It’s the last place you’d expect to see a rice field.
But there it is, right off the freeway in Stanly County, North Carolina, reports Stanly News
To the casual observer it looks nothing more than a field of grass (file photo).
But it really is a rice field, one of just two or three in the entire county.
It was planted by the Ly family, owners of Ly Cuisine restaurant in Albemarle.
Xang and Kia Ly have maintained it off and on for 20 years, originally when her mother would be coming for a visit from France.
Mom’s trip got cancelled, but the rice field remained.
The Lys are Hmong, an ethnic tribe from Laos.
“I honestly don’t think you can just call this a small town; it has as much diversity as anywhere else. We get a lot of customers from pretty much all over the world. … It’s a unique aspect to what makes this community what it is.”
They are one of about 250 Hmong families in Albemarle.
The rice field is only big enough for two or three meals, but it’s a reminder of their homeland, and an excuse to celebrate the harvest.
“It’s a way of honoring that culture,” Nhia said.“I call it a labor of love. (Kia) grew it for her mom’s visit. … It’s a way of honoring her, too,” Zoua, their daughter, said. –
You can read about what it takes to plant a rice field in an area not known for rice in the Stanly News.
