Jonnalee Henderson is proof that great things do come in small packages.
In her short 28 years, Jonnalee has achieved great success. From serving as an officer with the Future Farmers of America at the California state and national levels, to direct marketing peaches from a shared four-acre operation, to her recent accomplishment as a graduate of the California Agricultural Leadership Program, Jonnalee has accomplished a lot.
After earning a B.S. in agricultural business from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, with a minor in agricultural communications in 2005, Jonnalee went to work as a policy analyst in the office of California Agriculture Secretary, A.G. Kawamura.
This “little peach” has always served the agriculture industry in one capacity or another but in 2008 Jonnalee left her state ag agency job to focus on her dreams of expanding and diversifying her own farming operations.
Jonnalee went to work for her family’s farming and hulling operations and at the same time secured a long-term lease on 40 acres of land producing walnuts in Arbuckle, just north of Sacramento; however, that wasn’t quite enough for this go-getter. Jonnalee wanted to purchase her own piece of land.
Jonnalee came to FSA with a vision of taking 61 acres of row crop ground and turning it into a prosperous almond orchard. FSA’s Glenn County farm loan staff added Colusa-Glenn farm credit to the team to help her develop a workable farm acquisition and operating plan. Jonnalee utilized a FSA Beginning Farmer loan to purchase the 61 acres and an FSA guaranteed loan with Colusa-Glenn farm credit to supply financing for projected development and operating costs.
FSA’s financing and staff members helped make one woman’s dream come true.
It will be a few years before Jonnalee sees the “nuts” of her labor, but she is used to hard work and has an ample supply of determination. Ever since her leadership in FFA, Jonnalee has enjoyed encouraging and empowering others as a teamwork trainer and conference presenter.
— by Shaleen Swanson, farm loan technician, Glenn County, Calif.
