Who We Are

Tim Schaefer

As the founder of Encore Consultants, I have the immense privilege of helping you—top-tier farmers and ranchers throughout the U.S. and Canada—take your operations to the next level.

I have more than 20 years of experience in complex estate and financial planning for business owners, especially large, multi-generational farms. Helping successful farmers become more successful is truly my sweet spot.

I grew up on a multi-generational family farm near Hancock, Minnesota, and live a few miles away from the home farm with my wife Kristin and our four children. My first business venture was selling sweet corn door-to-door with an Oliver 70! I attended South Dakota State University, majoring in Economics and Finances. In addition to hunting, I enjoy piloting my plane to visit clients.

 

Joel Flaten

Joel has over 33 years of managerial and administrative experience. His passion is helping businesses improve organizational health and employee engagement. He joined the Encore team in October 2023, where he helps clients improve their operations by developing management skills, gaining new perspectives, and planning for change.

 

 

Julie Strunk

Bio imageI am our office manager and strive to keep the office running like a well-oiled machine. Before joining Encore, I worked at the Mayo Clinic in Human Resources Education & Development. My career spans over 30 years of customer service experience in the public and private sectors. I work closely with Tim in client services and maintaining efficient business processes. Our clients and business partners alike appreciate the excellent job I do managing the office's many details.

 

 

Kristin Schaefer

Bio image

I'm Tim's wife and responsible for most of the accounting work, project management, and marketing.

I love spending time outdoors in my free time.

 

 

Romeo

Every great team needs a mascot.

Romeo loves pheasant hunting, snuggles, and spending the day at the office.

 

“I appreciate the opportunity to work with Tim as he brings experiences from a wide variety of different producers and farming operations.”

Mark Foster, Foster Farms, ID