Land
- The Center for Rural Affair’s Land Link program serves to increase opportunities for beginning farmers while encouraging good stewardship. Computer data base matching and consulting services bring beginning farmers and landowners together. Retirement planning, beginning farmer financing, farm business, and environmental assessment information is used to assist in transferring family operations to a new generation of farmers and ranchers.
- Any veterans can participate in FarmLink‘s aspiring farmer programs.
- To discuss land links (lease or purchase) this means filling out a short questionnaire, sending it in, then discussing any of the land opportunities that our listed on our website. The hitch for linking someone with a retiring farmer or landowner is that we tend to work with people who have some farming experience already. ALBA has a program tailored more for folks with no farming experience. When people come to FarmLink with no farming experience, we encourage them to look into apprentice or educational programs. If there were vets coming from a family farm background or with other farm experience, they would be ready for our linking program. We can also work with any vets who need individual assistance in California on any aspects of land tenure, farm business planning and farm financing.
- 2) We could do an email out to landowners and farmers in our database to determine if any of them would be specifically interested in working with vets in some capacity.
- 3) To the extent that we can raise money to fund additional Individual Development Accounts (IDAs), we can earmark them specifically for vets who are starting their own small farms. This is the program where the beginning farmer puts $100 a month in a bank account and we match it with $300 a month of grant money. At the end of two years, the participant has $9,600 to put towards a farm asset such as a tractor, fencing or irrigation infrastructure. During the two years the participant attends two or three financial literacy type workshops (on business planning, credit, tax management or financing) and puts together a business plan and cash flow projection. (CA FarmLink’s IDA program is the first in the nation specifically serving small farmers). We need $7,200 for each IDA account plus 25% for program support. So it would cost about $18,000 for two accounts. WE have been able to raise funds for about 6 or 7 new applicants each year, for which we have been receiving 25 to 50 applications per year. It is a competitive program, but if we can raise money specifically for vets, that pool of funds would be earmarked for vets only.
- 4) We can outreach to any vets groups about all of FarmLinks programs by getting vet group leaders on our email list, or other means as necessary.
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I am a korean war veteran and am thinking about retiring to a small farm. I’d like more information on what is available in west marin and the veteran’s laon programs that help with the purchase of such properties.
Hello. I am a diabled veteran. I was a gunner on an MRAP, in Afghanistan, when our convoy was hit by an IED. We were then involved in a complex ambush. Being the gunner, I suffered a gunshot wound, scrapnel in my forearm, lost both my knees, and later was diagnosed with severe PTSD and well as a TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury)
I have recently moved to a farm my in-laws own. It is 55 acres and has plenty potential for farm land. The problem being, I am down here alone, with only my wife and 3 year-old daughter. Niether of those would be able to help me, and I have physically, nor mentally, capable of doing it on my own. Where both my right and left knees are gone, I have problems with my mobility and have to rely on a can to move from one place to the other. Thus, is the reason for my request of help. I desperatly need a tractor, riding lawn mover, bushog, or just something that could help me take care of the property, that doesn’t force me to do it on two blown out knees.
I am VERY interested in any type of help that you may be able to give me that would help me learn how to start farming, any euiptment (i.e. tractor, bushog, large riding lawn mower with side deck, barn, storage unit, etc). This would be much appreciated. My doctors and therapist think it would be very beneficial for me to start doing a productive task. They state that this type of activity will help me a great deal in my rehabilitation.
Regardless of what type of assistant you offer, I do beg that you take my situation into account, and find it in your heart to help out a wounded veteran. Please do contact me back and let me know the types of assistant available.
Thank you an God Bless,
Spc. Ben Watts
US Army, Retired
Purple Heart Receipient
I’m also a disabled vet Ben — but of the Cold War, and a USAF veteran enlisted volunteer. My disability is workable – and fortunately I have most of my physical capability still. If you could let me know what part of California you are in .. perhaps I could help in some way. I’m 58, but have some gardening experience – home based true but I’ve published several times in gardening magazines on growing food in non-traditional ways that were quite prolific — I’m in Los Angeles at the moment, but open to other possibilities… if you are still reading this… reply if you can. If you aren’t interested, well… I wish you and your family good luck anyway.
Where do you live, Ben?