. 

What I learned about the relationship between the Nepali culture and Mula is that this specific vegetable has versatility. Mula can be used in curry, soup, stir-fried, salads, dipping sauces, sun-dried radish, or eaten pickled. This vegetable was considered a poor people's vegetable, and back in Nepal, it was a common standard that farmers would grow Mula throughout the year. Given the topography of Nepal, its valleys and mid-hills have sandy soil, allowing Mula to be produced in the country. Mama believed that Mula was good for your body and stomach, and she would often tell me to eat her produce to have a strong body to work the field. 

Throughout this 8-week experience, I found a sense of belonging with a community vastly different from mine, which allowed me to view this community engagement even more meaningfully. I relate to many of their experience coming from a migrant household, low socioeconomic status, and periods in my life facing food insecurity; I was able to be myself in this engagement - it all started because I asked, “What is this vegetable called in Napali?”.