SERVICE MEMBER AGRICULTURAL VOCATION EDUCATION (SAVE) A PATHWAY TO FARMING FOR TRANSITIONING SERVICE MEMBERS AND VETERANS

• Sponsoring Institution: National Institute of Food and Agriculture
• Project Status: COMPLETE
• Funding Source: OTHER GRANTS
• Reporting Frequency: Annual
• Accession No.: 1013030
• Grant No.: 2017-70017-26887
• Cumulative Award Amt.: $257,000.00
• Proposal No.: 2017-01904
• Project Start Date: Sep 1, 2017
• Project End Date: Aug 31, 2020
• Grant Year: 2017
• Program Code: [BFRDA]- Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program, Standard

Recipient Organization
AGRICULTURE, KANSAS DEPARTMENT OF
1320 RESEARCH PARK DR
MANHATTAN,KS 66502

Performing Department
(N/A)

Non Technical Summary
The concept of the SAVE program and ultimately the long-term vision was developed in direct response to a request from Fort Riley's Warrior Transition Battalion's occupational therapists. Members and therapists from the Battalion suggested beginning with a beekeeping training program. The objective was multi-fold. First, to assist those with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and brain disorders with the therapeutic effects of the endeavor. Second, to measure the level of interest in the agricultural niche. And third, to determine whether the project could become a self-sustaining program. Twelve members of the SAVE board are military veterans - each of whom have played an integral part in the conceptual development and implementation of the SAVE mission.The following SAVE programs would be supported by this grant:Bee Keeping: A niche agricultural endeavor, beekeeping is critical to the nation's food supply and commercial operators are in need of managers and those who might succeed them. Modeled after the University of Montana's Master Beekeeping program, service members and veterans will work through an accelerated tri-level course with instruction in the basics of keeping honey bees, bee biology and anatomy, colony management, honey harvesting, and several other topics. Participants will receive hands on experience establishing and maintaining healthy hives.Farm Tours: Service members and veterans will participate in a 15-week farm and supporting organization tour schedule. Participants will visit at least 20 farms; 12 supporting organizations such as Farm Services Agency, Farm Bureau, Farm Credit, and The Farmers Union; several agricultural manufacturers; farm service providers; and food processing organizations. Participants will be instructed in farm business planning and financial management.Apprenticeships: A pillar of the SAVE approach is to place the graduates on a farm either to work, manage, or perhaps one day, own a farm. Through continued cooperation Frontier Farm Credit and the Farm Bureau's Project Patriot, students will engage with potential mentors of succession possibilities early in the training cycle to experience hands on learning in exchange for farm labor activities.Connecting transitioning service members and veterans to agricultural careers has been the focus of other USDA grant opportunities in other regions in the United Stated. According to www.FarmAnswers.org the following projects are serving veteran farmers - Armed to Farm (University of Arkansas), Strategic Investments to Ensure Long-Term Success of Veteran-Owned and Advanced Beginning Farms (Cornell University), The National Farmer Veteran Project (The Farmer Veteran Coalition), Enhancing Veterans Farm Fellows Program (Veterans Farm), Farming for Cash (Kentucky State University), and Arcadia's Veteran Farmer Program (Arcadia Food, Inc.). While other programs may be available or are under development in other regions, no similar programs exist in Kansas.The SAVE program offers a critical bridge from the security and comradery of the military to the serenity and immersion offered by farming, avoiding what can be a debilitating and often dangerous period following discharge. In addition, SAVE offers an opportunity for multiple agencies and organizations to coordinate for the betterment of our military veterans and service members.

Animal Health Component

(N/A)

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
802	3099	3020	90%
802	3099	1130	10%

Knowledge Area
802 - Human Development and Family Well-Being;

Subject Of Investigation
3099 - Bees, honey, and other pollinators, general;

Field Of Science
1130 - Entomology and acarology; 3020 - Education;

Keywords

service member agricultural vocation education (save)

farmers

ranchers

service member

veteran

Goals / Objectives
The long-term goals of the project are: (1) to increase the availability of a skilled agricultural workforce, (2) to increase the number of beginning farmer veterans entering into farming or ranching, and (3) to assist those with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and brain disorders through the therapeutic effects of farming.These goals will be achieved through the following objectives: (1) Provide hands on experience establishing and maintaining healthy bee hives, (2) Provide career orientation through organized farm tours focused on the development of skills and knowledge in animal husbandry, production agriculture and farm business management, (3) Expand the regional network of mentors and succession opportunities, in cooperation with Frontier Farm Credit and the Farm Bureau's Patriot Program, and build meaningful sustained relationship between beginning farmer veteran and experienced producers.

Project Methods
Provide hands on experience establishing and maintaining healthy bee hives:Grow the number of bee hives from 60 to 500 to support the growing demand for the beekeeping trainingRecruit area transitioning service members and veterans interested in beekeepingConduct apprentice, journeyman and master level workshops to provide hands on learning in the various aspects of beekeepingEvaluate beekeeping program outcomesProvide career orientation through organized farm tours focused on the development of skills and knowledge in animal husbandry, production agriculture and farm business management:Coordinate with regional partners and establish annual tour scheduleRecruit area transitioning service members and veterans interested in agricultural career training and orientationConduct 15-week tour of regional farms, ranches, agribusinesses and farm financial institutionsEvaluate farm tour outcomesExpand the regional network of mentors and succession opportunities, in cooperation with Frontier Farm Credit and Farm Bureau's Patriot Program, and build meaningful sustained relationship between beginning farmer veteran and experienced producers:Coordinate with state lead of Kansas and other state's Farm Bureau Patriot Project to review program, recruitment, and promotional materials and proceduresCoordinate with Frontier Farm Credit to enhance existing opportunities to recruit and place transitioning military service members and veterans with experienced farmers and ranchersAssist military veteran beginning farmers and ranchers interested in joining the Patriot ProjectEvaluate progress and track the partnership of each program participant and their experienced farmer and rancher

Progress 09/01/17 to 08/31/20

Outputs
Target Audience:SAVE is a 501(c)(3) public charity and non-governmental organization that provides training and mentorship for transitioning service members and veterans interested in careers in agriculture. Creating a pathway to farming for veterans and service members not only addresses an increasing shortage in the agricultural workforce, it provides a meaningful way of life and potential hands-on healing for traumatic brain injuries (TBI) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The BFRDP and SAVE work as a collaborative unit to advance their collective and mutually supportive goals. Changes/Problems:A large challenge is the broad range of vision throughout the board of directors. SAVE was started with very ambitious goals that are not out of the realm of possiblilty, but without a priority of which should be accomplished first. Many board members are more than willing to provide assistance, but without prioritized goals, this effort went in several directions. Recently, the organization has created a strategic plan and has begun to more effectively focus on what the board feels are the most important pieces first. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Nothing Reported How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?SAVE has created a website with information on admission and academics, as well as a published strategic plan for the organization. The organization is also very active on social media, and at community events. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? The program has exceeded initial expectations of serving 30 service members and veterans per year with a total of 467 individuals having received at least one class. SAVE has started a successful company, Golden Prairie Honey Farm. Through the bee operation, honey processing, wood shop, and store front, students have an opportunity to work as apprentices while gaining valuable experience with trained Master Bee-keepers. Through this program, SAVE has sent 64 students through the University of Montana Beekeeping course, and 275 students have attended on-site Beekeeping Bootcamp.

Publications

Progress 09/01/18 to 08/31/19

Outputs
Target Audience:SAVE is a 501(c)(3) public charity and non-governmental organization that provides training and mentorship for transitioning service members and veterans interested in careers in agriculture. Creating a pathway to farming for veterans and service members not only addresses an increasing shortage in the agricultural workforce, it provides a meaningful way of life and potential hands-on healing for traumatic brain injuries (TBI) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The BFRDP and SAVE work as a collaborative unit to advance their collective and mutually supportive goals. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?In line with the above stated goals, SAVE Farm has begun using a 300 acre tract of land to conduct farming and ranching operations. This includes working to plant and harvest crops including corn, soybeans, and sorghum, as well as working a head of over 20 head of catle. A storefront and woodworking shop has been developed to allow students to learn the basics of bekeeping, and the skills necessary to build their own hives and equipment. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Nothing Reported What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?During the next reporting period, we plan to work to develop an educational model to allow students to continue their education and gain the necessary experience to begin operations of their own. We aso plan to develop a more sustainable financial model through tuition and donation funds. Through private funding, SAVE is working to purchase the land we have been renting to allow for more effecient operation and growth.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? SAVE Farm conducted several recruiting events including Ft. Riley Apple Days festival, Manhattan Veteran's Day Parade, and other job fairs in the area. There were more than 15 farm tours conducted across the state, that led to more than 10 students receiving college accredited education through Cloud County Community College.

Publications

Progress 09/01/17 to 08/31/18

Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience(s) reached by the efforts of SAVE (Servicemember Agricultural Vocation Education) is servicemembers transitioning from life in the military that wish to find a meaningful, fulfilling future career and lifestyle in farming and ranching. Coupled with appropriate integration of therapy and other therapeutic benefits, SAVE intends to be a bridge for the 1,500,000 veterans and 800,000 transitioning service members soon to become veterans; a significant number of them that wish to find farming or farm-related occupations after their time of service. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Multiple opportunitites for trainign and professional development have been provided due to this grant. Each of the objectives listed above have an opportunity for training and professional development, most specificially: Training of beekeeping and professional development of beekeeping courses Training and professional development of agricultural-related careers (farming and ranching-focused) through farm tours On-farm training and professional development through the creation of an intern program for mentor/mentee relationships with servicemembers and experienced agriculturalists How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The results have been disseminated to communities of interest by a multiple-prong approach. While the program is still in its beginning phase, results have been shared via the SAVE website (www.thesavefarm.org), as well as through various publications of the organization. Ongoing communications and results have been shared with the Fort Riley Warrior Transition Battalion, USARMY MEDCOM, appropriate local mental health agencies, and Veteran's Affairs (VA). What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?During the next reporting period, we plan to work closely with all interested parties to continue the growth of the project. All objectives will be reviewed to determine areas of concern and success.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? During the fist year of the grant, the following long-term goals were achieved through the following objectives: 1) Provide hands-on experience establishing and maintaining healthy bee hives: The apiary and bee hive operation of SAVE (Golden Prairie Honey Farms) was expanded during Year One to provide this additional hands-on experience. Additionally, over 18 veterans and servicemembers were supported in taking Apprentice and Master-level beekeeping courses in order to gain necessary knowledge to tend and care for the growing hives over the coming years, as well as run their own successful beekeeping operations in the future. 2) Provide career orientation through organized farm tours focused on the development of skills and knowledge in animal husbandry, production agriculture, and farm business management: During the spring and summer of 2018, over 15 targeted "farm tours" were successfully carried out, each with an average participation of 20 individuls from Fort Riley and other intersted local area servicemembers. These tours were expertly planned to provide attendees with a wide-rance of farming and ranching career orientation, including visiting a local small niche farm, livestock market, agronomic test plot, traditional cow-calf operation, row-crop operation during harvest, and greenhouse, amongst others. 3) Expand the regional network of mentors and succession opportunities and build meaningful sustained relationships betwen beginning farmer veteran and experienced producers: While the program was just getting off the ground during Year One, SAVE was able to create nine (9) separate farmer-veteran mentor relationships, whereas the servicemember or veteran acted as an intern for the farmer or rancher. It is too soon to determine whether these relationships will be able to be sustained, but many individuals have contacted SAVE due to the fact that they are nearing retirement age or are intersted in having a quality, reliable workforce, as well as a targeted means for succession planning.

Publications