Your Farmers

Jóia Food Farm is a diverse perennial based livestock and organic grain farm located near Charles City in Northeast Iowa owned and operated by farmers Wendy Johnson and Johnny Rafkin. We left the bright lights, big city of Los Angeles in 2010 out of a desire to connect with our food 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.

Wendy is originally from Iowa, but left the farm she grew up on to go to college, move to Los Angeles and fulfill a career in the fashion industry. After 18 years away from the farm, she returned with an entirely new appreciation for the family farm and a vision for its future. A farm is a place to grow roots figuratively and literally, and she is making every effort to do so. Wendy also helps manage her family farm and implements strategies and new ideas on the farm she and Johnny have made home. She loves learning and continually finding new and better ways to grow soil, food, awareness and community. 

Johnny hails from Southern California, a city kid who spent his days working as a bartender, surfing, and doing what SoCal people do because the weather is so nice every-single-day. When he met Wendy, he had no idea he would end up living in Iowa. Where is Idaho? Or is it Ohio? Today, he has made himself into a fine herdsman and cares for each and every animal with TLC. Never being around farm animals he has somehow learned their language and speaks to them like a true animal whisperer.