Why would a fashion blogger consider relocating from Los Angeles to Iowa? “My grandmother died in 2009,” explains Wendy Johnson. “It made me think about the future of our family farm.”

A year later, Johnson convinced her surfer boyfriend (now husband) to trade the California coast for a landlocked sea of commodity crops. Soon thereafter, she talked her dad into letting her rent 42 of the operation’s 1,200 acres, where Johnson began raising soy and corn – plus alfalfa, oats, barley, and grass-fed livestock – following organic standards.

So far, so good: Already her father’s taken note of the price she commands for certified organic corn.

Johnson also appears on the cover of Women and the Land (Ice Cube Press, $25), a new book profiling 26 agricultural innovators – including several fellow members of the Practical Farmers of Iowa, a network of 3,000 Hawkeye State residents who “use practices that work with nature, not against it,” according to the 42-year-old. “We’re the minority. But it’s a growing sector – I like to be optimistic.”

Meanwhile, her dad remains skeptical. “I get it,” she says. “I’m a newbie. I’m a woman. I’m his daughter.” But surely a 70-something man is eager to hand over the reins. “Nope,” Johnson replies. “He doesn’t have any hobbies. Farming is his everything. He’ll be doing this forever.”

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Meet the Modern Farmer: Wendy Johnson

by Lynne Palazzi, Modern Farmer
January 3, 2018

<h1>Meet the Modern Farmer: Wendy Johnson</h1>
<p class="byline">by Lynne Palazzi, Modern Farmer <br />January 3, 2018</p>
 
<p>Why would a fashion blogger consider relocating from Los Angeles to Iowa? "My grandmother died in 2009,” explains Wendy Johnson. "It made me think about the future of our family farm.”</p>
<p>A year later, Johnson convinced her surfer boyfriend (now husband) to trade the California coast for a landlocked sea of commodity crops. Soon thereafter, she talked her dad into letting her rent 42 of the operation's 1,200 acres, where Johnson began raising soy and corn - plus alfalfa, oats, barley, and grass-fed livestock - following organic standards.</p>
<p>So far, so good: Already her father's taken note of the price she commands for certified organic corn.</p>
<p>Johnson also appears on the cover of <i>Women and the Land </i>(Ice Cube Press, $25), a new book profiling 26 agricultural innovators - including several fellow members of the Practical Farmers of Iowa, a network of 3,000 Hawkeye State residents who "use practices that work with nature, not against it,” according to the 42-year-old. "We're the minority. But it's a growing sector - I like to be optimistic.”</p>
<p>Meanwhile, her dad remains skeptical. "I get it,” she says. "I'm a newbie. I'm a woman. I'm his daughter.” But surely a 70-something man is eager to hand over the reins. "Nope,” Johnson replies. "He doesn't have any hobbies. Farming is his everything. He'll be doing this forever.”</p>


 <p>This <a target="_blank" href="https://modernfarmer.com/2018/01/meet-modern-farmer-wendy-johnson/">article</a> first appeared on <a target="_blank" href="https://modernfarmer.com">Modern Farmer</a> and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.<img src="https://modernfarmer.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/cropped-favicon-1-150x150.png" style="width:1em;height:1em;margin-left:10px;"><img id="republication-tracker-tool-source" src="https://modernfarmer.com/?republication-pixel=true&post=60081" style="width:1px;height:1px;"></p>

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