Board of Directors

I am retired Air Force with 26 years of service (1987-2015).  My jobs were Public Health, Information Management, and Personnel/Force Support.  I served in fighter, rescue, maintenance, joint and HQ USAF staff units.   I have a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in public administration and bachelor’s degrees in plant science and nutrition.  I have worked for the University of Idaho Extension (Ada County) since 2018 starting out first as an Intern and then as the Program Coordinator for Harvest Heroes.   I am also an Advanced Master Gardener and Advanced Master Food Safety Advisor. 

I was born and raised in Moses Lake, Washington. During my teenage years, my parents moved out to the country, next to their best friends who owned a ranch. I spent a majority of my teenage years working on the ranch helping tend cattle, irrigate pastures, and make hay (literally). During the same time, I raised and sold steers through 4-H and later FFA. This is where I first got the bug for wanting to raise livestock.

After graduating from High School, I went into the Army. After I finished my enlistment, I spent the next five years earning my degree in Civil Engineering. After graduating from college, I went to work in the private sector, then moved onto working for the City of Moses Lake, and I am now currently with the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) which I have been at for 20 years now.

We first came to Idaho in 2003 and I ended up making friends with a local farmer who farms 1000 acres in Hansen, Idaho, I spent a lot of time helping him on his farm because I found joy in doing the work. In 2006, we moved to Oregon where I received a promotion while still with the USFS. At that time our daughters were old enough to join 4H, where we decided to raise sheep. Then, in 2010, we moved back to Kimberly, Idaho, where we purchased a house with a shop on 2.2 acres. Within two weeks of moving into our home, we purchased two weaner pigs to raise for ourselves.  That was the seed that got us started in expanding our little farm. When friends saw what we were doing they asked us to raise pigs for them as well. We eventually bought sows in order to have them bred so we could raise our very own piglets to either sale as young pigs or ones that were ready for butchering. We also began adding more laying hens to our operation, making income from selling their eggs.

Even though we are a very small operation, we decided to turn it into an official business. So, in 2017, we started Reap A Harvest Farm.  Our plan is to continue to grow our operation, then when I retire it is our hope that we are of a size that we can make a small supplemental wage from it and have a place for our grandkids to work on.

Aaron brings more than 23 years of experience in the banking industry, and a passion for helping businesses grow and thrive.

Aaron has a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Central Washington University. In his free time, you can find Aaron and his wife working in their garden and riding motorcycles.

Ron, and his wife Lisa, have had the blessing of being successful business owners, entrepreneurs, and helping others through their non-profit organizations for decades in the Treasure Valley.  They have been married 33 years and have two amazing children.​  They sold their dream home in 2013 and started two other businesses: Back Forty Farms and NeuroBalanced.  Ron Kern served in the U.S. Navy as a Sonar Technician and was honorably discharged in 1990. 

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Back Forty Farms is a 42-acre farm and ranch in Nampa, Idaho, which includes cows, horses, pigs, alpacas, chickens, goats and even a kangaroo.  Their farm was voted #1 Farm To Freeze-Dry Food in the USA, offers tours, food, and much more.  They grow/raise 85% of what they eat, with the goal of being 100% sustainable.

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NeuroBalanced helps people heal from trauma using horses, neurofeedback, and other holistic modalities.  They have helped hundreds of people and are the only company in the US that offers multiple modalities and programs that have had a very high success rate, with veterans being a focus.

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Ron’s passion is the American Revolution; has a podcast about it, The Patriot Power Podcast, served as the President of the Idaho Society Sons of the American Revolution, and devours any book, podcast, or video on the subject. He has been a speaker, coach and business consultant.

Colonel (retired) Dennis C. Stitt Jr. served 39 years in the Army and Army National Guard, retiring on 30 June 2024. He was a direct commission as an Engineer Officer in 2000 and commanded at the Company, Battalion, and Brigade level of the 116th Cavalry Brigade Combat team and the Idaho Training Center. Stitt managed the largest National Guard training center, Orchard Combat Training Center, with over 173,000 acres of maneuver training lands and firing ranges within the Morley Nelson Birds of Prey National Conservation Area. Stitt was responsible for liaising and maintaining relationships with multiple federal, state, tribal, and local agencies.
Stitt is a board member and nominated marketing director for Idaho chapter of Farmer Veteran Coalition. He is also a board member for Idaho Horse Council; founding CEO of SMH Ranch LLC (Sustainable, Nutritious, Highland Beef); founding chair of Soldiers of the Soil (SOS) LLC; and founding chair of Idaho Mounted Cavalry LLC.
He can benefit the organization with his proven demonstration of leadership and strategic planning. He has a passion for mentoring veterans transitioning to agriculture and preserving the heritage of small farms and ranches. His highland beef ranch is certified “Buy Idaho”, “Idaho Preferred”, and “Homegrown by Heros”. He is working towards “Regenified” certification and is passionate about adopting soil regeneration/holistic management techniques to produce more nutritious food and secure our nation’s food supply.

I am a retired Army Veteran who served from 1982 to 2018.  I started as a Musician with the 4th ID Band in Fort Carson, Colorado assigned as a Baritone player.  Toward the end of my initial enlistment it was a hard decision not to reenlist on Active Duty as my musicianship was improving and I was assigned my first real leadership position.   We lost our second daughter to SIDS so we decided to move back to North Idaho to be near family.

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I did not want to leave the Army totally so I reenlisted into the USAR in the closest unit to my home.  I became a Combat Engineer in Hayden, ID, which was fun for the first couple of years but ultimately not a good fit for me.  I transferred to the Drill Sergeant in Spokane, WA, which was a much better fit yet I missed Active Duty.  USAR service was from 1985 to 1997 during which I worked full time at my previous job in Sunshine Mine, then Kootenai County Sheriff’s Dept.

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When the opportunity came for a Recruiting assignment, I jumped at it.  AGR was great and I loved the competition in recruiting.  My assignments were in Albuquerque, NM, Spokane, WA and Coeur d’Alene, ID.  After almost 12 years of recruiting, I transferred to Career Counseling which enabled me to really shine while helping out Soldiers. I was assigned in Missoula, MT and finished off my last 3 years in Yakima, WA.  From 2013 to 2015 I served as the Area Leader of Montana, Wyoming, Idaho and Eastern Washington, leading a team of 16 Career Counselors in that area. This was definitely the best job in the Army! My Civilian Education includes an AAS in Music Business, a BSBA in Business Administration and an additional certificate in Auto Body and Paint upon retirement to learn some skills for my hot rods.

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I returned to the family Tree Farm with my beautiful wife, my three children have been grown and gone for some time.  The farm consists of 640 acres in Hayden which has now been in the family for 100 years and is the first Tree Farm listed in the Centennial Farms listing.  I started with a couple Belted Galloway Cows and bought a bull and a couple more mixed cows.  We had 4 calves last year and bought 8 more heifers.  We have had 4 babies this year so far and are trying out some goats and chickens as well.

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One other tool I bought as soon as I left the Army was a Woodmizer Saw mill.  I am learning how to run it and producing some rough cut boards to build more cattle shelters and feeders and the trim on our house as well. All of the fences were broken down and in the wrong places so that is an ongoing project that could last several years

I joined the Farmer Veteran Coalition in 2011 while assigned in Missoula, MT and worked with several small farmers in the local area while they established their local chapter.  I was finally able to attend the virtual annual training this year and am looking forward to more training opportunities.

Because my forte in the Army was helping Soldiers find opportunities and my body being a little worn out after 36 years of military, I would like to use my land, skills and passion to work with younger, stronger Veterans and give them a place to start their own ventures.  I look forward to working with the rest of the Idaho Chapter and hopefully find some more in the North Idaho area to work with.

Jaime served in the Army as an Engineer Operations Officer, Task Force Engineer, and Company Commander, retiring after 24 years of military service. He also was an Associate Professor of Military Science at North Dakota State University shaping the minds of future military officers. Following his service, he went on to be a Project, Construction, Property and Building Manager for Minnesota State University, U.S. General Services Administration, and the Social Security Administration. Jaime currently operates Stephan Family Farms in Hammett, ID raising wild birds.
Jaime is a member of Elks, Moose and the VFW.
Jaime’s vast experience in project and property management will help with assisting veterans in developing their ranches and farms into viable productive businesses. 

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