Joanna Larson of Prairie Gates Farm is the fourth generation of Swedish immigrants stewarding land in the Sheyenne River Valley. Her farm includes vegetables (soon to be Certified Organic), pastured beef, wholesale flowers, and conventional grain. Her partner, Ian, works full-time off the farm and raises pasture hogs, contributing to a diverse and resilient operation.

She holds a B.S. in Agriculture and Biosystems Engineering from NDSU and is completing her master’s thesis on women in agricultural cooperatives through the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (Sveriges lantbruksuniversitet). With an engineering background, she carefully evaluates the economic, social, and environmental tradeoffs within each system she manages: conventional grain, livestock, horticulture, floriculture, and especially pasture management.

Committed to organic methods where they are most effective, she sees particular opportunity in pasture based systems to improve soil health, water quality, and biodiversity. The pasture and vegetable operations are currently transitioning to organic, with certification expected in some areas as early as next spring. Her goal is not to farm more acres, but to farm better by prioritizing quality, stewardship, and long term resilience over expansion.