A Southern Foodways Alliance article stated that "Wallace designed her own major and dug deep into the philosophy and practice of cooperative education and living."

She left Florida after graduating from college, "traveled the world, exploring organic agriculture, seed saving, and cooperative living.

[11] In 1984, after returning to the U.S., she "‘moved to Twin Oaks, a cooperative community in Virginia.’"[12] An article published by West Virginia University stated that Wallace was the "mid-Atlantic regional correspondent for the Mother Earth News gardening almanac in the 1990s.

In 1999, Wallace got involved with Southern Exposure Seed Exchange and ended up purchasing it after the original founders, Jeff McCormack and his wife Patty Wallens, decided to sell it.

A Farmaid article stated that Wallace strongly believes "it is important to both pay farmworkers a living wage while also making good food accessible to everyone."