Idaho Harvest Heroes Podcast

In the final episode of our series, we interview rancher Dennis Stitt, retired Army Colonel and owner of Soldier Mountain Highlands & Huns Ranch located in Fairfield, Idaho. The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service descibes regenerative soil practices as those that build soil health by increasing organic matter and microbial activity through methods like cover cropping, crop rotation, c...

In this episode, we interview special guest retired Army Colonel and founder of At Ease Orchards, Joe Ricker shares how his farm is dedicated to supporting veterans through hands-on experiences in farming and beekeeping. Joe retired from the Army in June 2022 as an Army Colonel who specialized in Logistics and Information Management. His 30 years in the military brought him to Afghanistan, Iraq, a...

Joann Danner, owner of the Dancing Goat Farm in Bonners Ferry, Idaho Dancing Goat Farm was established approximately 15 years ago on 40 acres in Bonners Ferry with the vision of providing a space where veterans could relax and recover while learning about farming. The farm originally raised beef cattle, goats, pigs, chickens, and sheep, reflecting the dedication of its founders—both military veter...

Under the Idaho Food Code, "cottage foods" are edible products made in a person's home or another designated location and sold directly to consumers. They include low-risk foods, which the code defines as products that do not require time and temperature controls for safety." in this episode, Veteran Cathy Cabalo, co-owner of Cabalo's Orchards and Gardens shares her experience navigating the regul...

Financing an agricultural enterprise of any size can be risky. Decisions are made every day related to the investment in land, equipment and tools, loans and credits, cash flow and balancing income and expenses. In this episode we talk to Army Veteran Aaron Zimmerman, who is the current Treasurer for Farmer Veteran Coalition of Idaho Chapter, and the Vice President of a local bank. We ask Aaron to...

Mindi Anderson is the President, Executive Director and Founder of the Idaho Veterans Chamber of Commerce. Navigation Services is one of the programs offered by the Chamber. In this podcast episode Mindi talks about those services her organization provides for veterans, military individuals still serving, those transitioning, and their family members. She then talked about the services that would...

Succession planning as a form of legal risk management is an important topic for anyone that owns property, especially a farm operation. In this episode, we have a frank conversation with Randy Smith owner of Smith Family Tree Farm in Hayden, Idaho. Randy is currently going through the legalities of farm succession and exploring options. Enjoyed this episode? Let us know at ell us what you think a...

My guest for our third podcast episode is Jaime Stephan, who operates Stephan Family Farms in Hammett, ID raising wild birds. In learning more about Jaime, it was determined that he would be a great candidate for this podcast episode due to his experiences and lessons learned while establishing multiple business enterprises, utilizing online sales, and applying for and receiving a grant to support...

Our guest for this episode is Ron Kern from Back Forty Farms, in Nampa. We invited Ron to be our guest to talk about how he uses agritourism as a marketing strategy and how he manages the risks that are involved with these activities. Enjoyed this episode? Let us know at ell us what you think at https://bit.ly/hhpodcastfeedback . Resources: To learn more about agritourism and key information to he...

Our guest for today’s first podcast episode is Ted Kovarik of Sonshine Acres in Emmett, who we met through the Harvest Heroes training program in 2020. Ted was already farming at that time but joined the program to meet other veterans and to learn more to grow his operation. We invited Ted to talk about diversification as a risk management strategy on his small farm. Producing a diverse selection...