This grant allowed Farmer Veteran Coalition to connect with thousands of beginning farmer veterans through one-on-one assistance, in-person and online education, and national outreach.
Over the course of the year, project staff dedicated the vast majority of their time to directly communicating with beginning farmer veterans: helping aspiring farmer veterans to discern their goals and next steps; connecting beginning farmer veterans to local agricultural experts, regional farmer advocacy groups, and fellow farmer veterans; and providing all with a sense of common purpose and camaraderie. These conversations and connections resulted in the veterans feeling more confident, equipped, and supported as they navigate their way into a new farming career, and resulted in the Farmer Veteran Coalition identifying a suite of program improvements and ideas for future services.
Responding to the veterans' most common questions and needs, project staff organized webinars and workshops to teach beginning farmer veterans about financial literacy and the variety of USDA programs that can help beginning, small, and direct marketing farmers, including Microloans, working lands conservation programs, disaster assistance, and the Value-Added Producer Grant.
Furthermore, project staff rallied support for farmer veterans and continued to expand the Farmer Veteran Coalition's network around the country by attending and speaking at numerous gatherings of farmers, veterans, and their allies. This national outreach effort inspired peer-to-peer relationships and organizational partnerships that will continue to serve beginning farmer veterans for years to come.
Through this grant project, Farmer Veteran Coalition helped hundreds of veterans prepare to start farming and fortified a network of organizations and individuals across the country to support them in their endeavor.