Meet the Farmers

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Elizabeth Bell-Simpson is the Owner of WSBZ Farms. She is a third generation farmer, US Air Force Veteran (1980-1984), retired Air Traffic Controller (1984-2017), master gardener, and serial entrepreneur. She founded WSBZ Farms in 2019 as a means to advance farming within Pulaski County- an area where her family has maintained an active farming presence for three generations. She has a BS in Business Administration and hold a number of agricultural certifications. 

JoJo Thomas  is the Executive Director of WSBZ Farms, 4th generation farmer and the daughter of the owner Elizabeth Bell-Simpson. After moving away from Arkansas she went on to join the US Army as an Air Traffic controller at the age of 17. After a deployment to Iraq and serving 6 years to her country JoJo received a combat action Badge and an Honorable Discharge as a Corporal and went on to start an Outreach Reach Ministry (Kingdom Talk) with her husband (Anthony Thomas;U.S.Army Veteran) and their 4 boys. JoJo has since gone on to learn more about the family farm thus taking on the role as Director.  She has become well versed in irrigation systems,  germination, bee keeping and safety practices of the farm.  She looks forward to instilling the love of farming to her boys as they begin to help work the family farm.

Phelisia Woods is the Education & Outreach Director of WSBZ Farms. She is an education and administrative expert who specializes in creating a differentiated learning environment that allows all students to excel. She is a retired Master Sargent with the Arkansas Air National Guard (1997-2017). She is well versed in administrative policy, and has a proven track record within the education system. She has several advanced degrees including an MA in Educational Leadership and an ED.S in mathematics curricular design and application. 

Mary Bone is the Project worker of WSBZ Farms. She is a native of Arkansas and she grew up in a small rural community of Lakeview in Phillips County. She was raised by her grandparents where she worked along side her Grandfather during the 1960’s planting and growing a variety of vegetables. Her dream of becoming a farmer came true in 2013 when she became a vegetable farmer in Fargo, Arkansas in Monroe County. She worked with  Arkansas Land and Community Development Corporation along side her husband Rickey Bone (E-4 U.S Army Reserves Veteran 1985-1992). They completed their Beginning Farmers Incubation Program in 2020. Together they hold a multitude of certifications within agriculture and safety procedures