Item No. 1 of 1

INVESTIGATOR: Donoghue, D. J.

PERFORMING INSTITUTION:
UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS
FAYETTEVILLE, ARKANSAS 72703

ARMED TO FARM: SOLDIERING THE SUCCESS OF MILITARY VETERANS IN NEW POULTRY, LIVESTOCK AND AGROFORESTRY ENTERPRISES

NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY: Farming offers a viable avenue for returning veterans to transition into society and capitalizes on skills that made them successful in the military. However, these opportunities may be missed due to lack of targeted training programs, guidance and information. We have assembled a team with expertise in teaching conventional and alternative agriculture, hands-on training, economics, research and networking resources targeted to veteran farmers focused on poultry, small ruminants and agroforestry production. Through our previous BFRDP project, our team has supported hundreds of veterans through workshops, internships, research and training opportunities yet there continues to be a critical need to train and support this population of new farmers. Our objectives for this Standard Grant Renewal are to: 1) Enhance existing course and add training modules to our New Farmer Online Training Program and develop a new customized online course specific to veterans and a new farmer cooperative; 2) Provide experiential opportunities including Armed to Farm Workshops and trainings, on-farm demonstration and internship programs; and 3) Develop and expand on custom networking and mentoring systems to effectively support a new generation of farmers. This project will target military veterans and minority farmers (women, African-American and Latino farmers). Residents of the South have traditionally comprised a disproportionate share of military personnel and many of them come from agricultural backgrounds and would return to their agricultural roots if given the opportunity. This dynamic program creates specific training opportunities and networking systems for these and other populations of new and beginning farmers and ranchers.

OBJECTIVES: The long term goal of this project is to develop and expand on a personalized comprehensive and integrated educational program that provides beginning farmers and ranchers with relevant information and practical skills to create an individual plan to initiate, maintain, advance, diversify and succeed in their new or beginning agricultural enterprises. The specific objectives of this proposal are to: 1) Enhance existing course material and add training modules to our New Farmer Online Training Program and develop a new customized online course specific to veterans and a new farmer cooperative. 2) Provide experiential opportunities including Armed to Farm workshops, on farm demonstration and internship programs; and 3) Develop and expand on custom networking and mentoring systems to effectively support the new generation of farmers and ranchers in the Southern region of the country, particularly for military veterans in Arkansas and Missouri. To fulfill the objectives of this program we have created a unique personalized, inclusive and integrated program that uses elements and strategies that are easy and inexpensive to establish, maintain and administer while providing fast returns, multiple marketing strategies (poultry, small ruminants and agroforestry) and using ecologically and financially sustainable and profitable strategies. In addition many of these ideas can be incorporated into other production systems to diversify productivity and increase profitability for producers and rural communities.