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 three from California. Those are Coast Guard veteran Nicholas Crossfield of Sierra Goats, Navy veteran James Lucas of G & J’s Little Farm, and Navy veteran Richard Augustus of Wallace 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 News Hour and The AgNet Weekly podcast. Sabrina is a native of California’s agriculture-rich Central Valley.