Linda Barnes and her husband Mark Runquist, along with their three 
   children, live in a restored farmstead in rural Iowa and are stewards 
   of high hopes gardens, LLC. They operate a small diversified farm 
   reminiscent of the self-sufficiency of farms in years gone by but 
   incorporate modern features such as wind energy and a farm blog. Linda
   proposed and founded, developed a program curriculum, and raised over
   $700,000 to establish a certified organic 140 acre "incubator" farm
   adjacent to Marshalltown Community College where she teaches biology. 
   Linda holds an undergraduate degree from the University of 
   Minnesota-Duluth, a Ph.D. in Molecular Biology from Iowa State 
   University and holds seven US and international patents for 
   biotechnology before switching her focus to sustainable farming. She 
   and her husband are one of the first partners in Wholesome Harvest 
   Organic Meats, an organic meat co-op that distributes products 
   nationwide. She has recently visited rural agricultural enterprises in
   Mexico and in Costa Rica. She is a member of the Unitarian  Universalist
   Fellowship of Ames and is a frequent presenter to the Fellowship and to
   local service and clubs and Midwestern farming conferences.