The Farmer Veteran Coalition works with veterans in the food and farming community in 47 states, including the District of Columbia. Our Farmer Veterans produce a wide range of food and fiber products, all of which are an integral part of America’s food system. Read their stories to learn more about who they are, how they've served and about their future in agriculture.
Jeremy served in the Marine Corps for five years, including unique tours of duty as an Embassy Guard. Jeremy has spent the last several years interning and working on organic farms. Jeremy recently completed his training at the Rudolf Steiner College for biodynamic farming.
Jeremy is currently employed at Ameripaca (an alpaca farm) in Maryland, and is assisting the owners of Ameripaca, establish a biodynamic farm on a separate property. FVC’s Chief of Staff, Tia Christopher claims that “Jeremy epitomizes why FVC does the work we do.”
Jeremy says that he “would not have been able to…take advantage of agricultural career opportunities on the East Coast without the Wells Fargo Grant or the help of the Farmer Veteran Coalition.”
Althea Raiford joined the Navy during Operation Desert Shield. Over a 20 year military career, Althea was deployed as a Navy Seabee to Kuwait and Iraq, where she maintained security for base camps and was a convoy commander.
Along with her brother Matthew (Army), Althea inherited family land in coastal Georgia, making the siblings the sixth generation of African-American farmers to farm the land. Through the Farmer Veteran Fellowship Fund Althea was awarded with a Bob Woodruff Farming Fellowship.
With her grant, Althea was able to purchase a hoop house and trees for her orchard. These purchases have enabled the siblings to grow their farm and create a foundation for future Raiford farmers.
Adam Burke, a Purple Heart veteran with 9 years’ service in the Army, returned from his deployments with multiple wounds of war. Through farming and returning to his roots, Adam has overcome his injuries and has given back to fellow disabled veterans by establishing a horticulture therapy program on his farm.
After Adam's recovery he decided to return to his roots in blueberry farming, and created a farm to help other disabled veterans. Through farming, both Adam’s physical and mental conditions improved
In 2011, Adam was one of the first veterans to receive support from the Farmer Veteran Fellowship Fund, Bob Woodruff Farming Fellowship. This fellowship enabled Adam to acquire his first acre and a half of berries. He planted his blueberry bushes above ground in 30 gallon containers, so that the farm could be wheelchair-accessible. Adam and his wife Michele have since taken on a second, larger piece of property through the generous help of Work Vessels for Veterans. Adam has since launched Project Blueberry and Veterans Farm into a growing business and sanctuary for disabled veterans.
After serving as an Operations Specialist in the US Navy and Navy Reserve, Kelly returned home to East Oakland, CA where she found gardening to have a therapeutic effect.
In August of 2010, Kelly founded Acta Non Verba: Youth Urban Farm Project, a non-profit urban farm that focuses on serving at-risk youth from kindergarten to 8th grade, and their families. Childhood obesity and school dropout rates are abnormally high in East Oakland; Acta Non Verba’s mission is to utilize urban farming as a catalyst to increase the standard of living for inner city youth. As a mother, Kelly feels very strongly in creating a healthier future for East Oakland youth.
In 2011, Kelly joined the Farmer Veteran Fellowship Fund as a Bon Appétit Good Food Fellow. With the help of her fellowship, Kelly was able to purchase a heavy-duty pickup truck, a necessity for her urban farm. In the next year, Kelly plans to start a CSA for the local community, establish a farmers market on site and begin community classes on composting, cooking, basic gardening and other related topics. The money that will be raised through the farmers market and CSA will provide funding for educational opportunities for involved youth.
Phil is a former Infantry Sergeant in the Marine Corps, including deployments to Iraq. Initial transition from military life to civilian life was not easy for Phil. With support from his community and non-profits like FVC, Phil eventually returned to his roots of working with horses and livestock.
Phil feels that by producing grass-fed meats, he is able to do what he loves while also continuing his patriotic duty to ensure the quality and security of America.
In 2011, Phil was a recipient of a Bon Appétit Good Food Fellowship through the Farmer Veteran Fellowship Fund. The funds were used to enable Phil to purchase a flock of sheep, equipment for his horses, and a livestock trailer. Phil continues to grow his farm and provide good food to his community.
“Spence” spent 9 years in the US Army Reserve, deploying as a machine gunner to Iraq. While on an escort mission in Baghdad, Spence was thrown from the gunner’s hatch resulting in serious back and neck injuries. After his military service, Spence and his wife Carla started Across the Creek Farm in West Fork, Arkansas. The couple raise poultry, goats and greenhouse vegetables.
Of all the Farmer Veterans, Spence is always the first to offer advice and help to his fellow grantees. Spence has made an extremely successful transition from military life to a farming career and FVC is proud to have him as part of the FVC Farmer Veteran network.
In 2011, Spence was awarded a Bob Woodruff Farming Fellowship through the Farmer Veteran Fellowship Fund. This grant allowed Spence to purchase a used tractor, front-end loader and brush hog. This equipment has enabled Spence to clear and manage his land, which has allowed him to grow his farm operation.
Kevin did not grow up on a farm; rather he turned to farming after his service in the Marine Corps. During his four years of service, Kevin was deployed twice in support of OIF. “Since I have separated from service, I have been searching for something that makes me feel like I am still part of something good and important. Being a farmer is it!”
Through the Fellowship Fund, Kevin was awarded a Bob Woodruff Farming Fellowship. This fellowship will pay for The Circle Fresh Farm training program, which will equip Kevin with the necessary production and business skills to run his own organic greenhouse hydroponic operation.
The Circle Fresh Farm training program is made of up 4 modules: Growing Systems Construction, Greenhouse Maintenance and Operations, Plant Propagation, and Business Management Skills. The goal of the training program is for participants to leave the training program with a business plan, which will enable them to begin their own greenhouse operation. The Circle Fresh Farms training program will bring Kevin one step closer to operating a farm of his own and a successful career in agriculture.
David had an impressive 20 year career in the Army. In 2001, David was mobilized to help with the body recovery process at Ground Zero, he was then deployed to Iraq where he sustained a severe head injury.
After being medically retired from the Army, Dave found healing on a friend’s farm working with horses and cattle. “I found working with livestock to be an incredibly rewarding experience and very therapeutic. I found I could live life fully again, and have a sense of belonging, purpose, self-worth and joy. Things that were missing for far too long after my injury and during extended rehabilitation.” David and his family purchased on an old Amish property in upstate New York, which they have converted into a farm. The surrounding fields have been planted with corn and fenced for raising cattle.
Through the Farmer Veteran Fellowship Fund, Dave was awarded with a Bob Woodruff Farming Fellowship. This grant enabled David to purchase a tractor and install electric fencing for his beef cattle business. Dave truly exemplifies the core values the military strives to represent.
A Navy veteran and mother of a seven year-old daughter, Vonita Murray seeks to help others and build community through her farm enterprise. She was discharged from her military service due to wounds of war.
Vonita now owns and operates Mariposa Valley Farm in Woodland, CA, where she grows organic vegetables.She sells her produce through a small CSA (Community Supported Agriculture). She also has acquired two restaurant contracts and also sells to grocery stores.
In 2011, Vonita received a Good Food Fellowship grant from the Bon Appetit Management Company, through the Farmer Veteran Fellowship Fund. She has used her grant to purchase irrigation supplies, a greenhouse and attend the California Farm Academy. With determination, hard work, and resources, Vonita is well-equipped to build a career in agriculture.
Will Fellers grew up in Lexington, Nebraska, in a small farming community. After graduating high school, Will joined the the local Army National Guard Unit. Will graduated basic training and was deployed to Iraq. During his deployment he traveled between Kuwait and Iraq transporting goods.
Throughout Will’s deployment he missed the green pastures of his home. He returned to Nebraska in the spring of 2005, resumed working on the family farm, and began attending classes. Slowly opportunities to rent farm land became available, and with help of friends and family, Will was able to establish his own farm venture. Today, Will grows corn and soybeans on 500 acres of leased land.
Paul Greive served 4 years as a Marine Intelligence Officer, including a tour in Southern Iraq as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2009. As part of a Military Transition Team, he was an advisor to the Iraqi Army, a patrol leader, and a machine gunner.
After the Marine Corps he and his family started Primal Pastures, which raises pastured, no soy/GMO chicken and eggs for local customers throughout Southern California. The farm has been a huge success, providing California's highest quality chicken and eggs to over 150 families in their first year of operations. Primal Pastures plans to expand into grass fed beef, sheep, pigs, and raw dairy during 2013.
As a veteran with passion for farming but absolutely no farming background, Paul is excited to help fellow veterans pursue a career in sustainable farming. He is also in the MBA program at UCLA Anderson studying how to change the American meat industry for the better.
Anna Mann and her family live on an old tobacco farm in the foothills of Appalachia in North Carolina. Anna served in the Army for eight years and was deployed for two tours, one in Bosnia and one in Baghdad as a member of a Civil Affairs team. Anna has great pride in her military career, but continues to experience challenges because of her service.
Farming has brought Anna a sense of inner peace and has “healed [her] spirit and helped [her] reconnect with society”. Chestnut Ridge Farm is a 10-acre family farm that specializes in Animal Welfare Approved (AWA) pork and chicken eggs, as well as non-AWA turkey and chicken, which she sells at two local farmers markets. Anna integrates her poultry and hogs into her fruit and nut orchard as a way of amending her soil, utilizing available land and diversifying her product base. Anna also integrates herbs and pumpkins into sections of the orchard as weed control and to maximize her profit on her limited amount of land.
Anna was our first female 2012 Bob Woodruff Farming Fellow in the Farmer Veteran Fellowship Fund. This title honors and acknowledges her personal sacrifice to our country and that of other females who have been in combat.
Mike Lewis proudly served in the Army from 1992-1997. He now runs Gaining Ground Farm in Rockcastle County, Kentucky on the Western foothills of the Appalachia's.
Mike, with the help of his wife and son, raise pastured pork and a wide variety of vegetables and poultry. They are proud to be the first farm in the nation awarded the Homegrown by Heroes Label.
In 2008, his younger brother returned home from Afghanistan with a traumatic brain injury. Watching his brother heal on his farm was a defining moment, which lead him to see the powerful impact farming can have on returning veterans.
After serving as an Officer in the Navy for five years, Frank Golbeck left the military to pursue his passion of creating high quality mead (honey wine). As he explains, “I wanted to do something that made a small part of the earth more bountiful. I wanted to do something that contributed to the happiness of others. I realized that I would be at my happiest farming, and sharing the goodness of good work on good land with the people I was lucky enough to encounter.”
In 2010, Frank and his two business partners, one of whom also a veteran, started Golden Coast Mead in San Diego, CA. Golden Coast Mead has grown by leaps and bounds, and the demand for Frank’s mead have been increasing exponentially. In the beginning of 2013, Golden Coast Mead expanded into their own production facility, further increasing the amount of mead produced. Frank and his partners source all of their honey from CA farmers and in the future hope to source all of their honey from San Diego based farmers.
In the winter of 2011, Frank received a Bon Appétit Good Food Fellowship through the Farmer Veteran Fellowship Fund. The Fellowship Fund helped him start 23 beehives on family property, allowing Frank and his partners to create estate mead. Frank’s family has farmed for many years and his grandfather taught him to make mead as a young adult. As a Bon Appétit Good Food Fellow, Frank is carrying on his family’s tradition, and serving as an example for other veterans who strive to be small business owners.
Matthew Raiford served in the Army for 9 years, including deployments in support of Desert Storm. After his service, Matthew built a successful culinary career. Through his interest in food and his families farming legacy Matthew and sister Althea decided to reclaim the family farm for production agriculture
The siblings are the sixth generation of African-American farmers to farm the land in coastal Georgia. They raise organic fruits trees and mixed vegetables, as well as pastured poultry and hogs. Through the Farmer Veteran Fellowship Fund Matthew was awarded with an Innovators in Agriculture grant from the Newman's Own Foundation.
With his grant, Matthew will purchase poultry slaughter equipment to help kick-start his poultry business. These purchases have enabled the siblings to grow their farm and create a foundation for future Raiford farmers.
Denise and Mark met in high school; soon after graduation they both joined the Marine Corps. Denise served stateside as a Unit Diary Clerk for 8 years, while Mark was deployed on multiple tours. In 2005, while deployed in Iraq, Mark’s team hit an IED which has left him with extensive injuries.
After Mark’s recovery, the Beyers’ decided to start producing maple syrup on their 15 acre property in Upstate New York. Soon the demand for their product far outweighed the couple’s capacity to produce. Mark and Denise have continued to grow their business with assistance from the Farmer Veteran Fellowship Fund.
Mark was awarded with a Bob Farming Fellowship in 2011 and Denise was awarded an Innovators in Agriculture Grant from the Newman’s Own Foundation in 2012. The couple’s goal for the 2013 season is to double their production with help from a new evaporator, updated maple syrup equipment and additional taps.
Jeremiah served five years in the Marine Corps before enlisting in the Army to pursue a career in the Special Forces. As a Green Beret, Jeremiah deployed to Afghanistan where he sustained physical wounds.
After Jeremiah’s service, he decided to pursue a career in agriculture. “I believe in the American small farm, and think it has a crucial part to play in the local economy and the community. I consider myself a patriot of this country and believe this is the best way I can continue to support and help her grow”. Jeremiah currently raises organic vegetables and berries in raised beds on his family’s property.
As a Bob Woodruff Farming Fellow, through the Farmer Veteran Fellowship Fund Jeremiah was able to purchase a large greenhouse, which has enhanced his growing capabilities.
Drew Wood served in the Air Force during the Gulf War. After returning from his military service and spending years searching for a career, Drew revisited his interest and passion in fresh food and farming.
Drew and his partner Katie, now own and operate Shady Grove Farm in Berryville, Arkansas. They raise heritage poultry, including chickens, turkeys and ducks. Drew cannot imagine what could “be more rewarding than providing good, wholesome food to family, friends and neighbors.”
As a Bon Appétit Good Food Fellow through the Farmer Veteran Fellowship Fund, Drew purchased poultry-raising and processing equipment to grow their operation. Drew Wood is a passionate farmer, friend, and businessman. His continued hard work shines through in Shady Grove Farm’s success.
Ben Riker served in the Army for eight years, and now is growing organic cranberries in Wisconsin with his father.
James Lake Farm has a reliable market that believes in supporting local farms, for the good of the local economy. Ben’s goals for his farm are to finish preparing the bogs for production, plant new cranberry varietals, as well as improve and maintain the farm’s water resources.
James Lake Farm’s high quality fruit and level of care for their product, as well as the environment, makes their farm stand out in the organic cranberry industry.
Fred-Curtis Lewis joined the Army in 1997, enlisting as a Korean Linguist and later served as a Special Forces Medical Sergeant. Upon discharge from active duty, Fred-Curtis the joined the Army National Guard and was later medically discharged for injuries he sustained during his service. During Fred-Curtis's 14 years of service he had several overseas and combat tours.
After his military service, Fred-Curtis majored in Agriculture with an emphasis in Livestock Production at Eastern Kentucky University. During his introduction to farming, through classes at EKU and his experiences on his brothers farm, Fred-Curtis felt something he had been looking for since he was discharged: purpose.
Fred-Curtis is currently a high school biology teacher, he also runs a CSA in North Carolina. He hopes to start a garden at the high school he works for, to provide students with education on the importance of local agriculture and organic practices.
“Being a Marine taught me more about violence and destruction. I now want to be at peace with my wife and children, and do something with my life that encourages life.” After 4 years in the US Marine Corps, Cory Byrk has found farming to be therapeutic and an empowering career. Cory began gardening to feed his family, but his garden quickly grew into an enterprise that was no longer simply for sustenance. In 2012, Cory decided to expand his garden to a farm; he has since leased property and is now farming full-time.
New Life Farm is located in Southern Appalachia, in North Carolina. Cory farms 1 ½ acres of mixed vegetables, herbs, and cut flowers, along with 6 acres in pasture. The pasture is used for raising pastured poultry, including broiler hens, laying hens, Moscovy ducks for meat, Campbell ducks for eggs, and turkeys. In 2013, Cory plans to start a CSA and incorporate hogs into his farming operation.
In 2012, Cory was awarded with the Bob Woodruff Farming Fellowship through the Farmer Veteran Fellowship Fund. Cory is a disabled veteran who is utilizing the healing nature of farming, and is providing himself and his family with a solid future.
After receiving a Bachelor's degree in Horticulture from Cornell University, Jamie joined the Army and served for eight years, including a deployment in support of OIF. Jamie is very proud of his service and wanted to continuing serving once his military career had ended. This desire has blossomed into a career of growing potted flowers and plants for his community.
Jamie founded Floral Beauty Greenhouses LLC in Elmira, NY. He grows winter and summer potted flowers for local nurseries and retail outlets.
In 2012, Jamie was accepted into the Farmer Veteran Fellowship Fund to help grow his business.
Mickey is half Lakota Indian and half Puerto Rican. She joined the Army and served as an equipment repair specialist for 7 years, including a deployment to Iraq. Mickey was severely injured while serving in-country, resulting in a permanent leg injury and medical discharge from the service.
Mickey spent a portion of her childhood on a reservation in South Dakota in what she calls “big sheep country”. During her service in Iraq, she fell in love with Awassi sheep. After her service, Mickey decided to return to her roots to pursue raising sheep as a full-time enterprise. Dot Ranch is based on a 40-acre property in Scio, Oregon. Mickey is one of a few farmers raising Navajo Churro Sheep, an American heritage breed. She also raises Muscovy ducks, Dexter cattle, Black Copper Maran chickens and Mottled Java chickens.
As a Bob Woodruff Farming Fellow through the Farmer Veteran Fellowship Fund, Mickey used her funding to purchase a specialized sheep squeeze handling system, as well as other farm equipment. Currently, Mickey is a student at Oregon State University in the Natural Resource Management program, the founder of a Doberman Pinscher rescue, the sole proprietor of Dot Ranch, and a single mother. Mickey embodies the spirit of veterans returning home to not only farm but give back to their communities.
After serving as a Military Intelligence Officer in the Army for 8 years, Brett and his wife decided to expand their garden to a farm, which is now known as Serenity Valley Farm. Brett believes that, ”[a]s a veteran farmer, [he has] the opportunity to grow instead of destroy, to nourish instead of injure.” Farming is a way for Brett to heal his wounds of war and give back to his community.
Brett grows Certified Naturally Grown vegetables and fruit trees, as well as two heads of cattle. Over the past two seasons, Brett has sold his vegetables through a small CSA and at a farm stand at the local Veterans Memorial Center. Due to a high demand for locally raised meat products in his area, Brett plans to expand his operation to include meat rabbits and broiler hens. The manure from both of these animals will create nutrient rich compost that can then be spread in the vegetable fields to help improve the condition of the soil.
The grant through the Farmer Veteran Coalition Fellowship Fund has allowed Brett to purchase a hoop house, which protects the animals year-round and also offers space for starting vegetable transplants. Brett was chosen for the Innovators in Agriculture grant from Newman’s Own Foundation because of his sustainable growing practices and his inclusion of a dual rabbit and broiler hen operation. Brett is not afraid of pushing the boundaries on traditional agriculture and finding best practices for his agroecosystem.
After medical retirement from the Army, Jon Olson returned to his family’s farm in Pecan Gap, Texas to raise pecans.
The Olson-Davis farm was established 1836, and now covers 976 acres of hay, cattle, and pecan trees. Jon’s great grandfather grafted some of the original pecan trees on the property, and now Jon is bring back this part of the farm’s heritage. In the future, Jon hopes to breed Black Angus cattle on pasture and grow organic produce.
As a Bob Woodruff Farming Fellow, through the Farmer Veteran Fellowship Fund, Jon will be able to develop his orchards irrigation system to reduce his risk during drought years. The Farmer Veteran Coalition is thrilled to see what Jon’s farming future holds, as he begins to work on his family’s land.
Justen served in the Army as a Combat Engineer Officer for five years, including tours in Korea and Iraq. Currently, Justen is a National Guardsman for the state of Maryland.
Justen lives halfway between Baltimore and Philadelphia at the edge of the suburbs on an 80-acre property. Veteran Compost LLC is the only permitted facility in Maryland for composting food waste and is the only producer of vermicompost and compost worms. One of the many services that Veteran Compost offers is food waste collection for local restaurants, hospitals and schools. Justen uses the food waste to make high quality compost and vermicompost.
Justen’s background in business and his passion for producing high quality compost made him a qualified recipient of the Innovators in Agriculture Grant from the Newman’s Own Foundation through the Farmer Veteran Fellowship Fund. Since receiving the grant, Justen has employed two fellow veterans, and is currently looking to expand his business and incorporate additional composting sites across the East Coast.
“After suffering a traumatic brain injury from my service in Iraq, which left me also suffering from severe Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, I did not think I would ever be able to find a job in the civilian world that could suit my needs,” states Matt Soldano, a US Marine Corps veteran.
After returning home from four years of service, Matt worked several different jobs as he transitioned back into civilian life. One of these jobs sparked an interest in farming.
Matt began Southtown Farms LLC in Mahwah, NJ in 2010. He raises chickens, turkeys, goats, and vegetables. “When I am working with my animals and working on my land, I am no longer in a constant state of panic, I trust people, and I feel very good about the direction my life is going. I am proud of what I do. I enjoy the fact that day by day I am bringing healthy, safe, and clean food to my community.”
Matt was awarded with a Bon Appetit Good Food Fellowship through the Farmer Veteran Fellowship Fund, which helped to develop his business. He has also just been accepted into the Fellowship Fund re-apply program. Matt’s determination and passion has allowed him to grow his farm into a sustainable endeavor.
Mike Walgrave is an Army veteran who is currently participating in the Marin Veteran Project Internship on Star Route Farms in Bolinas, CA. During his service, he was deployed abroad, including Afghanistan. Mike is now pursuing a career in agriculture.
Mike is originally from Wisconsin, where his family farms on a large scale. Mike has plans to continue in an agricultural career after the internship.
Edgar Hercila, a member of the Army Reserves, served in Iraq where he helped local villagers with farming by bringing them supplies like wheat and barley, as well as working with the leaders on improving farming techniques, such as irrigation and greenhouse implementation. Now that he is back, he has three and a half acres of land at the Orange County Great Park in Irvine through the Veteran’s Agriculture Learning Opportunities & Learning (VALOR) program, which he says is his "motive for putting on boots in the morning".
Edgar has attended many FVC retreats and workshops besides the VALOR program, and is still in the Army Reserves. He is currently working on a business plan for farming after the VALOR program, which he is in with fellow farmer veteran Maria Ozvatic.
One could say that farming is in Edgar’s blood. His father was a bracero from Mexico who came to the US to work on the same land that Edgar is currently working on. He has been learning about business and state regulations because he hopes to one day run his own urban farm in Los Angeles.
Tyler Boggs was born and raised on his family’s farm, which had to be sold after he joined the Army in 1996 after being seriously injured. In 2010, ten years after his return from the Army, Tyler sold the company he started and bought a farm property in Oregon. Tyler describes his passion for farming as a way of continuing to be a soldier, “a soldier of peace, serving my country with the same passion, intensity and commitment.”
Heart 2 Heart Farm, located just south of Portland, Oregon, started as a father and a mother trying to make sure their family was eating healthy foods. Tyler and his wife, Elizabeth, have also began developing an aquaponics system, where they are currently raising tilapia and hope to launch the full aquaponics system in fall of 2013. In addition to selling their products, a large part of the farm is youth and adult education, as well as animal therapy.
Tyler was awarded a Sustainable Agriculture Grant through the Newman’s Own Foundation and the Farmer Veteran Fellowship Fund. This grant will allow Tyler to purchase a hay barn, which will let him store hay despite his injuries, as well as be a space to teach classes on animal husbandry. Tyler is driven and well-respected in his community for his integrity and his sustainable farming practices.
Cassy’s experience in agriculture started as a young girl. For part of her childhood she lived on a small horse ranch and participated in her local 4H, raising pigs and chickens. Cassy’s family is also a proud military family, she continued in the family tradition by joining the Army, where she trained to be a Human Intelligence Collector (interrogator) and a Russian linguist.
After the military, Cassy wanted to continue to help others and has become passionately involved with the refugee community in New York City. Most recently, Cassy worked for the International Rescue Committee (IRC) in Bronx, NY before heading abroad to do volunteer work in Africa. The IRC is a non-profit organization that provides assistance to refugees and asylum seekers, both nationally and internationally. Cassy described her work with the IRC as a chance to “provide a chance at the ‘American Dream’, an idea I’ve always felt so compelled to protect”.Cassy, along with two other co-workers spearheaded a project to design and manage an urban garden for refugees, veterans and Bronx area residents on donated land.
The IRC community gardens will allow refugees, veterans and Bronx neighborhood residents to participate in community building, while nurturing their needs to participate in farming. The urban garden will consist of raised beds, 1-2 aquaponics pools and an on-site farmers market. Cassy was awarded as one of the first Innovators in Agriculture grant from the Newman’s own Foundation, which assist with the costs of making this urban garden a reality. This is a great example of a way in which veterans can be involved in agriculture and continue to serve their country.
Ranching runs deep is Garrett’s blood, his family has been ranching the same property since 1894. Garrett joined the Marines after high school and served for 4 years, including a deployment in support of OIF. After Garrett’s military service, he enrolled in the University of Nebraska, Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture (NCTA). Garrett graduated from the program with a degree in Agricultural Production. With his degree, Garrett felt that he was prepared to begin to take over the ranch from his father.
During Garret’s first year, he experienced some bumps in the road and had to sell off some of his herd. This turned out to be a blessing in disguise, because it forced him to start smaller and slowly increase the size of his herd. Currently, Garrett runs 130-140 head of cattle (Hereford Heifers), which he breeds with Angus bulls. Garrett raises the calves and then sells them on the cattle market. During the grazing season (May-October), the heifers and calves graze in the fenced pasture. During the winter, Garrett feeds his cattle hay, which he cuts from a 700 acre parcel of irrigated pasture.
As a Bob Woodruff Farming Fellow through the Farmer Veteran Fellowship Fund, Garret used his grant to purchase a truck load of alfalfa. Garrett is on his way to becoming a successful Farmer Veteran and hopes that once alfalfa price fall again he can work towards buying parcels from his father to preserve the his ranch.