In late 
September 2024, the GLBW Team (Erin, Aaron, Evelyn), Dr. Akilah Martin and 11 of our 12 mentees traveled to Wendy Johnson’s Joia Food and Fiber Farm in Charles City, Iowa for a two-day farm visit. A huge thank you to Evelyn Reilly’s very detailed mapping of our routes to connect in Charles City, Iowa. Our time together was spent engaging in myriad activities including and not limited to elevating self-awareness, academic and career journey reflection, boosting our connection to the Earth, connecting with soil and agricultural conservationists, and immersion into a technical training centered on climate smart agriculture via passionate earthworkers.
Said earthworkers, Wendy Johnson and her family, welcomed us with open arms and shared their space with aplomb. We delighted in the energy, efforts, and indelible passion that was transmitted via the flora and fauna thriving on their land. Wendy took time to introduce us to the flora and fauna residing on the land as we took in the sights, sounds, and smells. She then led our group in a creative ‘show and tell’ of their implemented solutions to frequent and changing weather patterns through climate smart agriculture and conservation activities, their foray into the Kernza® world and how taking a chance on growing and producing this crop can support the land as well as her farm financially. This sparked the interest of the mentees, several of whom are currently conducting research projects on Kernza. A robust discussion ensued regarding Kernza and Wendy’s plan moving forward with the crop. One of the points that resonated with our group was her thoughtful and courageous perennial regenerative agriculture and agroecology plan. Wendy is most certainly a thought-leader and conscientious about employing a number of cohesive practices so that her family, the farm, her neighbors, and the flora and fauna all thrive.
We were joined at the farm by Keith Feliciano-Cortes, Resource Team Lead & Hispanic Special Emphasis Program, Iowa Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Shaffer Ridgeway – District Conservationist in Waterloo, Iowa (Black Hawk County), Arnulfo Perrera – Director of Supply Chain for Tree-Range® Farms, and Phil Jahnke Sauer – Iowa Valley Resource Conservation & Development. They provided more insight into their roles and how they support the farm.
Wendy and her family provided dinner to our group in a “farm to table” experience. The food was delightful – especially the Kernza bread that was made specially for us.
In addition to the farm visit, the mentees engaged in professional development with Dr. Martin in a series of exercises to foster group coaching and peer-to-peer learning. These exercises included themes around “integration into the ecosystem,” undigested education,” “different forms of coexistence,” “sphere of influences,” “collective energy restoration,” “healthy skeptical pragmatism,” “collective energy restoration,” and a discussion of Midwest Ag and its impact nationally and internationally, and environmental and social liberation/justice.
Specifically, Dr. Martin intertwined group coaching to support their academic and career journey via activities in developing a mentor network map, mentor-mentee shared agreements, beginning the mentoring relationship, and energy building via the ‘Wheel of Life.’ The mentees discussed their spheres of influence and what they control in their lives. The mentees completed a time conscious activity in reflecting on their small and large priorities via a “Big Rocks and Little Rocks” activity. Finally, the mentees shared their root causes of their chosen career journey. Many of the mentees shared personal anecdotes of their graduate school experiences, and supported each other by acknowledging and validating when less than positive experiences were presented. It was an organic and seamless experience that warmed our hearts and provided temporary relief for those who were journeying in less than favorable conditions. We affirmed that we are a village, and we are here to support and uplift each other in any way that we can.
For more “integration into the ecosystem,” we went on a walk with Wendy to the Clark Street Garden Corridor, following a peaceful trail along the Cedar River. This was especially poignant as we saw efforts to restore a severely flooded area to an urban perennial food forest or what is now called an edible arboretum.
In concluding our time jubilantly, we saved space to hold a joy circle where we played instruments in an effort towards sound healing, ignited our creative brain in drawing/shaping/making something from items brought to the retreat, and each mentee composed heart notes to themselves that will be mailed to them some time in the future.
All in all, it was an amazing adventure for us all. Meeting in person goes a long way in establishing a durable and lasting relationship. We so much appreciated the opportunity to share space and learn together. Thank you to Wendy and her family for their time, passion, food, and love. Please be sure to check out and support Joia Food and Fiber Farm’s virtual store.
-Dr. Akilah Martin
We began Jóia Food Farm out of a desire to connect with our food, be an active participant in the food process, and to live a life filled with intention and genuine purpose. A life that integrates the land, family, community, the work we do, and the food we raise.
We believe in the principles of agro-ecology, with a focus on biodiversity and share the understanding that we live in community with the natural world. The sharing and collaboration of the soil, animals and plants working together creates healthy soils, healthy animals, healthy plants, a healthy environment and most importantly, healthy food.
At Jóia, we are advocates of nutrient dense slow food, from raising it to preparing it. Slower food simply tastes better. We raise heritage pigs, sheep, cattle, turkeys, guineas and chickens. We grow certified organic grains and lush pastures and use regenerative methods to grow the livestock in our soils. We plant trees, including fruit and nut trees and shrubs annually to increase the diversity on our food farm. Every animal has a very diverse diet, from the diverse pasture mixes we seed to their feed choices. Our sheep and wool are certified Animal Welfare Approved to show you our commitment to high animal welfare standards.
The mentees are all people of color focusing their graduate studies or are already working in conservation. There were two PhD students focused on Kernza® and we got to sit down together and discuss observations. One thing I learned from them, as I have concerns about perennial systems and field tile, is that Kernza® plants’ root biomass is located within the top 30 -50 cm from the soil surface, which is above field tile. So the propensity to plug field tile is lessened.
We are passionate about our practices and we believe it shows through the flavor of our food. Discover the many ways to purchase our food from our farm for your table.
-Wendy Johnson
