Rooted in Maine: Food, Farming, and the Next Generation

Food is memory. Food is belonging. And for Maine's Cambodian community, it can also be a pathway to connection across generations, cultures, and seasons.In this episode of Keeping Up with Khmer Maine, host SreyArt Rathbut sits down with Bunly Uy, Food & Farm Program Manager at Khmer Maine, and Sander Sam, a 4-H volunteer and University of Southern Maine freshman, to explore how growing food, learning together, and getting your hands in the soil can transform a community.Bunly shares the journey that led her from a paddy rice field in Cambodia to the farms and community gardens of Maine, and why she believes access to culturally familiar food is inseparable from community health. Sander reflects on what 4-H taught him about leadership, learning, and his own untapped potential — including a trip to Washington D.C. where he spoke on stage to more than 90 people.Together, they paint a picture of what food systems work looks like when it's rooted in culture, driven by youth, and built for the long haul.Whether you're a parent, a young person figuring out your next step, or someone who has ever missed the taste of home, this episode is for you.Keeping Up with Khmer Maine airs on WMPG and is produced by Khmer Maine, Maine's only Cambodian community organization.