Project Overview
Military
veterans have made great sacrifices and need our support in transitioning to
civilian life upon completion of their service. At the same time, more
farmers are needed in the U.S., especially those with a focus on ecological
production. Farming can offer a meaningful livelihood to veterans while
helping them reconnect to communities and the land. Community-based food
systems can also help to ensure that consumers have equitable access to healthy
local food. Appalachian State University is leading a project, Going Whole Hog:
Sustainable Livestock and Agroforestry Training for Military Veterans, to help
military veterans and other beginning farmers enter farming and farm
sustainably.
In three
years of grant-funded work, we have:
- Developed a Frontline to Farm website and new powerpoint-based training
modules focused on livestock
- Hosted the Armed to Farm training, held Frontline to Farm training, held Advanced
alumni training
- Supported internships for veteran mentoring to help support beginning farmers
learning
- Provided scholarships to 114 veterans for Agroforestry Academy and other
sustainable agriculture meetings
- Held tours of Appalachian State University's farm for veterans interested in
farming
- Added a new focus on urban agriculture
- Built networks and helped increase understanding of those working with
veteran in agriculture.
-Built
community with social media (Facebook page and Instagram)
See frontlinetofarm.appstate.edu for more details.
Number of Participants: 65867
Promotional Materials
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Reports & Evaluations
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Individual Stories / Examples of Success