When military members transition to civilian life, they have to figure out what to do next. Often veterans go to college to finish a degree, start their own business or become a civilian contractor. However, not everyone wants to go back to a traditional workplace, so the Department of Agriculture and the Veterans Administration have teamed up to help those who want to get their hands dirty. Veterans have the opportunity to get back to farming and improve their chance of succeeding. Like many government programs, there are certain steps to take before veterans can apply for any grants or loans, but there are rewards for those who persevere.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) website, as of May 2010, 20 percent of young veterans are unemployed and approximately 45 percent of armed service members are from rural America. The agricultural industry is a logical choice to help fill the economic gap veterans face. While no federal programs specifically exist for veterans, financial and management programs through USDA can have an impact on them by establishing and maintaining successful farming or ranching businesses.

Veterans often need financial assistance when trying to start their farms. Luckily, there are several options available to help. Federal government loans for a farmer or rancher are a bit more complicated than traditional assistance because they must first show they have already worked the land for the last three years. Government loans are beneficial because there are very low interest rates and a rancher has up to seven years to repay them. The Farmer Veteran Coalition (FVC) has a fellowship program that provides small grants for purchasing critical farm equipment or infrastructure. Veterans need to have clear goals and a business plan when they search for assistance because the farm is a business and while loans and grants can help for a short time, turning a profit is key.

There are several groups that have formed since the push to get veterans working the land including the Farmer Veteran Coalition and the Veterans to Farmers (VTF) organization. In 2008 the FVC was started in California and has been growing ever since. In a twelve-month period ending March 2015, FVC signed more than 2,000 new members bringing their total number of veterans to 4,500. The FVC offers a variety of educational workshops and webinars to help educate veterans as well as provide a peer network program. One of their programs is called Homegrown By Heroes which is a special label veterans can use on their products to help customers differentiate them from other vendors.

The Veterans to Farmers organization is trying to turn protectors into providers. The VTF is based out of Colorado and is training agricultural processes to help veterans start urban homesteading or business ownership. The VTF teaches both small-scale, organic soil farming methods as well as greenhouse technologies, which use only ten percent of the land and water used by traditional farming methods but produce ten times the yield.

Transitioning military members have many choices to make which can be overwhelming, so it is important to educate yourself on the different opportunities and decide which future is the best for you.