Progress 09/15/23 to 09/14/24

Outputs
Target Audience:The primary target audience for this reporting period consisted of military veterans living in Vieques and the main island of Puerto Rico. These veterans are socially and economically disadvantaged individuals seeking opportunities to transition into sustainable agriculture. The group includes individuals with little to no farming experience, as well as those with physical or logistical challenges related to their veteran status. Many of these veterans face barriers to entry into agriculture, such as limited access to land, tools, training, and financial resources. The veteran population in Vieques was specifically targeted due to their unique potential to contribute to local food security while benefiting from the therapeutic and economic opportunities offered by farming. This project aims to help veterans in historically underserved communities across rural areas in Puerto Rico, where employment opportunities and access to resources are severely limited. The project will improve individual livelihoods but also address broader issues of economic development and agricultural resilience on the island. During the reporting period, veterans were reached through a combination of targeted outreach, digital training courses, and the preparation of a tailored internship program. Outreach efforts included one-on-one consultations and partnerships with local veteran organizations to identify individuals interested in agriculture. Digital training courses, designed specifically for the needs of veterans, provide accessible educational resources on topics such as sustainable farming practices, organic certification, and market development. These courses will reach veterans at various stages of their agricultural journey, accommodating their diverse skill levels and personal circumstances. Additionally, the internship program was in the preparation phase, with infrastructure enhancements and curriculum development focused on creating a supportive environment for hands-on learning sites in Vieques, PR. The target audience will also be reached through the development of partnerships that include the Farmer Veteran Coalition and a number of community-based farming organizations across Puerto Rico, which will provide additional resources and tools for veteran farmers in Puerto Rico. These partnerships will facilitate the establishment of a digital communication platform tailored for Puerto Rican veteran farmers, enabling them to collaborate, share knowledge, access funding opportunities, find employment, and help access farming equipment. This platform will continue to serve as a long-term resource for veterans in agriculture, extending the project's impact beyond the initial reporting period. Changes/Problems:A number of veteran farmers in Vieques expressing interest prior to the project initiation have moved away from the island, citing financial circumstance, housing, severe weather impacts, medical needs, and personal reasons for their move. This has led CTC to modify the approach of the project and expand the scope of the project to assist farmers in Puerto Rico more broadly, while still concentrating internship activities in Vieques. Severe weather, Storm Ernesto, and logistical challenges has damaged a number of the farm sites that will be used for internship training, however this will be remedied come time for internship program execution. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Training and workshops delivered as part of the digital courses deepened participants' understanding of key topics such as organic pest management, irrigation strategies for climate resilience, and USDA certification pathways. Trainings also focused on value-added production, teaching techniques for creating marketable products like jams, dried goods, and fermented foods. These sessions enhanced veterans' technical skills but also helped project staff incorporate market insights into future program development. The training and professional development opportunities significantly enhanced the skills, knowledge, and capacity of both veterans and project collaborators. Veterans gained technical proficiency, confidence in sustainable farming practices, and practical experience in market engagement, setting the stage for successful careers in agriculture. Project staff and collaborators expanded their ability to design impactful programs, build innovative tools like the digital platform, and establish networks to support veterans in the long term. Together, these efforts created a strong foundation for empowering veterans and building a resilient agricultural economy in Vieques. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The results of the project have been disseminated to communities of interest through a variety of targeted outreach and engagement activities which have been designed to enhance public understanding of sustainable agriculture and encourage participation of military veterans to pursue agricultural careers. The project has prioritized reaching socially and economically disadvantaged communities, including veterans across Puerto Rico. Interested veteran participants have often lacked access to resources and information about agricultural opportunities. One of the primary methods of dissemination has been through the launch of digital training courses, which will be widely promoted via local veteran organizations, community events, social media, and other online platforms. These courses provide participants with accessible education but also served as a tool to raise awareness of agricultural opportunities among veterans. Outreach efforts includehosting informational sessions at local community centers and collaborating with local farming organizations help to broaden the project's reach. In addition, the project utilized community events and demonstration days at CTC's educational farm La Finca de Hamberto to showcase project activities and outcomes to a wider audience. These events allowed veterans and community members to see firsthand the potential of sustainable agriculture to improve livelihoods and local food security. Participants engaged in hands-on activities such as composting, irrigation setup, and crop planting. These events were also instrumental in building interest in the future internship program and other training opportunities offered by the project. The development of a digital communication platform represents another key strategy for disseminating project results. This platform will serve as a centralized hub where veterans and other stakeholders can access information about funding opportunities, job postings, training resources, and market connections. Once launched, it will provide ongoing access to the knowledge and tools generated by the project, ensuring that the impact of the work extends beyond the current reporting period. Through these diverse outreach activities, the project has successfully engaged veterans, community members, and regional stakeholders, building interest and understanding of agriculture as a career and a tool for community empowerment. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?In the next project period the CTC team will have finalized and delivered digital courses, and started the internship program. Internship planning will be finalized, including securing trainer contracts who have agreements in place with CTC for these activities; a list of intern participant information with detailed needs assessments; secured housing for interns and trainers; and finalized all logistical and administrative plans for internship program delivery.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? This reporting period focused on helping military veterans in Puerto Rico develop the knowledge and skills to have successful agricultural careers. Many of these veterans face limited access to land, farming tools, financial resources, and technical knowledge, compounded by broader socioeconomic challenges. The project is providing veterans with practical agricultural skills, access to markets, and resources to create sustainable livelihoods while contributing to local food security and economic resilience in Puerto Rico. The project has developed and its implementing three digital training courses specifically designed to meet the needs of military veterans in Puerto Rico. The one-month introductory course provided foundational knowledge in soil preparation, basic irrigation systems, organic pest management, and crop selection. Veterans who completed this course gained the skills to begin small-scale farming or improve existing plots. The three-month course expanded on these topics by introducing organic certification processes, crop rotation strategies, and farm financial planning. This intermediate-level training prepared veterans to navigate regulatory requirements and establish more structured farming practices. The six-month advanced course will cover high- level topics such as value-added production, regenerative farming techniques, and detailed market analysis to support the development of diversified income streams. This course emphasized practical applications like developing market-ready products (e.g., jams, dried foods, fermented goods), advanced composting systems, and sustainable water use strategies. During the first year of this project, the first two courses have been developed and are accessible through CTC's website, communitythroughcolors.org. In this first project period the courses have been pre-tested by veteran farmers who have provided feedback to help iteratively improve the course design. Full rollouts of the one- and three-month courses will be provided on the CTC website by the end of 2024, with outreach communications sent out to CTC partners through a diverse array of communications platforms that include social media, newsletters, emails, and postal mail. The project also prioritized personalized support by conducting one-on-one consultations with all participating veterans specifically in Vieques, PR. These consultations assessed each individual's goals, challenges, and existing skills, enabling the team to design tailored training plans for Vieques veteran farmers. These plans included specific recommendations for improving farming techniques, strategies for overcoming logistical barriers unique to the remote island, and connections to relevant resources. A significant accomplishment during this period was the finalization of the curriculum and teaching plans for the internship program in Vieques, PR. Veterans who complete the six-month digital course will be invited to participate in on-site training sessions focused on practical applications of production techniques. This program will begin in the next reporting period, includes core modules on regenerative agriculture, sustainable land management, composting, irrigation, crop production, livestock care, value-added production, advanced market development, and climate-resilient farming techniques. The curriculum will incorporate feedback from digital course participants to ensure that it is practical, relevant, and aligned with the needs of Puerto Rican veterans. Testing will be done before and after to develop metrics and to improve the courses. In addition to training and hands-on learning, the project took steps to establish a long-term support network for veteran farmers. The CTC team has begun the process of forming the first Puerto Rican chapter of the Farmer Veteran Coalition (FVC), a national nonprofit that supports veterans in agriculture through mentorship, funding opportunities, and market access. The PR FVC chapter will connect veterans in Puerto Rico to a broader network of farmer-veterans, providing ongoing guidance and collaboration opportunities. CTC has also partnered with local farming organizations in Puerto Rico to develop a digital communication platform tailored to veterans in Puerto Rico. This platform, currently under development, will serve as a centralized resource for veterans to access job postings, funding opportunities, land-sharing initiatives, and collaboration tools. It will also include a certification component, allowing veterans to showcase their completion of digital courses and the internship program, further enhancing their employability and credibility in agricultural markets. These combined efforts resulted in measurable outcomes and significant impacts. Veterans gained essential agricultural knowledge and skills through digital training and pilot activities, building confidence in their ability to pursue farming as a career. Partnerships have laid the groundwork for a sustainable support system, and the development of the digital platform will ensure that veterans have ongoing access to essential farming resources. These accomplishments will contribute to broader community goals of improving food security, supporting economic development, and promoting sustainable agricultural practices in Puerto Rico. The project's work during this period demonstrated that with targeted training, resources, and support, veterans can successfully transition into agriculture and become leaders in building a resilient local food system.

Publications