The U.S. Department of Agriculture is stepping up its efforts to help military veterans become farmers, in part to address the aging of the agricultural workforce.
"We're looking at who's going to be the next generation of farmers," Agriculture Deputy Secretary Krysta Harden said Wednesday. "Who's farming next?"
The average age of American farmers is 58, she said.
Information on USDA resources for new farmers now is being included in the career training and counseling programs that are offered to service members as they leave the military, Harden said. The information is expected to reach about 200,000 retiring servicemen annually through the U.S. Defense Department's Transition Assistance Program.
USDA resources for veterans include loans, grants, training and technical assistance, Harden said.
Since 2009, the USDA has provided $438 million in farm loans to help almost 6,500 veterans purchase farmland, buy equipment and make repairs and upgrades, the agency said in a news release. A separate micro-loan program, which supports small farm operations, has provided more than $22.6 million to 1,083 veterans seeking to grow their agricultural businesses, the agency said.
In addition, Harden said, there are grants and loans specifically intended to enable groups of small farmers to acquire and share things such as refrigeration and storage space.
Arkansas Agriculture Secretary Wes Ward said in a separate interview that there are about 250,000 veterans in Arkansas. In July, the Arkansas Agriculture Department launched Homegrown by Heroes, a marketing program to help buyers identify and locate agricultural products produced by Arkansas veterans.
Harden and Ward, a member of the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, agreed that veterans have the discipline and leadership skills required of farmers.
"The military mindset is, I've got a job and I've got to get it done no matter what it takes," Ward said, adding that farmers share that attitude.
"The skill set is there," Harden said. "And the therapeutic relationship with the land is understood by retiring military service members."
Veterans can get more information on the USDA programs by visiting www.usda.gov or by visiting a local USDA Service Center.
Business on 09/17/2015