The goals of beginning farmer veteran training through hands-on collaborative education are to increase veteran participation in established farmer training programs, and provide veterans with the…

The goals of beginning farmer veteran training through hands-on collaborative education are to increase veteran participation in established farmer training programs, and provide veterans with the skills, knowledge and experience they need to succeed as farmers. The project will accomplish this through targeted outreach, expanding growing veteran agripreneurs, an existing program for beginning farmer veterans in southern oregon, and increased veteran participation in rogue farm corps' full-time, farm-based internship program.during the 2021, '22, and '23 growing seasons, rogue farm corps (RFC) will collaborate with the oregon state university (OSU) extension small farms program, the jackson county veteran service office (VSO) and the josephine county veteran service office to continue and expand beginning farmer and rancher training for veterans. RFC and OSU have been offering robust beginning farmer training programming in jackson and josephine counties through RFC'sinternship program and OSU's growing agriprenuers program for the past twelve years (growing veteran agriprenuers for the past two seasons). However, despite a higher than average per capita concentration of military veterans in the two counties, veterans have only just begun participating in these programs. Grant funds will be used to develop outreach materials, facilitate presentations to veteran groups and veteran service providers, and cover costs for 6-12 veterans to participate in RFC's farm-based internship program and 30 veterans to participate in growing veteran agripreneurs over the course of the project. In addition, RFC will organize a one-day annual workshop on accessing land that highlights opportunities for veterans. Finally, OSU and USDA will host classes on financing options for veterans and USDA programs.