Jonalee Squeochs

Yakama Nations Farms Manager

Yakama Nation, WA

September 11th, 2025

Surrounded by the whir of motors, as workers busily package food, we walk through rows of produce and excitedly point to packaging of the grocery stores we are familiar with, each box marked with a destination. We are led by Jonalee Squeochs, a Yakama Nations tribal member, and manager of the Yakama Nations farms. Throughout our visit Jonalee emphasizes just how important the Yakama Nations farms have been in establishing greater food sovereignty for the tribe, as well as providing a safer, more community driven employment option for people in the area in comparison to the dominant form of agriculture commonly practiced here. Not all farms provide the equitable and safe working conditions that the Yakama Nation Farms do. After a week of hearing from many community members that had been personally subjected to labor abuses it was a breath of fresh air to hear from someone as dedicated to cultivating food that's good for the earth as well as the people growing it as Jonalee.

by Noah Pody