Board of Directors

John is owner/partner of the Reservation Farm in Parkman Township in Geauga County. John's grandfather bought the farm in 1948 and immediately turned it into a dairy farm. He operates the farm with the Bylers, an Amish family, who came to work for his grandfather in 1965 and became partners in 1974. John's current partner, Enos Byler, is the third generation in his family to work the farm. There are only two remaining Yankee/Amish partnerships left in the Geauga and only 24 dairies (In 1950, there were 588 dairy farms in the county).

We have a rolling 50 milking cow herd (Holsteins and Jerseys), and grow corn, soybeans, hay, and winter wheat.

John's vision is to farm with nature in a spirit of curiosity, experimentation, and humility using prairies and savannas as models to grow profitable harvests so that we can be responsible and respectful members of our land community and demonstrate to others what is possible. To this end, we have grazed cover crops, converted from continuous grazing to rotational grazing, planted green, bought a no till corn planter, and interseeded. Even though it has been an uneven journey with sometimes more aspiration than results, we are still in business, we are still experimenting, and we are still striving to achieve the Reservation Farm vision.

Michael is a fifth-generation farmer from west-central Ohio, where he works alongside his dad, Jerry, on the Watercutter Family Farm—founded in 1895 by his great-grandfather. As both a farmer and a Conservation Agronomist with American Farmland Trust and Mercer Landmark, Michael is committed to building healthier soils and stronger rural communities. Their farm is proudly 100% no-till and 100% cover-cropped, experimenting with more than 25 cover crop species over the past ten years. Michael and his family raise around 240 head of cattle annually and sell beef directly to local customers through their regenerative system. He and his wife are now raising their three kids just steps from the farm, carrying forward a legacy rooted in stewardship, family, and the land.

Jason is a skip generation farmer based in southeast Allen County, where he operates a small farm rooted in regenerative agriculture. His introduction to regenerative practices happened by accident more than a decade ago, but the impact was immediate—and it sparked a lasting passion. Since then, he has steadily implemented soil building, ecosystem supporting methods that benefit not only his own operation but the broader environment he cares deeply about.

Jason and his wife have been married for twenty-one years and are proud parents of a son who recently graduated high school and will begin his studies at The Ohio State University this fall.

When he's not working on the farm, Jason enjoys exploring new foods, golfing, and spending quality time with family and friends.

Matt is a Farmer Advocate for Conservation with The Nature Conservancy and an active member of the Ohio No Till Council. As a fourth-generation farmer caring for his family's land in Allen County, Ohio, Matt has deep roots in agriculture with his conservation journey beginning in Fall 2009. Alongside his wife, Kendra, Matt is raising four children who represent the fifth generation living on their family farm, continuing a legacy of stewardship and sustainable farming practices.

Tia serves as Regional Agricultural Initiatives Director at Agraria Center for Regenerative Practice, where she leads farmer education, networking, and technical assistance programs, including the Regenerative Farmer Fellowship and Central State University's 2501 Farmer-to-Farmer Skill Share and Networking Project. Her work focuses on strengthening regenerative agriculture and bioregional food systems through training, peer learning, and farmer support.

With more than 25 years of experience practicing regenerative agriculture, Tia brings both hands-on farming expertise and program leadership to her work. She and her family operate two farms in Ohio that serve as living laboratories for regenerative production, specialty crop cultivation, farmer education, and on-farm research.

Narrow Way Farm, a five-acre micro farm in rural Brookville, has been in operation for nearly fifteen years and produces a diverse range of fruits, vegetables, herbs, flowers, and poultry, with an emphasis on perennial and specialty crops. Her on-farm research includes cultivar trials of haskap, pawpaw, jujube, and figs.

Their second site, All Things New Family Farms, is a 9.5-acre family-operated farm focused on commercial specialty crop production, farmer incubation, local food aggregation, and market development. In addition, Tia has extensive experience in heritage food preservation and produces small-batch value-added products, including jams, jellies, fruit butters, and other seasonal farm products, which are marketed through farm stands and local farmers markets.

Fred farms in Madison and Union County, Ohio with his son, raising corn, soybeans, wheat, and cover crops. He is a past president of the National Corn Growers Association and currently serving as co-chair of Solutions from the Land, a nonprofit focused on soil health and conservation. Fred's family has also marketed farm seed for over 40 years. He is a passionate advocate for leaving the farm in better shape for future generations.

Stephanie is part the agriculture team with The Nature Conservancy in Ohio and the Western Lake Erie Basin where the strategy focuses on promoting and supporting regenerative agriculture. The team works to advance practices to build soil health and decrease nutrients entering water systems while fostering an equitable food system. Currently, Stephanie is cultivating the Farmer Advocate for Conservation program to create and support farmer to farmer peer groups. She has spent the past 20 years working with Soil and Water Conservation Districts on watershed planning, project implementation, and environmental education. Her formal education includes a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Education, Communication and Interpretation from the Ohio State University and a Master of Education in Secondary Science from Bloomsburg University.