Joni Kindwall-Moore spent nearly two decades in health care research before recognizing that the root of wellness extends far beyond the clinic — straight to the farm. Now the Coeur d’Alene-based entrepreneur and registered nurse is channeling her background in ethnobotany and agricultural systems into a digital platform designed to connect regenerative farmers across North Idaho and beyond directly to buyers and manufacturers seeking sustainable food sources.
Kindwall-Moore founded Snacktivist Inc. a decade ago and now serves as founder and CEO of The Ryzosphere, a business-to-business platform that bridges the gap between seed suppliers, farmers, manufacturers, and market entry points. The platform focuses on regenerative organic bioregional food systems — agricultural methods that actively improve soil health, ecosystem vitality, and farm profitability while reducing reliance on external chemical inputs and ecosystem disruption.
From Health Care to the Farm Economy
Kindwall-Moore’s path to agricultural entrepreneurship reflects her deep commitment to understanding how food systems affect human health. Her education in ethnobotany — the study of plants and their uses in different cultures — took her to the Amazon, where she studied medicinal herbs and their traditional applications. That academic foundation, combined with her nursing background at Kootenai Health and nearly two decades in health care research, shaped her conviction that sustainable food production is inseparable from community wellness.
“We’re creating a system and changing the way food can do business so that we can actually have the next generation of farming and ranching in family hands and ownership food sovereignty is really important to us,” Kindwall-Moore said.
Snacktivist and The Ryzosphere
Snacktivist, her initial venture, produces regeneratively grown potato products and gluten-free ancient grain waffle mix distributed through retailers including Bell’s and Chomper’s. The brand demonstrates the market demand for locally sourced, sustainably produced foods — a foundation that informed her vision for The Ryzosphere.
The Ryzosphere operates as a comprehensive network, connecting all stakeholders from seed producers through farming operations to manufacturing facilities to final market entry. Rather than functioning as a traditional wholesale broker or marketplace, the platform aims to create transparency and direct relationships across the entire supply chain, allowing regenerative farmers to retain greater control over pricing, positioning, and partnership decisions.
The platform is currently in beta testing with users from across the country and has established a Northwest community hub to serve the regional agricultural ecosystem. By creating digital infrastructure specifically designed for regenerative agriculture — rather than forcing sustainable producers into conventional commodity systems — The Ryzosphere addresses a structural gap in North Idaho’s agricultural economy.
Impact on Kootenai County’s Agricultural Future
For Kootenai County and the broader Panhandle, the platform carries significance beyond a single business venture. Family farming and ranching operations face persistent economic pressure from consolidation, commodity pricing volatility, and market access barriers. A platform that strengthens direct relationships between local producers and commercial buyers — whether food manufacturers, institutional distributors, or retailers — helps preserve agricultural viability in family hands rather than pushing producers toward larger industrial operations or out of farming altogether.
Regenerative agriculture practices also align with the region’s environmental stewardship values and long-term land productivity. By demonstrating that sustainable farming methods can be economically competitive, Kindwall-Moore’s work supports both the economic and environmental sustainability of North Idaho’s agricultural base.
The regional commercial real estate market has seen higher sale values despite fewer closed deals, reflecting shifting patterns in land use and investment. Agricultural entrepreneurs leveraging technology and direct-to-market models represent one avenue for keeping productive farm and ranch land economically viable within family ownership structures.
What Comes Next
The Ryzosphere is moving toward full commercialization following its beta testing phase. Kindwall-Moore continues to develop the platform’s capacity to serve regenerative producers across the broader food ecosystem, from individual farmers to value-added manufacturers seeking supply chain partners aligned with their sustainability commitments.
For North Idaho farmers and ranchers interested in exploring regenerative agriculture or learning more about direct-to-market platforms, The Ryzosphere’s Northwest community hub offers a local entry point. Kindwall-Moore’s dual expertise — bridging health care, agriculture, and digital systems — reflects a broader trend of entrepreneurs in Coeur d’Alene and Post Falls bringing specialized knowledge to regional economic challenges.