Recipient Organization
NATIONAL CENTER FOR APPROPRIATE TECHNOLOGY
3040 CONTINENTAL DR.,
BUTTE,MT 59701
Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
The Armed to Farm Connections project's long-term goal is to help up to 2,000 veterans gain the knowledge and skills to successfully start and manage commercial farm businesses. We will provide 100 veterans with week-long, hands-on trainings on sustainable agriculture topics including production methods, farm business planning, and access to USDA farm programs. We will use a training curriculum we developed and modified based upon past training evaluations. We will further engage and train 500 Armed to Farm (ATF) alumni through a series of farmer-to-farmer educational sessions. We will also provide free, one-on-one technical assistance to help support and strengthen their ability to successfully manage their agriculture business. Using targeted outreach efforts and training events, as well as in-person and virtual mentoring and networking activities, at least 1,500 veterans will learn about and connect with training, resources, and support that can assist them in their agriculture operations. These networks of resource providers, mentors, and fellow farmer veterans will help provide support and assistance to farmer veterans across the country.NCAT has helped more than 3,500 military veteran farmers through Armed to Farm trainings, other workshops, networking events, and one-on-one technical assistance. Previous ATF participants have said, "ATF has been the single most helpful experience I have had as a veteran" and "Armed to Farm gave me the tools to take my farm dream seriously and make it happen. I can't say if I would have had the confidence to get it going without Armed to Farm."
Animal Health Component
(N/A)
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
(N/A)
Developmental
(N/A)
Goals / Objectives
The goals of this project are to provide four week-long immersive, hands-on agriculture-focused trainings to 100 veterans; facilitate 18 farmer-to-farmer learning sessions for at least 500 farmer veterans; provide technical assistance to at least 500 veterans, and engage at least 1,000 veterans through networking and other activities. As a result of this project, at least 2,000 veterans across the country will have the tools to manage successful farms. They will have access to a diverse support network including USDA agencies, veteran assistance organizations, and other farmer veterans, that will help to ensure their long-term success.Objective 1): Train at least 100 veterans through Armed to Farm, a week-long, immersive, hands-on sustainable agriculture farm training program.Expected outputs and outcomes: Armed to Farm trainings prepare veterans to start and manage successful farming and ranching enterprises. During the three-year life of our project, 100 veterans will receive approximately 40 hours of training through four ATF trainings. NCAT will utilize its staff located across the country as well as local partners, to plan and conduct regionally appropriate ATF trainings. NCAT will lead the planning of ATF following a set format and curriculum. Local partners will help to identify training and farm locations, as well as local agencies and speakers. We expect that all 100 ATF participants will learn about farm business and financial management; sustainable agriculture production and marketing techniques; and USDA farm agencies and programs. All participants will also visit four to five successful farm operations, including some veteran-owned farms, for hands-on training. Hands-on activities will include fencing, animal handling and health care, crop production and harvesting techniques, food safety practices, and more. Based on follow-up evaluations of previous participants, within one year of attending an ATF training, it is expected that at least 70% of participants will be farming; have made changes to their operations; developed farm goals; and been in contact with USDA agencies.Objective 2): Train and support at least 500 veterans throughout the country through farmer-to-farmer educational sessions. Expected outputs and outcomes: Over the course of the project, at least 500 veterans who previously completed an Armed to Farm training will receive additional training and support through farmer-to-farmer educational sessions. At least 18 farmer-to-farmer sessions will be conducted over the project period. Previous ATF trainings were funded through USDA Beginning Farmer and Rancher, Outreach and Assistance to Socially-Disadvantaged and Veteran Farmers and Ranchers, and AgVets programs, this project will allow NCAT to build upon those projects by providing further support and training to farmer veterans. The farmer-to-farmer sessions will be held virtually and in-person. Training topics will be determined by evaluations and interviews with past ATF participants. Sessions will feature farmer veterans sharing their experiences on sustainable agriculture topics, discussions, and problem-solving amongst participants. NCAT staff will facilitate the sessions and will be available to provide technical assistance, but the learning will be guided by the participants. Eighteen farmer-to-farmer sessions will be offered over the course of the project. Eight will be conducted as in-person events, while 10 will be offered virtually. Training topics may include accessing larger markets, scaling-up production, farm business planning, and crop and livestock production. We will also connect participants with relevant USDA agencies as well as other organizations and local resources.Objective 3): Provide continued engagement and support via one-on-one technical assistance and networking activities to 1,500 veterans. Expected outputs and outcomes: NCAT staff will provide one-on-one technical assistance to at least 500 veterans over the course of the project. NCAT's ATTRA Sustainable Agriculture Program staff have provided technical assistance to farmers for over 35 years. NCAT's staff includes veterans and farmers with extensive expertise in sustainable agriculture production and marketing. NCAT staff can help veterans with all aspects of their farming operations via trainings, ATTRA's toll-free help line, email, website chat, or text.Through NCAT's targeted outreach efforts, training events, and online networking activities, at least 1,000 veterans will connect with resources that can help their agriculture operations. NCAT has hosted dozens of trainings, workshops, and networking events, reaching hundreds of veterans from all regions of the U.S., and will engage more veterans in these networks through this project. These networks will include other farmer veterans, farmer mentors, NCAT staff, USDA agency personnel, VA staff members, and other agricultural organizations. These networks provide ongoing support, resources, mentoring, and assistance to veterans starting and operating successful farms. NCAT will use its Armed to Farm (1,800 followers), ATTRA (17,790 followers), and other (10,000 followers) Facebook pages to engage farmer veterans. NCAT manages a Facebook group for Armed to Farm alumni where participants share resources, ask questions, and encourage each other. The project team will also connect and support farmer veterans through virtual networks, including NCAT's Armed to Farm Newse-newsletter that connects more than 3,600 farmer veterans, resource providers, and agencies and organizations who work with farmer veterans. NCAT also manages an Armed to Farm Map (https://www.armedtofarm.org/map/). This national database includes farmers who want to employ veterans, landowners who want to make farmland available to veterans, organizations that offer training programs for veterans, and veteran operated farms. This project will promote and grow the number of listings to this database. These tools help connect veterans to trainings, resources, and support networks. These virtual networks will engage at least 1,000 veterans.
Project Methods
Objective 1): Train at least 100 veterans through Armed to Farm Trainings. Armed to Farm: We will train at least 100 veterans through four Armed to Farm trainings. Each ATF will provide approximately 40 training hours to at least 25 participants. The curriculum includes goal setting, business planning, recordkeeping, marketing, and agriculture production topics. Veterans will visit successful local farms to learn directly from established farmers and receive practical, hands-on training. We will introduce participants to USDA agencies and programs, Cooperative Extension, Farm Credit, Small Business Administration, and other resources to help them become successful farm business entrepreneurs.Objective 2): Train and support at least 500 veterans throughout the country through farmer-to-farmer educational sessions. NCAT's project team will analyze past ATF evaluations and follow-up surveys to determine training topics. NCAT agriculture specialists will facilitate 18 farmer-to-farmer educational sessions over the course of the project. These sessions will provide at least two hours of training to at least 500 veterans. The target audience for these sessions will the more than 1,200 veterans that have participated in past ATF trainings. These sessions will provide further training and support to veterans as they are further along in their farming journey. Farmers learn best by sharing their experiences and connecting over genuine problems and situations (Bell and McAllister, 2021). Peer support groups have proven to be an effective tool to help veterans transition to civilian life and build social support (Drebing, et al, 2018). Farmer-to-farmer learning has been used effectively to train and support farmers.In-depth training on business planning, financial management, marketing, and scaling-up production will be tailored to participants' needs. Sessions will be facilitated by NCAT staff, but will feature instruction from ATF alumni and other farmer veterans. They will build on previous ATF trainings, many of which were funded through USDA BFRDP, OASDVFR, and AgVets projects. Attendees will be more established than when they attended ATF, and will be looking to take their farms to the next level.Sessions will be offered every other month throughout the project. Virtual sessions will occur on a set, regular basis and will be hosted using the Zoom platform. There will also be eight in-person sessions over the course of the project. The in-person sessions may occur in conjunction with other training events or be hosted as on-farm sessions. NCAT will engage the more than 1,200 farmer veterans trained through ATF to conduct, lead, and participate in these farmer-to-farmer learning sessions. These sessions will connect ATF alumni from various trainings and states and will provide an opportunity for participants to share successes and challenges, share ideas and resources, and learn from each other.Objective 3): Provide continued engagement and support via one-on-one technical assistance and networking activities to 1,500 veterans.One-on-one technical assistance: NCAT Agriculture Specialists, who have expertise in all aspects of farm business start-up, management, and production, will provide one-on-one technical assistance to farmer veterans. Specialists will answer questions, provide detailed research, review farm business plans, and connect veterans to available resources. Farmer veterans will connect with specialists through in-person trainings, NCAT's toll-free help line, email, website chat, and social media. NCAT has offered technical assistance to farmers for more than 35 years through its ATTRA program. Training events: The project team will expand networks of farmer veterans, farmer mentors, USDA agencies, and other service providers across the U.S. through ATF trainings, and farmer-to-farmer sessions. Participants' connections provide support to their farming operations and are strengthened through ongoing virtual networking activities. Virtual networking activities: The project team will connect farmer veterans, mentors, and resource providers through virtual networks. NCAT's Veterans in Agriculture Listserv is open to farmer -veterans, farmers willing to support and mentor farmer veterans, and agencies and organizations working with farmer veterans. Discussion and connection will also occur through NCAT's ATF alumni Facebook group and ATF Facebook page; NCAT's ATF map database; and NCAT and partners' other social media channels.