Small farms for Veterans

A VA jobs program wherein qualified Veterans can be subsidized to buy a small farm (5-10 acres) as a business. The veteran would be required to sell the produce locally within a certain radius of the farm to local restaurants and grocery stores or direct from the farm. This program would create greater food security and fresher produce for local areas so their food doesnt have to come from 100’s of miles away. Subsidies need to be ended for monocropping that is destroying our land and produces unhealthy food and we need to be directly subsidizing small local farms instead to increase food security for areas where farms once used to be.

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@DocLoomis,

I support this proposal to create a VA program that helps veterans buy small farms and sell local produce. It’s a great way to empower veterans while strengthening local food systems and boosting food security. Veterans often have the discipline and dedication necessary to succeed in farming, and this program would give them a fresh start in civilian life while benefiting their communities.

One potential improvement could be to offer training in sustainable farming practices, so veterans are well-prepared for the challenges of small-scale farming. Additionally, expanding the types of products sold beyond produce—such as meat, dairy, or value-added products—could increase the program’s viability and impact.

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Training is a tremendous idea. Im sure there are many farmers that run successful businesses that would be glad to train up veterans with 2-3 day type courses.

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Traning would be an essential part of this - people without farm experience, even when willing to put in the work, often fail, so this needs support and training. This should include the business aspects, not just the farming aspects.
Infrastructure is another consideration. A market-garden sized greenhouse, fencing, water, and shelter infrastructure is necessary.

There may be an opportunity for engaging community in this - mentorship by other small-scale farmers should be recruited.

Caution on the “within so many miles” clause, in many rural areas, nearby markets aren’t very near by.

Definitely support the inclusion of livestock and poultry, not just crops.

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Yes and pay those farmer/trainers in some way to motivate and reward them. Not a big payment or subsidy, which would create a new boondoggle, but a small reward as a thank you for helping decentralize everyone’s food source and support local economies as well as give veterans a great life option.

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This program already is in place, but not sponsored or supported by the VA, it is the Farmers Veteran Coalition. They work with Vets to do exactly what you are describing. I strongly support your idea!

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Not a subsidy program, while they do offer small grants, it’s not enough to get people started from square one with how prohibitively expensive it has become to start a farm.

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It needs to be a subsidy program with how prohibitively expensive starting a farm has become. Family farms that have been around for generations are being shut down because of the costs. The costs are astronomical due to monocrop farms being subsidized into the billions. Those subsidies need to be revoked. We don’t need a million corn farms

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I am with you, 100% and they need to seriously look at the farm subsidies, and evaluate them. My younger days of working on our family farm and learning how to plan 5 YEARS in advance for crops… that is all out the window now… and what the hell is this with tractors you don’t even steer anymore, damn things are GPS guided?? I digress. The bones of the program exist in the FVC and can be expanded on.

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I’m familiar with Farmer Veteran Coalition, they are doing good work, but are not able to do it at scale. I have not been involved in the details, so I can’t speak to their efficiency or organization, but that could be a foundation model. This could benefit from connection to things like the agriculture extension programs through ag universities.
–>Noted that the universities themselves are part of the problem so this SHOULD NOT be a University-based program, but the extension agents can be an outstanding resource for information, training, and identification of local challenges, conditions, mentoring, and resources.<–

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I’ve brought this up on X a few times and I’m happy to see you bring it up here! I just wrote out a policy for this, I should’ve searched first to see you already had one! I’ll delete mine out of this category!

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I believe most states already have a USDA or university ag extension with experts in local ag that provide support/advice at no cost.

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I’ve used extension services in several states. That’s not what the proposal is about though. I suggested that extension agents can be recruited in as mentors or resources, but the OP’s proposal is something significantly larger than that.

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As a new farmer and a veteran I really can get behind this!!

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As a veteran I think this is an excellent initiave.

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