Jolea Moes is a CCOF Future Organic Farmers Grantee.
Jolea Moes is earning a degree in agroecology at University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC) as a vital step in fulfilling her career goals of “conservation, science education, and bettering the American food system.” She has just completed an intensive summer program that runs five days a week, eight hours a day, with constant, hands-on learning at the UCSC organic farm. This program, the agroecology field quarter, enables students to travel to a range of research centers and farms including the Berkeley Food Institute and the Davis Student Farm. “Being exposed to different ways to contribute to organic farming and a greener future will inspire and motivate me to embrace the intersectionality of my identity and my community to mobilize toward a collective goal of food sovereignty,” she says.
As a member of the Cherokee Nation and proponent of organic agriculture, Moes values working in land conservation, stewarding and restoring natural habitats through native plant propagation, control of invasive species, and monitoring of plant resilience and biodiversity. “I strive to give back to Native American communities by incorporating traditional ecological knowledge into Western science and farming practices,” she says.
Currently, Moes works with other UCSC students on the certified organic UCSC Farm to grow produce and distribute it at a subsidized rate for other students and community members. She is a Produce Pop-Up (twice-weekly farmstand) lead in the Basic Needs program and has taken the lead on multiple “Community Dinners,” which aim to bring people from across campus together over food, art, and conversation about food systems and agriculture.
Moes plans to pursue a career working in farm-based education for people of all ages, creating a space that empowers people to develop a land ethic and grow their own food. “Eventually, I will move back to my hometown in Southern California to acquire farmland that will be used as a hub for organic farming, food distribution, education, and community living,” she says. “The main goal of this community center will be to tackle the issues of our local food system and feed more people.”
The CCOF Foundation is proud to support producers like Jolea Moes with the Future Organic Farmers grant, which provides $5,000 scholarships to college and vocational students training for careers in organic agriculture.
To learn more or contribute to the success of Future Organic Farmers grantees like Jolea Moes, please contact the CCOF Foundation’s Donor Relations Manager Shawna Rodgers at srodgers@ccof.org.
