Two Brothers Die in Tragic Idaho Farm Accident
Two Brothers Die in Tragic Idaho Farm Accident
Friday, July 31, 1981
Idaho Press-Tribune
Nampa, Idaho
Two Nampa Brothers Die in Accident
Two rural Nampa brothers suffocated Thursday evening after climbing into a truckload of barley and being pulled beneath the grain.
Jeff and John Itami, ages eleven and twelve, were the sons of Dennis and Kay Itami, respected farmers and longtime members of the Nampa community.
Canyon County Coroner Chris Klein said the accident occurred at approximately 7:00 p.m. as a truckload of barley was being unloaded at the A-Bar-D Cattle Company feedlot south of Nampa.
Investigators determined the boys had climbed onto the truck bed, tossing grasshoppers into the grain and watching them disappear as the barley rushed through a trapdoor in the V-shaped floor.
At some point, one boy lost his footing and fell in. The other jumped after him, trying to help. Both were caught by the moving grain and drawn under in seconds.
Paramedics attempted resuscitation at the scene, but neither boy regained consciousness.
After the Accident
What set this tragedy apart was not only the loss itself, but the family it struck.
The Itamis were widely known throughout the region. Their sons attended Nampa Christian Schools, where Dennis Itami served as chairman of the board. The family was respected for both character and farming ability.
Dennis Itami had twice been named Idaho Farmer of the Year — a rare distinction.
After the loss of his sons, Dennis continued farming, but the work no longer held the same meaning. The land that had once defined his life now carried only reminders.
When a new opportunity appeared, he was more open to it than he would have been before.
Dennis believed deeply in free enterprise. He had never worked for anyone else. He had never filled out a job application, never punched a time clock, never had taxes withheld from a paycheck.
A rugged individualist, he had always made his own way.
Introduced to Green Barley Grass
One day, a friend named Jim Kling arrived with a jar of green powder called BarleyLife.
Dennis laughed it off. He joked that whenever his truck passed McDonald’s, the steering wheel seemed to turn on its own.
Still skeptical, he decided to test it.
First, he gave it to his father, who suffered from severe spinal arthritis. Within weeks, the improvement was impossible to ignore.
Dennis remained unconvinced. He ran a second experiment — this time with the family dog, crippled by rheumatism.
The dog recovered fully.
That ended the doubt.
Within six months, Dennis and Kay sold their interest in the farm and entered the nutrition business. Jim and Carolyn Kling joined them, along with CPA Don Miller.
What began as skepticism became purpose.
Ron Wright and Dennis Itami
In 1982, Ron Wright retired from real estate after heart trouble forced him to stop working.
Jim Kling introduced him to BarleyLife. Ron tried it himself. Within a month, the chest pain that had limited his life disappeared.
Years later, Ron became co-owner of The AIM Companies™.
As he watched others experience similar results, his commitment deepened. When AIM later faced serious financial trouble, Ron stepped in.
He invested heavily, putting much of his own wealth at risk.
The company survived.
Then it grew.
Ron believed concentrated nutrition would one day become commonplace — fast food replaced by something better.
Even after more than thirty years, he still believes the best days of The AIM Companies lie ahead.
