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| Farmer Veteran Coalition | |
|---|---|
| Name | Farmer Veteran Coalition |
| Founded | 2008 |
| Founder | Michael O’Gorman |
| Type | Nonprofit organization |
| Headquarters | Davis, California |
| Region served | United States |
Farmer Veteran Coalition
Farmer Veteran Coalition was founded in 2008 to support military veterans transitioning to careers in agriculture, connecting veterans with land, capital, training, and markets. The organization works with federal and state agencies, land-grant universities, philanthropic foundations, and agricultural nonprofits to place veterans on farms, ranches, and rural enterprises. Its activities intersect with policy debates in Congress, regulations from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, and programs administered by the United States Department of Agriculture.
Farmer Veteran Coalition emerged after meetings among veteran advocates, agricultural entrepreneurs, and policymakers including participants from the Iraq War, Afghanistan War, and veterans organizations such as Veterans of Foreign Wars, Disabled American Veterans, and AMVETS. Founder Michael O’Gorman organized initial pilots with partners like University of California, Davis, Iowa State University, Montana State University, and regional cooperative extensions including the Pennsylvania State University Extension and University of Florida IFAS. Early collaborations involved land-access projects with entities such as The Nature Conservancy, Land for Good, and the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program. The organization secured nonprofit status while engaging with federal initiatives including the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act and outreach to the United States Department of Agriculture programs like the Farm Service Agency and Natural Resources Conservation Service. Notable supporters and advisors have included leaders from National Farmers Union, American Farmland Trust, and veterans policy researchers from RAND Corporation and Cornell University.
The coalition’s mission centers on placing veterans into agriculture through programs that address land tenure, financing, mentorship, and business planning. Programmatic efforts align with funding streams and policy instruments such as the Homestead Act (1862) legacy discussions,Veterans Affairs benefits utilization, and state-level workforce development laws like the Workforce Investment Act. Major initiatives include pilot projects modeled on community-supported agriculture partnerships influenced by examples from Rodale Institute, Heifer International, and Slow Food USA. The group designs incubator farms informed by research from USDA National Agricultural Library, Kellogg Foundation-funded studies, and curricula used by institutions such as Tufts University Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy and University of Vermont extensions.
Membership includes veterans from branches like the United States Army, United States Marine Corps, United States Navy, United States Air Force, and United States Coast Guard as well as reservists associated with the National Guard (United States). Chapters operate across states with local networks in regions served by land-grant institutions including Oregon State University, Washington State University, Texas A&M University, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Michigan State University, and University of Tennessee. Local chapters collaborate with state departments such as California Department of Food and Agriculture, New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, and Ohio Department of Agriculture while engaging with community organizations like Habitat for Humanity, 4-H, and Future Farmers of America. International comparisons draw on veteran-agriculture programs in countries represented by entities such as the Royal British Legion and Australian Returned and Services League.
Training blends practical farming skills with business planning using curricula from extension services like University of California Cooperative Extension, Penn State Extension, and University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service. Courses reference agronomy and soil science research from Iowa State University and Cornell University, horticulture work at North Carolina State University, and livestock programs at Colorado State University. Educational partnerships include vocational pipelines linked to Community College of Vermont, Wake Technical Community College, and apprenticeship frameworks aligned with the Veterans’ Employment and Training Service. Certified trainings sometimes mirror modules used by Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education, American Society of Agronomy, and continuing education credits in cooperation with Society of American Foresters.
Funding sources have included philanthropic foundations such as the Walmart Foundation, John Deere Foundation, Kellogg Foundation, and Winrock International-supported grants, along with corporate partners in agribusiness including John Deere, Tractor Supply Company, and Land O’Lakes. Federal grants have come via agencies including the United States Department of Agriculture, Department of Veterans Affairs, and workforce programs under Department of Labor grants. Strategic research and program partnerships involve National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, National Young Farmers Coalition, Farmlink Project, Farm Aid, and university research centers like UC Davis Agricultural Sustainability Institute. The coalition has also worked with lenders including Farm Credit System associations and community banks linked to Small Business Administration loan products.
The organization reports placing numerous veterans on farms and in agribusiness, contributing to rural employment metrics tracked by United States Census Bureau and Bureau of Labor Statistics rural statistics. Recognition has come from agricultural groups such as National Organic Program advocates and awards from veterans service organizations including acknowledgments at events with Department of Veterans Affairs leaders, state governors, and occasional features in outlets like Civil Eats and academic case studies from Harvard Kennedy School and Yale School of the Environment. Evaluations reference metrics used by Independent Sector and philanthropic evaluators such as GuideStar.
Challenges include land-access barriers highlighted in reports by American Farmland Trust, financial viability concerns raised in analyses from USDA Economic Research Service, and critiques about scalability in studies from RAND Corporation and Brookings Institution. Observers point to difficulties navigating benefits under the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act and accessing credit through Farm Service Agency programs, while academic critiques from Journal of Rural Studies and policy discussions at American Enterprise Institute and Center for American Progress debate effectiveness and resource allocation. Issues also arise regarding diversity and inclusion noted by National Hispanic Leadership Agenda and National Urban League-related research into equity in agricultural opportunity.
Category:Veterans' organizations Category:Agricultural organizations in the United States