As stated in the Tai Village Inc. PUD and brochure, the TVI founders planned in 2003 to create a replica of a Tai Dam village on the land they purchased for the Tai community as well as for Iowa and America. That village would include tropical trees, flowers, gardens, and especially a rice paddy.

For the last few years, we at Tai Studies Center have tried to plant rice, banana trees, and other Asian plants, but without much success. Finally and fortunately for this year, with various ways of experimenting, bringing the 3-month kind of rice seeds from Laos, and with some help from our former rice growers, our rice plants grew tall and produced “real” rice grains. With decisive efforts & future help from agronomic experts, this new crop may be added to the Iowa products.