“Papa” Joe Wesnitzer – Visionary
Joe Wesnitzer is the founding visionary of Papa Joe’s Produce, with more than 50 years of experience growing and preserving food.
Following retirement from CenturyLink, Joe turned his passion for farm-fresh produce into a business, through which he could share both produce and knowledge with the community.
Joe believes in maximizing the efficiency of resources to grow nutritious food, sharing quality food with the community, and helping other producers. Joe is a member of the Master Gardener program, which connects the community with experienced gardeners to pursue opportunities and/or address challenges they may have with their own gardens.
Outside of Papa Joe’s Produce, Joe shares his passion through numerous volunteer efforts in the community. He has volunteered on numerous projects with Rooted in Wyoming, and was awarded their Volunteer of the Year award in 2022.
I’m on the verge of turning 60, and I feel like an 8-year-old kid again,” he said with a big smile. “I can’t believe I get to wake up and do this every day.
Adam Bunker – Operations Manager & Director of Fancy Words
Adam Bunker brings more than a decade of experience in marketing, strategic planning, and financial modeling. Before officially joining the team, he worked closely with Joe on original branding of the company. Adam joined Papa Joe’s full time in 2019 and has since worked with Joe to grow the greenhouses into a full-time family operation.
Adam works hands-on in the greenhouses, manages overall operational direction as set by the family, and is responsible for marketing and outreach.
In addition to Papa Joe’s, Adam serves as the President of the Wyoming Food Coalition – a statewide nonprofit working to address food system challenges throughout Wyoming.
I used to think I’d put in my 20 years and then go retire somewhere. You know – buy some land, grow some plants, maybe get some cows to punch. Then I had this opportunity come up with Joe where I was like, ‘Hey, I can just do that now.’
So here I am: growing cows and punching hundreds of head of lettuce across the Wyoming plain.
Carol Sims – Head Lettuce Wrangler
Carol showed up one day on her bike and just never really left! At least, that’s what Joe likes to say. She has helped out with the greenhouses as a hobby since Joe built his first one. Following her retirement from the City of Sheridan in 2021, she then joined the team full time.
Carol manages the majority of day-to-day operations in the deep water culture greenhouses, including harvesting, cleaning, planting and transplanting.
When she’s not working in the greenhouses or prepping orders for delivery, Carol is often skiing, riding her bike, or spending time with her horses.
Amanda Bunker – Office Manager & Master of Delicious Products
Amanda comes from a long line of cooks who still make meals from scratch (including Papa Joe himself). She handles nearly all of the cooking and preparation of our value-added products. Whether it’s making salsa, hummus, or infused olive oils, she has spent countless hours perfecting our recipes.
In addition to cooking, Amanda manages all of the behind-the-scenes paperwork that keeps the business running.
If that’s not enough, outside of Papa Joe’s Amanda is a certified massage therapist at Balanced Healing Salt + Sauna. So if you ever find yourself needing a massage – we know someone!
