Source: FARMER VETERAN COALITION submitted to
THE NATIONAL FARMER VETERAN PROJECT: UTILIZING EXISTING RELATIONSHIPS AND NETWORKS TO EXPAND IMPACT AND REACH AMONG VETERAN FARMERS
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
TERMINATED
Funding Source
OTHER GRANTS
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
1005189
Grant No.
2015-70017-22943
Project No.
CALW-2014-07393
Proposal No.
2014-07393
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Program Code
BFRDA
Project Start Date
Dec 15, 2014
Project End Date
Dec 14, 2015
Grant Year
2015
Project Director
O`Gorman, M.
Recipient Organization
FARMER VETERAN COALITION
4614 2ND ST STE 4
DAVIS,CA 95618
Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
Title: The National Farmer Veteran Project: Utilizing Existing Relationships and Networks to Expand Impact and Reach Among Veteran FarmersThe long-term goals of the project are 1) to increase the agricultural capacity (e.g., level of agricultural production and business development skills) of beginning veteran farmers with less than 10 years of experience farming, 2) to increase the number of beginning veteran farmers entering into farming or ranching, and 3) to improve the economic viability of veteran-owned small- and medium-sized farm operations.These goals will be achieved through the following objectives, 1) building the Farmer Veteran Peer Network, a national network that creates mentor relationships between beginning veteran farmers and more established veteran and seasoned farmers; 2) delivering education and outreach through veteran-to-veteran learning that provides a foundation of skills, knowledge, and tools in sustainable production and farm business development; and 3) delivering education and outreach to beginning veteran farmers through asynchronous and synchronous, interactive online channels that allow veteran farmers from across the country to learn from each other and share best practices.The project will utilize a veteran-to-veteran network model that operates in conjunction with our colaborative partners at the local, state, and regional levels, to conduct new veteran farmer outreach and education to develop new veteran farmer/seasoned farmer networks, mentoring capacity, and partnerships.Over the one-year grant term, this project will develop and deliver 15 face-to-face educational and outreach sessions to beginning farmer veterans. Develop the Farmer Veteran Peer Network, a regional database of beginning farmer veterans and experienced veteran and seasoned farmers, which will facilitate the development of mentor relationships. Develop, update and disseminate a beginning farmer veteran resource guide detailing key resources and training available for farmer veterans.
Animal Health Component
0%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
(N/A)
Developmental
(N/A)
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
90360303030100%
Knowledge Area
903 - Communication, Education, and Information Delivery;

Subject Of Investigation
6030 - The farm as an enterprise;

Field Of Science
3030 - Information and communication;
Goals / Objectives
The long-term goals of the project are: (1) to increase the agricultural capacity (e.g., level of agricultural production and business development skills) of beginning farmer veterans with less than 10 years of experience farming: (2) to increase the number of beginning farmer veterans entering into farming or ranching, and: (3) to improve the economic viability of veteran-owned small- and medium-sized farm or ranch operations.
Project Methods
We propose to use a veteran-to-veteran learning model that operates at the local, state, regional and national level for all of our activities. Peer learning is not unique. However, nowhere is it more pertinent than in veteran communities. The military culture is one in which service members are trained to perform their duty as a collective team. In war time, this culture generates an environment where service members exclusively rely on the support of their colleagues and community to cope with stress and address challenges.

Progress 12/15/14 to 12/14/15

Outputs
Target Audience:Our target audience for this grant were beginning farmer veterans who were mostly sourcedthrough agricultural educational and outreach sessions, news media portals, peer groups and partnerorganizations. Changes/Problems:Our first challenge was the staffing for the project, caused by unanticipated departure of two employees. We now have a much larger outreach team with expertise in both agriculture and veteran issues. The second challenge was data collection and management. We launched a new contact management software in April, 2014 but had only 1,155 farmer veterans in the system when the grant cycle started in December. The veterans come from remote rural communities with a lot of geographic isolation. That made peer-to-peer and mentorship matching initially more difficult in the beginning months of the grant. By December, 2015 we had more than 4,250 farmer veterans in the system and making connections became much easier. It also took more time than anticipated to locate qualified mentors and develop support for the mentoring process. This too, was improving by the end of the grant project. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?FVC provided 9 outreach events with an attendance of 126 beginning farmer veterans, a peer-to-peer mentoring program, and a day long on-farm workshop with USDA and Farm Credit. Farmer Veteran Coalition also hosted 3 educational webinars covering topics on Microloans, USDA Resources and NRCS & EQIP that achieved an attendance of 297 beginning farmer veterans. FVC continues to connect with beginning farmer veterans via email and phone for one-on-one counseling regarding topics ranging from educational programs, peer-to-peer mentoring and government loans. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Through this grant project, Farmer Veteran Coalition helped over 800 hundred veterans prepare or improve their farming endeavors and fortified a network of organizations and individuals across the country to support them in their goals and aspirations. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Over the course of the year, project staff dedicated the vast majority of their time to directly communicating with beginning farmer veterans: helping aspiring farmer veterans to discern their goals and next steps; connecting beginning farmer veterans to local agricultural experts, regional farmer advocacy groups, and fellow farmer veterans; and providing all with a sense of common purpose and camaraderie. These conversations and connections resulted in the veterans feeling more confident, equipped, and supported as they navigate their way into a new farming career, and resulted in the Farmer Veteran Coalition identifying a suite of program improvements and ideas for future services. Responding to the veterans' most common questions and needs, project staff organized webinars and workshops to teach beginning farmer veterans about financial literacy and the variety of USDA programs that can help beginning, small, and direct marketing farmers, including Microloans, working lands conservation programs, disaster assistance, and the Value-Added Producer Grant. Furthermore, project staff rallied support for farmer veterans and continued to expand the Farmer Veteran Coalition's network around the country by attending and speaking at numerous gatherings of farmers, veterans, and their allies. This national outreach effort inspired peer-topeer relationships and organizational partnerships that will continue to serve beginning farmer veterans for years to come.

Publications