John Vander Veen – A lifelong resident of Northwest Washington, John VanderVeen was born and raised in Lynden and has spent his career deeply rooted in the region’s agricultural community. After earning his degree from California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, he returned home to work alongside his father on the family dairy farm. John later joined Ferndale Grain Co., where he worked for 11 years specializing in sales and dairy nutrition, before returning to manage and eventually own the family farm. During that time, he also founded an independent dairy nutrition consulting business and, together with his brother, operated a successful raspberry farming operation for 25 years.
In 2020, John and his family transitioned out of dairy and raspberry production to explore new opportunities in agriculture and agronomy. Today, he continues to support local producers through his work with Skagit Farmers Supply, where he’s committed to helping farmers implement sustainable and innovative practices. When he’s not working, John enjoys traveling to Phoenix, Arizona, with his wife, Kristi, to visit their three children. A longtime community supporter, he also spent 32 years coaching high school football in Lynden.
Jon Jarvis – is a Southern Idaho native who grew up on a dairy farm and has spent his whole life around agriculture. He earned his degree in Business management from Boise State University. After college, Jon worked as the farm manager for their 4,000 acre family farm growing alfalfa, corn, and small grains. He joined Skagit Farmers Supply in 2015, during which time he obtained his Commercial Applicator license, Class A CDL, Certified Crop Advisor (CCA) certification, and Precision Ag Specialist certification.
While at Skagit Farmers Supply, he has performed roles as a commercial applicator, agronomist, and now serves as the Agronomy Sales Manager. Jon enjoys getting to work with our local farmers in the beautiful Pacific Northwest and helping them grow the best crops possible through improved soil health, better nutrient utilization, quality IPM programs, and improved record-keeping practices. He particularly enjoys educating growers on the best fertilizer, crop protection, and new technologies available to them through hosting various grower education meetings. Outside of work, Jon enjoys spending time with his wife and four children camping, gardening, hunting, fishing, playing sports, and woodworking.
Khalil Al-Wazan – grew up in Marysville, where his grandmother’s love of gardening first inspired his passion for plants. That early spark led him to pursue a degree in Integrated Plant Sciences from Washington State University. During college, Khalil interned with Skagit Farmers Supply for two summers, gaining hands-on experience in large-scale agriculture and building relationships with local growers.
After graduation, he worked as a Biological Technician for the USDA ARS Germplasm Unit before returning to Skagit Farmers Supply, where he worked as a custom applicator for two years. Khalil now serves as the purchaser for our three agronomy locations. Khalil holds a Commercial Operator’s License, CDL, and WSDA Dealer Manager License. Outside of work, he enjoys photographing wildlife around Snohomish and Skagit counties, watching movies, and tending to his own landscape and garden projects at home.
Jose Rivera — has called the Skagit Valley home since 1990. He began his agricultural career at Sakuma Bros. Farms, where he developed a strong foundation in small berry production — starting in general labor and working his way up to Crop Manager in 2005. During that time, he also earned his GED from Skagit Valley College and became a certified trainer for pesticide handling and worker safety.
After more than two decades managing berry crops, Jose continued to grow his agronomy expertise at Elenbaas Company in Whatcom County before joining Skagit Farmers Supply in 2019. Today, he enjoys helping local growers improve their crops by sharing his hands-on experience and practical field knowledge. When he’s not out working with farmers, Jose loves spending time with his family, listening to music, and tinkering with his 1976 Honda Civic.
Ashley Norberg –Currently residing in Marysville, Washington, Ashley earned her B.S. in Animal Sciences, M.S. in Agriculture, and a graduate certificate in Sustainable Agriculture from Washington State University. While at WSU, she contributed to research on insect-pest interactions, pollinator activities, and beneficial nematodes in cropping systems. She also authored technical bulletins and taught youth programs through WSU Extension through her master’s program.
Ashley became an agronomist with Skagit Farmers Supply in 2022, where she has since supported growers throughout Skagit, Snohomish, Island, and King Counties. She specializes primarily in corn and forage, grass seed and vegetable seed crops. She also works with a variety of specialty and organic crops. Ashley is passionate about helping farmers implement best practices in production and improving soil health to ensure long-term agricultural viability in Western Washington. She holds a WSDA Commercial Operator License and is a Certified Crop Advisor (CCA) through the American Society of Agronomy.
Outside of work, Ashley enjoys camping, hiking, biking, and kayaking with her family. She is an active member of the Back Country Horsemen of Washington and especially enjoys taking her horse out trail riding, horse camping and drag hunting.
Mike Hawley – A lifelong Whatcom County resident, Mike Hawley has been surrounded by local agriculture for as long as he can remember. After graduating from Washington State University in 2004 with degrees in Criminal Justice and Sociology, he returned home to work on his family’s seed potato farm, where he developed a strong foundation in crop production and farm management.
Mike joined Skagit Farmers Supply in 2020, starting out in custom spraying for a couple years before stepping into his current role as an Agronomist. He now works closely with area growers, specializing in potato production as well as brassica seed crops, corn, and forage. Mike holds a Commercial Applicator’s License, Class A CDL, and WSDA Dealer Manager License. His focus is on helping farmers improve soil health, enhance efficiency, and find practical, real-world agronomy solutions. When he’s not in the field, Mike enjoys camping with his wife and two kids and spending time working around his home and family farm.
Blake TeVelde – Born and raised in Whatcom County, Blake TeVelde developed a love for agriculture early on by working on local farms throughout high school and college. After earning his bachelor’s degree in Agriculture and Food Systems from Washington State University, he returned home to manage Cascade Farms, where he grew and shipped certified seed potatoes to customers across the country.
Blake joined Skagit Farmers Supply in May 2025 and now works closely with growers across the region, specializing in potato, forage, brassica, and other crop systems. He holds a Commercial Applicator’s License and is passionate about helping farmers improve their production and sustainability practices. Outside of work, Blake enjoys spending time outdoors with his wife and son. He also farms five acres of dahlias each year and enjoys developing and propagating new flower varieties.
