Hard Working Farmers
Every member of our Board of Directors is a producing farmer who has first-hand knowledge of the joys and challenges this lifestyle brings. They are hardworking members of the community, dedicated to providing guidance and leadership to CHS Northwest. Board members are elected by co-op producer members and serve a 3-year term.
Rod Tjoelker, President
Rod and wife Sharon, are third-generation dairy farmers. They have operated RTJ Farm for the last 25 years, 10 years in partnership with Rod’s parents, Ray and Gert Tjoelker. RTJ is a mid-sized dairy that farms enough acres to feed the herd. Rod and Sharon’s four daughters, three son-in-law’s and extended family help with fieldwork, harvest and day-to-day operations.
Randy Honcoop, Vice President
Randy and his wife, Leslie, live on the Northwood Road north of Lynden, WA where they own Randy Honcoop Berry Farm. Randy farms 60 acres of red raspberries. And although the berries produced in Whatcom County are far too many for the local economy, Randy knows that he is growing berries to feed the country and the world. Randy wants future generations to be able to farm in Whatcom County.
Bill Swanson, Secretary
Bill Swanson was born and raised south of Mount Vernon. He feels blessed to be living on land that his great-grandfather cleared and settled in the early 1880s. Bill and wife Rebecca (a Ferndale native) have six children. Bill spent 20 years as an agronomist in Eastern Oregon and Western Washington. During that time, he came to know most of the farmers in Skagit, Island and Snohomish counties. In 2012, Bill teamed up with a former customer and launched Skagit Valley Farm growing broccoli, Brussels sprouts, potatoes, sweet corn, silage corn and alfalfa.
Galen Smith, Director
Galen is a managing partner of Coldstream Farms. Galen, and his wife, Laura, raise four energetic boys in the South Fork Valley in Deming, Washington. Galen is proud to be a lifelong resident of Whatcom County. Galen and his family operate a 3,000 animal dairy and crop production farm near Acme.
Steve Vander Haak, Director
Steve grew up in Lynden and is a graduate of Washington State University. Together, with his wife, Jewell, Steve is raising 3 children, Elijah, Ruby and Josiah. Steve runs Vander Haak Dairy.
Julie Enfield, Director
Julie and husband Adam Enfield, who along with his dad and brother own and operate Enfield Farms in Lynden, WA. Julie manages Northwest Plant Company (owned by Enfield Farms), which propagates and sells raspberry plants to the local industry and is also involved in raspberry variety development through their on-farm breeding program. They live on the Birch Bay Lynden Road west of Lynden with their three sons and a few dogs, chickens and sheep. She loves living in rural Whatcom County and is passionate about agriculture and raspberries.
Ranjit Gill, Director
Ranjit and his family farm over 1,000 acres of berries with the majority located in Whatcom county. He has been farming in the Lynden area for 28 years growing blueberries, raspberries, black currants and nursery stock. Ranjit is an agronomist with a banking background and a second-generation farmer. He is looking forward to the continued profitable growth of the berry industry and the active involvement of the next generation of farmers.