Josue Joël Francois is the wonderful life partner of Lara Richardson and was born and raised in Brooklyn NY.  As a young child Joël spent many years in his native country of Haiti with his Grandmother Leonie.  As a young professional, Joël was known for his management and sales skills for high end luxury fashion brands, Jimmy Choo and Louis Vuitton are to name a few. 

When Lara and Joël decided their daughter would be the first Oregon Native of the family, Joël left his busy New York life as a real estate professional and transitioned into Farmer Jo-Jo!  Better known as the “Gator” on the farm, Joël spent his first farming season as the animal whisperer, crafting custom risen beds for flowers and vegetables and is always helping with the overall day to day life on the farm. In late 2020, Joël took a full-time position at Drip Depot as their Receiving Manager. While his help on the farm full time would be ideal, his role as a provider was essential to ensure our continued growth!

When Joël is not on the farm or overseeing all things irrigation, you will find him on the tennis courts!  He has a deep passion for the game of tennis, and soon will you find Joël & Leonie going head-to-head on the courts. One dream Joël has is to build a court here on the farm!