USDA partners with Farmer Veteran Coalition

Beginning farmers and military veteran farmers in the Midwest will be getting help from the Department of Agriculture via a partnership with the Farmer Veteran Coalition through workshops on agricultural credit training.

Veterans, have leadership skills that work well in farming, are increasingly looking at agriculture as a post-service career and a way to give back to their civilian communities. Farming and working the land have also proved to be a holistic way to ease the transition back to civilian life for returning war veterans.

“USDA is excited to team up with the Farmer Veteran Coalition,” Lanon Baccam, USDA Farm and Foreign Agricultural Service deputy under secretary and Military Veterans Agricultural liaison, said. “These workshops will provide individuals interested in farming as a career, including military veterans, with methods to improve business planning and financial skills, and improve understanding of the risk management tools that can help small farm operations.”

Plans are to have workshops in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri and Nebraska. The workshops will have assistance with credit applications and introductions to local or regional food markets.

The partnership also includes Niman Ranch --  a network of more than 700 independent family farmers and ranchers -- and the Farm Credit Council and Farm Credit System.