California Ag Network

Tag: Farmer Veteran Coalition

  • Farmer Veterans are Celebrated as a New Grant Funding Cycle Opens

    As the clock ticked toward midnight and 2021 was in our rearview mirror, the team at Farmer Veteran Coalition (FVC) took a moment to reflect on their proudest moments of last year.

    One of those moments was the farm equipment FVC awarded to 138 farmer veterans through their Fellowship Fund small grant program. They proudly thought about the 2021 class of awardees.  The stories and impact the program had on this very diverse collection of members is inspiring.  Executive Director Jeanette Lombardo states “As FVC starts this next round of funding, the stories of 2021 are a wonderful reminder of the importance of our mission. These stories drive our efforts everyday as we seek new funding and create programs to help our Farmer Veterans throughout the country.”

    Now in its 11th year, the     Farmer Veteran Fellowship Fund has granted over $3.5 million in support of 800+ military veterans pursuing careers in agriculture. As one of FVC’s core programs, it helps beginning farmers and ranchers with what’s often their greatest hurdle – access to start-up capital.

    Last year that came in the form of hot ticket items like greenhouses and grow tents, walk-in coolers and cold storage units, milking systems, water filtrations, and honey extractors. Some of the more unique requests included a mushroom substrate steamer and a copper still. With the arrival of spring, 138 deserving members of the nationwide nonprofit organization welcomed the     thrilling news that their equipment request had been granted and would soon be delivered to their farm. Many have already found improved efficiency in their business as a result. “It was taking me four hours to fill up my 1,100-gallon leg tank and now with my Generac pump I can fill the tank in about 15 minutes,” says David Volkman, an Army veteran who served for nearly three decades before starting Ohio Valley Hops.

    Now with the calendar turned to 2022, FVC excitedly welcomes the arrival of their next funding cycle.

    “Our sights are set high for 2022: we anticipate raising $500,000 to give out to this year’s class of Fellows,” beams Rachel Petitt, the program director. “We recognize this is a lofty goal, but we are really close so it definitely feels achievable.”

    The application opened Jan 3rd and remains available through February 14th.
    To apply visit:     https://farmvetco.org/fvfellowship.

    Funding for the 2022 cycle is made possible by Wounded Warriors Project, Kubota, Tractor Supply Company, Homestead Implements, Tarter Farm and Ranch Equipment, Vital Farms, Sugar Bottom Farm, Barreras Family Farm and Northwest Farm Credit Services.

    About Farmer Veteran Coalition

    The mission of Farmer Veteran Coalition is mobilizing veterans to feed America. Established in 2008, its in-house programs include the Farmer Veteran Fellowship Fund small grant program, the nationally recognized Homegrown By Heroes label for veteran-grown products, and national and regional conferences. As the nation’s largest nonprofit assisting veterans and active duty members of the U.S. Armed Forces embark on careers in agriculture, FVC has been successful in getting millions of dollars of USDA funds appropriated for farmer veteran and the groups that support them. Learn more at: www.farmvetco.org or follow on Facebook or Instagram at @FarmerVeteranCoalition and Twitter at @FarmVetCo.

    To sponsor equipment for the Fellowship Fund, contact Rachel Petitt at     rachel@farmvetco.org. To donate to support farmer veterans directly, visit www.farmvetco.orgor text GIVE and the dollar amount to 270-838-3276 (270-VET-FARM).

  • Farmer-Veteran Grant Helps Marine Transition into Beekeeping

    Jesus Toro is a man with a plan. The son of a farmworker and a former Marine helicopter mechanic, Toro’s goal is to become a fulltime beekeeper within three years, servicing orchards in California and the Pacific Northwest. A just-awarded Farmer Veteran Coalition grant – funded by Farm Credit – will be a big step toward achieving that goal.

    The Coalition’s small grant program is designed to support veterans in their early years of farming and ranching by directly purchasing a piece of equipment the farmer has identified as being critical. In Toro’s case, that need was a trailer so he could haul his forklift to farms to unload and load his beehives during pollinating season.

    “My goal is to have 1,000 hives within three years,” said Toro, a Madera native. “The hives will go on my flatbed truck, but I needed the trailer to haul around the forklift. The $5,000 grant made that happen.”

    Keith Hesterberg, President and CEO of Fresno Madera Farm Credit, said grants like this one really make a difference.

    “The Farmer Veteran Fellowship Fund provides direct assistance to veterans like Jesus Toro who are in their beginning years of farming and ranching,” Hesterberg said. “The funds are given directly to third-party vendors for items the veteran has identified will make a crucial difference in the success of their farm business.”

    As part of the nationwide Farm Credit System – the largest provider of credit to U.S. agriculture – Fresno Madera Farm Credit, along with American AgCredit, CoBank, Colusa Glenn Farm Credit, Farm Credit West and Yosemite Farm Credit support numerous non-profits like the Farmer Veteran Coalition that provide assistance for beginning farmers.

    Mark Littlefield, President and CEO of Farm Credit West, added that Farm Credit volunteers help review the grant applications as part of the Farmer Veteran Coalition’s efforts to identify recipients who are serious about becoming successful farmers.

    “Veterans receiving these grants need to have an agricultural business in operation and a business plan. In addition, they must provide progress reports and must be willing to mentor other farmer veterans,” Littlefield said. “Farm Credit is proud to be able to help individuals who have served in our armed forces build a new life in agriculture.”

    This year, more than 100 farmer veterans across the country received grants. Over the 11 years the program has been in place, more than 700 veterans have benefitted, with $3.5 million in equipment distributed.

    Toro said when his enlistment ended, he enrolled at Reedley College to study engineering, until he took calculus and physics in the same semester and decided perhaps engineering wasn’t for him. But a new career path was soon found.

    “While at Reedley, one of my close friends told me that the bee business was going to be big in a few years because established beekeepers were getting old and there weren’t enough new guys stepping up to replace them. Then when I got to Fresno State, a beekeeping and biology class popped out at me,” he said.

    In fact, Toro is featured in a 2019 You Tube video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7iYB853WTo about the course in which he outlined his goal of establishing his own business.

    After graduating with his degree in plant science, he’s currently working for an area fertilizer business and working with bees on the side. He now has 50 hives – each with up to 40,000 bees – and is looking to ramp up.

    “The goal for me is to buy some land in southern Oregon and take the bees up there for honey production,” he said. “I also want to get contracts for almond pollination in California and for apple and cherry growers in the Northwest, which flower later than trees in California.”

    And no doubt the trailer funded with the Farm Credit grant will put on many miles in the process.

    About Farm Credit:

    American AgCredit, CoBank, Colusa Glenn Farm Credit, Farm Credit West, Fresno Madera Farm Credit and Yosemite Farm Credit are cooperatively owned lending institutions providing agriculture and rural communities with a dependable source of credit. For more than 100 years, the Farm Credit System has specialized in financing farmers, ranchers, farmer-owned cooperatives, rural utilities and agribusinesses. Farm Credit offers a broad range of loan products and financial services, including long-term real estate loans, operating lines of credit, equipment and facility loans, cash management and appraisal and leasing services…everything a “growing” business needs. For more information, visit www.farmcreditalliance.com.

    About the Farmer Veteran Coalition:

    The mission of the Farmer Veteran Coalition is mobilizing veterans to feed America. The Coalition cultivates a new generation of farmers and food leaders and develops viable employment and meaningful careers through the collaboration of the farming and military communities. It believes that veterans possess the unique skills and character needed to strengthen rural communities and create sustainable food systems, and that agriculture offers purpose, opportunity, and physical and psychological benefits. For more information, visit https://farmvetco.org.

  • Over 100 Small Farms get a Giant Boost

    Access to start-up capital is a big challenge for farmers. A small grant program through the Farmer Veteran Coalition (FVC) is helping. More than 100 farmer veterans received word Friday that they are being awarded equipment thanks to the Farmer Veteran Fellowship Fund. The grant supports veterans in their early years of farming and ranching.

    “We directly purchase a piece of equipment the farmer has identified as being critical,” explains Jeanette Lombardo, FVC Executive Director. “Our veterans put their lives on the line to protect us. It’s an honor to help them grow their operations so they can continue to feed their communities.”

    Over 11 years, this funding has been the difference maker for farmers. More than 700 veterans have benefitted with $3.5 million in equipment distributed. That’s 600 individual stories FVC has been able to tell already, with 100 more to share on the near horizon.

    The 2021 class of Fellows includes:

         •  Representation in nearly 40 states – from Alaska to Maine, and even Guam
         • 47 females, doubling the percentage of women awardees as compared to prior years
         • Nine awardees who have spouses who also served in the military
          • 52% Army, 18% Marines, 17% Air Force, 11% Navy, 2% Coast Guard


    Equipment will soon be delivered to farms – starting now and into the summer. Grantees anxiously await greenhouses and grow tents, walk-in coolers and cold storage units, milking systems, water filtrations, and honey extractors. Other unique requests include a mushroom substrate steamer and a lavender bud stripper.

    “It’s Christmas week at FVC and we’ve all been so busy wrapping the presents!” beams Rachel Petitt, who has managed the Fellowship program for seven years. “Now we start loading them into Santa’s sleigh.”

    Veterans Helping Veterans

    Funding is made possible by Kubota Tractor Corporation, Tractor Supply Company, Wounded Warrior Project, Farm Credit, Tarter USA, Homestead Implements, Vital Farms, and even directly from other farmer veteran members.

    This year FVC is humbled to see support come full circle, with two prior Fellows funding awardees.     Eric Grandonof Sugar Bottom Farm in West Virginia got a grant for a 50 cubic foot refrigerator in 2015 to store the Romaine lettuce he delivered to local schools. Now he supports 5 beekeepers with equipment. Anthony Barreras, a 21-year Army veteran, operates Barreras Family Farm in Nebraska where his 2019 grant allowed construction of his poultry barn. He is funding a fellow in his same state.

    And     Julie Hollars – who famously exclaimed that “most girls want diamonds, all I want is a tractor!” when she was awarded a Kubota through the Geared to Give program in 2016 – also pledged her support via donation.

    Some of this year’s grantees have been mentored by other farmer veterans throughout their career. Many intend to hire veterans as they expand their own businesses. A few will purchase their piece of equipment from another FVC member, in essence doubling the impact within the community.

    “The need in our rural communities is great,” acknowledges Lombardo. “We are inspired by the members who applied. This year it was difficult to select finalists; we understand the impact the grants make on peoples’ lives. This furthers our commitment to secure more funds for the next round.”

    Her words come on the heels of the single largest day of new membership the organization has ever seen. Last week, after the Office of Veterans Affairs shared news of the Farmer Veteran Coalition, 1,300 new members signed-up in 24 hours. “It probably took 3 years to get what we have had these last few days,” marvels FVC Founder Michael O’Gorman.

    Now these 128 Fellowship recipients persevere on their mission of serving our country a second time – by feeding it – with the added help of new capital. Amy Hess raises chickens, ducks, guineas, and heritage turkeys after serving 23 years in the Army. She offers this perspective upon receiving the news: “Tears of joy! These funds will purchase a large incubator cabinet for hatching. [It] will make me just about 100% self sufficient and not reliant on a hatchery. This is amazing!”

    You can view the     full list of 2021 awardees here.

    The five ‘Geared to Give’ Kubota tractor Fellowships will be announced later this month.

    About Farmer Veteran Coalition (FVC)
    The mission of Farmer Veteran Coalition is mobilizing veterans to feed America. A national non-profit that serves nearly 30,000 veterans turned farmers, FVC creates a new generation of farmers and food leaders. It simultaneously offers veterans a new purpose on America’s farms. Established in 2008, its in-house programs include the Farmer Veteran Fellowship Fund small grant program, the nationally recognized Homegrown By Heroes label for veteran-grown products, and national and regional conferences. As the nation’s largest nonprofit assisting veterans and active duty members of the U.S. Armed Forces embark on careers in agriculture, FVC has been successful in getting millions of dollars of USDA funds appropriated for farmer veteran and the groups that support them. Learn more at: www.farmvetco.org or follow on Facebook or Instagram at @FarmerVeteranCoalition and Twitter at @FarmVetCo.

    To sponsor equipment for the Fellowship Fund, contact Rachel Petitt at rachel@farmvetco.org. To donate to support farmer veterans directly, visit www.farmvetco.org or text GIVE and the dollar amount to 270-838-3276 (270-VET-FARM).

  • New Grant Cycle Opens To Fund Farmer Veterans

    One piece of equipment changed it all. Ben Martin of Forest Grove, Oregon, served in the Marine Corps. After returning home from war, he pursued a career in winemaking.

    Ben credits a grant from Farmer Veteran Coalition (FVC) for making the difference in his budding wine business early on. Back in 2015, FVC awarded Ben the supplies needed to bottle his first vintage of wine.

    “We were just starting out making wine in the back of a horse barn,” acknowledged Ben. “We had no sales, no exposure. And we needed to bottle the vintage of wine. But we had no bottles, corks, or labels. FVC stepped in and gave us a grant for the supplies.

    If it weren’t for FVC we wouldn’t have…well actually, I don’t know what we would have done, honestly.”

    Ben is not alone. A national non-profit that serves nearly 25,000 veterans turned farmers, FVC creates a new generation of farmers and food leaders while simultaneously offering veterans a place to heal on America’s farms. Through education and resources, FVC helps veterans with their own farming operation or with finding employment in related agricultural professions.

    The     Farmer Veteran Fellowship Fund is their small grant program. It helps veterans in their early years of farming and ranching with the purchase of a piece of critical equipment. Hundreds of farmer veterans across the country who have benefitted from the grant share Ben’s sentiment.

    In 10 years, the Fellowship Fund has funded more than 600 veterans with $3 million in equipment.

    And now, a new grant cycle is underway.

    FVC has opened the     application (https://www.tfaforms.com/4870169) for their 2021 funding. This new cycle opened on the first of the year and remains active through Feb 14, 2021.

    “These farmer veterans are selfless and service-minded,” vocalizes Michael O’Gorman, who founded the organization and spurred a full military-to-agriculture movement. “They ask for very little, so we have to tell our community what the veterans need us to do for them.”

    He acknowledges that finding start-up capital is one of the biggest challenges farmers face. And that’s exactly what this grant is designed to do.

    “The Fellowship Fund is one of the most successful ways we help farmer veterans with their agricultural endeavors,” emphasizes FVC’s recently appointed Executive Director, Jeanette Lombardo. She anticipates the opportunity to directly benefit more farmer veterans in her new role and add them into the growing Fellowship family.

    Application submissions are reviewed by an advisory committee of agricultural industry professionals. Awards will be granted in the spring. Common equipment requests include All-Terrain Vehicles (ATV), breeding livestock, fencing, and tractor implements.

    This year, funding for the grants is coming from several partner organizations – Kubota Tractor Corporation, Tractor Supply Company, Wounded Warrior Project, Tarter USA, Homestead Implements, and Vital Farms.

    FVC member Eric Grandon – who previously received a grant himself – is also giving back to the community that has supported his own agricultural journey by donating beekeeping equipment. “I now know what bees can do for anyone with any condition or problem,” the West Virginia beekeeper reveals. “As long as I continue the success of Sugar Bottom Farm, FVC will always be at the top of my list just because I was at the top of [theirs].”

    As for Ben, the Marine-turned-winemaker, he too shares a feeling common to veterans who now take on a new role of feeding their country and communities: “I’m much more relaxed these days. I feel more of a sense of a mission, a goal, something to live for, something that I appreciate and that I’m proud of.”

    About Farmer Veteran Coalition

    The mission of Farmer Veteran Coalition is mobilizing veterans to feed America. Established in 2008, its in-house programs include the Farmer Veteran Fellowship Fund small grant program, the nationally recognized Homegrown By Heroes label for veteran-grown products, and national and regional conferences. As the nation’s largest nonprofit assisting veterans and active duty members of the U.S. Armed Forces embark on careers in agriculture, FVC has been successful in getting millions of dollars of USDA funds appropriated for farmer veteran and the groups that support them. Learn more at: www.farmvetco.org or follow along on Facebook at @FarmerVeteranCoalition, on Instagram at @FarmerVeteranCoalition and on Twitter at @FarmVetCo.

    To sponsor equipment for the Fellowship Fund, contact Rachel Petitt at     rachel@farmvetco.org. To donate to support farmer veterans directly, visit www.farmvetco.org or text GIVE and the dollar amount to 270-838-3276 (270-VET-FARM).