From the military to the fields. How farmer veterans, and a coalition that serves them, are working the land. That’s the topic of today’s This Land of Ours.
The Farmer Veteran Coalition is the nation’s largest nonprofit organization that helps veterans and active duty members of the U.S. military create agricultural businesses. One way they do that is through the Farmer Veteran Fellowship Fund, which is a small grant program that provides direct assistance to veterans who are in their beginning years of farming or ranching.
They just announced this year’s award recipients, which include several from the Southeast region. From Alabama, Army Veteran Heather Richardson of End of the Road Farm & Studio, and Navy veteran Henry Miller of Good Neighbor Garden. From Florida, Tassila Czerepka of OFP Syntropic Farms. From Georgia, three Army veterans: Kiammie Freeman of EarthlyRooted & Company; Debra Cosby of 4 and 1 Farm; and Greg Davis of Davis Brothers Vegetables Farm; and Air Force veteran, Thay James Humes of Humes Family Ranch.
The Fellowship Fund does not give money directly to the veteran, but rather to third-party vendors for items the veteran has identified that will make a crucial difference in the launch of their farm business. The coalition says some of the most common purchases include beekeeping equipment, fencing, tractor implements and similar items.
For a full list of recipients and more information, click here.
Listen to Sabrina Halvorson’s This Land of Ours program here.
Sabrina Halvorson
National Correspondent / AgNet Media, Inc.
Sabrina Halvorson is an award-winning journalist, broadcaster, and public speaker who specializes in agriculture. She primarily reports on legislative issues and hosts The AgNet Weekly podcast. Sabrina is a native of California’s agriculture-rich Central Valley.