To mitigate the challenges facing new Veteran farmers and ranchers, such as lack of capital, limited access to land, and lack of relevant knowledge, etc., the proposed program will have the following goals:
Goal 1: Provide active and targeted outreach to military Veterans in the Southwest.
Goal 2: Facilitate the Veterans’ connections to USDA, Cooperative Extension, VA, and other agencies.
Goal 3: Conduct on-going needs assessment.
Goal 4: Build a virtual collaborative network for job referral/placement.
Goal 5: Develop the curricula and provide classroom training/workshops on farming, ranching, green industry, and agribusiness development.
Goal 6: Develop the curricula and host apprenticeship trainings in model farms/businesses.
Goal 7: Host farm tours/filed trips to showcase innovation and sustainable farming practices.
Goal 8: Provide sustainable business assistance.
Goal 9: Provide grant assistance.