Veteran Farmer Training and Incubation

Program Goal: VFTI will increase the number of military veterans operating new, successful farm operations and support veteran beginning farmers as they open and operate their businesses. Our program focuses on veterans, current military members, and families, with a 3-year goal to train 66 potential farmers, enroll 10 farmers in our Veteran Farm Incubator, and improve the success rate of an additional 300 veteran farmers through workshops, technical assistance, and other support. We aim to produce 25 new veteran farmers starting agriculture careers during the grant period. VFTI will work toward this goal through three objectives:Objective 1: Hands-On Veteran Farmer Training for Beginning Veteran FarmersArcadia operates two farmer-training tracks: The Veteran Farmer Reserve (Reserve)- a parttime, one-year program; and the Veteran Farm Fellowship (Fellowship) a 9-month, full-time, onthe-job training program. The Reserve and Fellowship provide hands-on and classroom training for beginning veteran farmers in the farm production, business, and entrepreneurial skills needed to start and operate a successful operation. We will train at least 60 Reserve participants and 6 Fellows throughout this grant period.Objective 2: Veteran Farm Incubator: Land Access & Business SupportArcadia operates a farm incubator for graduates of the training programs. Incubator Farmers receive access to 0.125-0.25-acre parcels on Arcadia Farm, and have access to infrastructure, mentorship from Arcadia staff, additional training and technical assistance, and market access and support. We will support 10 Incubator Farmers during the grant period.Objective 3: Technical Assistance and Support for Working Veteran FarmersArcadia will provide technical assistance, and production and business management training to the graduates of our programming and to other veteran farmers throughout Virginia and across the country through on-site and off-site workshops, and online educational programming. Project Collaborators will provide 30 veteran-focused workshops to more than 300 additional veteran farmers during the grant period.Proposed Project Outcomes1. Increase the number of new veteran farmers2. Increase the number of new veteran farm operations3. Improve ability of veteran farmers to respond to market changes for long-term viability4. Increase the business readiness of new veteran farmers5. Increase the business management knowledge of veteran farmers