Farm to Fork 2027

Joe Maxwell is a fourth-generation Missouri farmer who believes independent farmers should have a fair shot at making a living from the food they produce.

On his family farm near Mexico, Missouri, Joe and his family raise Katahdin hair sheep and are now expanding into vegetable production using a greenhouse, high tunnel, and field production to serve local and regional markets. He has raised hogs for decades and helped organize other family farmers to collectively market their livestock, including developing direct and specialty markets for animal-welfare-certified pork.

Like many farmers trying to build alternatives to the conventional commodity system, Joe has seen first hand how hard it is to find processing, reach customers, navigate regulations, and compete in markets increasingly controlled by a handful of large corporations.

Those experiences have shaped his work off the farm. Joe is President and co-founder of Farm Action Fund and co-founder of Farm Action, where he advocates for competitive markets and policies that give independent farmers more opportunities to produce, process,and sell their products.

Joe also brings a farmer’s perspective to public policy. He served in the Missouri House and Senate, and as Missouri’s 45th Lieutenant Governor, and holds degrees in agricultural economics and law from the University of Missouri.

Whether in the pasture, the vegetable field, or the halls of government, Joe’s focus remains the same:removing barriers and giving farmers the freedom and opportunity to build successful, independent farm businesses.