Faye Jones is the recipient of this year’s Sustainable Woman of Agriculture from Women, Food and Agriculture Network and Women in Sustainable Agriculture in Minnesota and Wisconsin. This award is part of the annual Fall Gathering of sustainable agriculture women from Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin.

“Women are an integral part of agriculture and we feel it is important they be recognized for their contributions,” states Stacey Brown, immediate past chair of the advisory board of Women, Food and Agriculture Network.

Faye has lived 21 years on her farm, Morning Glory Farm, near Spring Valley, WI. and is the current executive director of Moses, the Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service. She is married to Mark Plunkett and has a daughter and several stepchildren.

Born and raised in St. Paul, MN, Faye was influenced by Francis Moore Lappe over 29 years ago, and decided to be an organic farmer, although she had almost no horticulture experience at the time.

Jones started out growing vegetables for the Twin Cities coops and farmers’ markets. Once she began growing flowers, within a few years, her operation was devoted entirely to flower production for market. 

Faye no longer farms, but still raises a very large garden and continues to grow lots of flowers. 

She started her organic conference career by volunteering for an organic farming conference in southwest Minnesota. She soon became such a valuable asset that she was offered a salary for her great organizing skills.

Twenty years ago, MOSES was formed to house the conference and she became the first employee of the organization. MOSES is a 501(c)3 education-outreach organization working to promote sustainable and organic agriculture.

MOSES serves farmers striving to produce high-quality, healthful food using organic and sustainable techniques. These farmers produce more than just food: they support thriving ecosystems and vibrant rural communities. Faye has worked for MOSES since 1996, starting part-time, then moving to fulltime.

Faye believes the future is bright for organic and sustainable agriculture and is glad to be a part of it. “My dream is to change the way America farms,” Faye says.

Her further contributions to the organic community include serving on the University of Wisconsin River Falls College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences Advisory Council and as an appointee to the Wisconsin Governor’s Organic Task Force. She previously served as a member on the USDA Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education committee. Faye has been a member of WFAN since 2002.

Visit MOSES on the web: www.mosesorganic.org. and join us in congratulating Faye on an outstanding career in sustainable agriculture.

– Profile by Denise O’Brien