By Monica Jean
The breadth and depth of Michigan State University Extension resources make it a unique and exceptional organization. Resources to veterans and their families are included, but what about veterans interested in agriculture? MSU Extension and the Veterans in Agriculture Network are cooperating to offer support and job opportunities to veterans interested in agriculture as a career.
Programs like Heroes to Hives and the Farm Incubator Program at the Upper Peninsula Research and Extension Center serve as great opportunities for veterans to get involved in agriculture. The Veterans in Agriculture Network is a veteran-led group operating within Michigan Food and Farming Systems. The Veterans in Agriculture Network offers farmer veterans access to resources, education, mentorship and advocacy throughout Michigan and the nation. Their vet-to-vet approach provides a community for Michigan’s farmer veterans who work together to ensure the long-term success of one another.
The Agriculture for Tomorrow Conference on March 7, 2017, at Bay College in Escanaba, Michigan, will be offering free registration to three Upper Peninsula veterans interested in farming as a career. A simple letter detailing interests, location and contact information can be sent to Monica Jean, MSU Extension field crops educator, at atkinmon@anr.msu.edu. Dylan Thomas, owner of Two Pines Farm and co-director of the Veterans in Agriculture Network, will be presenting at the Agriculture for Tomorrow Conference about how he uses his personal story to make connections between veterans and farming. Registration for the event at Agriculture for Tomorrow Conference.