At the U.S. Department of Agriculture connects veterans to resources within and outside the agency to help them develop careers in agriculture. One of USDA’s goals is to develop a workforce in which 25% of all employees are veterans.
A key resource is USDA’s “Get Started! A Guide to USDA Resources for Historically Underserved Farmers and Ranchers” book, which describes assistance and targeted opportunities available to minority, women, veteran, beginning and limited-resource producers and is available in multiple languages.
Other USDA resources include:
- The AgrAbility project, which offers training and financial assistance to military veterans as well as beginning farmers with disabilities.
- The Farm Service Agency, which offers loans to help farmers and ranchers get the financing they need to start, expand or maintain a family farm.
- The Natural Resources Conservation Service, which provides free technical and financial assistance for conservation work on farm and ranches of all sizes, including urban gardens.
- The Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production, which offers technical and financial assistance various growing operations, including community farms and gardens.
There’s more information on USDA’s web page for veterans.
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