USDA Helps Veterans Join the Agricultural Industry

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The United States Department of Agricultural (USDA) launched a program to provide support to veterans interested in joining the agricultural industry. The three ways the USDA will help veterans include through employment, education, and entrepreneurship. Resources available are a new website for veterans and a new curriculum for USDA employees to learn about the opportunities offered to veterans.
“Through these resources, USDA is committed to helping veterans in agricultural areas so we can strengthen the American economy and provide assistance for those who have served. Veterans and agriculture are just a great fit.” (Secretary Perdue, 2017)
The newly created website proclaims defense and preparedness as critical needs of the country’s agricultural sector. This proclamation reinforces the USDA missions to hire, train, and support veterans seeking to join the agricultural industry. On the website, there are three links: employment, education, and entrepreneurship.
The USDA offers employment opportunities in the fields of criminal justice, soil conservation, contracting, IT, food inspection, firefighting, finance and economics1. Additionally, the USDA is offering national-level apprenticeships for Agricultural Commodity Grader and Wildland Firefighter2
The USDA through collaboration with interagency and nonprofit partners offer education through field experience and apprenticeships. The Armed to Farm Sustainable (ATTRA) program offered by the National Center for Appropriate Technology provides veterans with internships and apprenticeships on partner farms. The Farmer Veteran Coalition offers veterans direct assistance during the first years of ranching or farming.
The USDA offers two paths toward agricultural entrepreneurship. The first From Farm to Fork assists new veteran farmers with access to capital, land, training resources, and business development. The second entrepreneurial opportunity is in rural business and community development. In this program, the USDA can assist veterans in the purchase and development of land in rural areas.
Notes:
Image from www.farmvetco.org
1,2 United States Department of Agriculture. n.d. USDA Wants to Hire America’s Heroes https://www.usda.gov/our-agency/initiatives/veterans/veterans-and-employment 

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