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INVESTIGATOR: Howard, T.

PERFORMING INSTITUTION:
NATIONAL CENTER FOR APPROPRIATE TECHNOLOGY
3040 CONTINENTAL DR., P.O. BOX 3838
BUTTE, MONTANA 59701

BUILDING FARM FOUNDATIONS AND PLANNING FOR SUCCESS: BEGINNING FARMER TRAINING FOR MILITARY VETERANS IN THE INTERMOUNTAIN WEST.

NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY: The National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT) will partner with Great Falls Community College, Montana Farmers Union, Alternative Energy Resources Organization and the Community Food and Agriculture Coalition, and the Farmers Veteran Coalition to educate and support military veterans who are beginning farmers in Montana. Our project, Building Farm Foundations and Planning for Success: Beginning Farmer Training for Military Veterans will work with over 100 beginning farmers who are military veterans in Montana and the intermountain west. We will recruit beyond the borders of Montana to the intermountain states. We will train at least 45 military veteran beginning farmers in each year of our project through our intensive trainings, one-on-one technical assistance, and partner workshops. We will provide intensive training through the week-long Armed to Farm training program. Armed to Farm is NCAT's sustainable agriculture training program for military veterans, which has been replicated in five states. The project will also offer farm business planning assistance to military veterans through partner workshops and one-on-one technical assistance. We will build and strengthen the network of military veteran beginning farmers through outreach and support of existing veteran networks in Montana and surrounding states. Throughout the project we will evaluate the impacts of our training and outreach.

OBJECTIVES: Long-term project goalThe long-term goal of this project is to support military veterans in Montana as they start and run farming operations by providing training and technical assistance on sustainable agriculture production methods and farm business planning. Our project will also facilitate access to USDA and Montana programs, improve the sustainability of existing farming operations, and support military veteran beginning farmers through networking and technical assistance.Objective 1): Provide beginning farmer training to military veterans in Montana.Objective 2): Provide business planning assistance to military veteran beginning farmers.Objective 3): Expand and strengthen the military veteran beginning farmer network throughout Montana.Objective 4): Cultivate new veteran grain farmers