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Veteran interest in ag growing

A USDA official says agriculture has become one of the highest areas of interest for veterans.

USDA Military Veterans Agriculture Liaison Lanon Baccam tells Brownfield while 16 percent of the population in the United States lives in rural areas, almost 40 percent of military personnel come from rural America.  “Rural America provides a disproportionate amount of its sons and daughters into the armed forces.  After they’re done serving this country we want to make sure that when they go home that USDA is there to catch them and to help them pursue their dreams of farming or ranching, careers in the ag industry, or maybe even continuing their federal service at USDA.”

He says this past March they started to offer workshops about how veterans can transition into agriculture after they leave the military and the demand has been overwhelming.   “When we launched that ag workshop for the first time in Texas, we were the second most well attended workshop behind law enforcement.”

Baccam says farmer veteran support was established in the 2014 farm bill and he believes the Obama administration has proven there is a tremendous need for it to continue.   “We want to get these veterans home safely if they are deployed overseas and when they get back to their communities we want to give them a job, and we want to give them a job in farming and ranching.”

He says veterans many times feel a higher calling to serve the country and the same is true of farmers and ranchers, and USDA is helping make the connection.

Baccam spoke with Brownfield during the National Farmer Veteran Coalition Conference in East Lansing, Michigan.

AUDIO: Interview with Lanon Baccam