Armed to Farm programs help military veterans, establish connections
“Our program provides not only a solid foundation in the basic principles of operating a sustainable farming enterprise, but also a support system they can rely on throughout their farming journey.” — Margo Hale
By Drew Viguet
National Agricultural Law Center
U of A System Division of Agriculture
Aug. 8, 2024
Fast facts:
- NCAT’s Armed to Farm supports veterans getting started in farming
- National Ag Law Center’s Rusty Rumley a frequent speaker at Armed to Farm events
- Events cover information on business entities, liability and more
(523 words)
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FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Veterans and other beginning farmers face numerous challenges
getting into agriculture. Much goes into the development and management of any kind
of agricultural business: from planning the business entity, to liability considerations,
to marketing and running the operation.
In the U.S., more than 289,000 farms have producers with military service, according
to the 2022 Census of Agriculture. These farms account for more than 108 million acres of land throughout the country.
Veterans pursuing agriculture as a business may require training and want support
as they get started in their new journey. A program from the National Center for Appropriate Technology fills that need: Armed to Farm.
Launched in 2013, Armed to Farm’s purpose is to provide training, resources and opportunities
to military veterans as they get started in agriculture, connecting them to invaluable
resources.
“Across the country, there are veterans who want to start a new business opportunity
in farming,” Margo Hale, Armed to Farm program director, said. “Our program provides
not only a solid foundation in the basic principles of operating a sustainable farming
enterprise, but also a support system they can rely on throughout their farming journey.
We want to see them succeed in reaching their goals.”
Armed to Farm training events are hosted frequently at locations across the U.S. At
the events, veterans learn about farming and sustainable agriculture, develop goals
for their business and connect with other veterans and farmers.
Rusty Rumley, a senior staff attorney for the National Agricultural Law Center, or NALC, is a frequent presenter at Armed to Farm events, having spoken at trainings
nationwide over the past decade. He said there is a lot of ground to cover in these
presentations, as getting started in agricultural business is no small feat.
“I talk about business entities, landowner liability, ag leasing and more with veterans
at these events,” he said. “I always receive great questions, too. Helping these veterans
learn about the process of starting an ag business and connecting them to other resources
is something the NALC is very proud to be a part of.”
Rumley’s presentations utilize research materials published on the NALC website, which
is regularly updated. Much of this research is stored in the NALC’s numerous “Reading Rooms.” The Reading Rooms cover a range of agricultural subjects, many of which Rumley
has developed over the years. These include topics of interest to new farmers, such
as business organizations, agritourism, and landowner liability. Information on topics such as these is crucial in helping veterans in their new
endeavor.
“There’s so much to cover, it’s important we have resources available on our website
to help those who need it, too,” he said.
Hale said that while the workshops conclude after a week, their impact lasts much
longer.
“It’s amazing to see veterans from our program go on to build up and improve their
agricultural businesses,” Hale said. “The connections they make during Armed to Farm
workshops last well beyond the workshops themselves, too.”
Rumley will next speak at an Armed to Farm workshop in Harrisonburg, Virginia, on Aug. 14-15.
A full list of upcoming Armed to Farm events can be found online.
About the National Agricultural Law Center
The National Agricultural Law Center serves as the nation’s leading source of agricultural
and food law research and information. The NALC works with producers, state and federal
policymakers, Congressional staffers, attorneys, land grant universities, and many
others to provide objective, nonpartisan agricultural and food law research and information
to the nation’s agricultural community.
The NALC is a unit of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture and
works in close partnership with the USDA Agricultural Research Service, National Agricultural
Library.
About the Division of Agriculture
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s mission is to strengthen
agriculture, communities, and families by connecting trusted research to the adoption
of best practices. The Division of Agriculture conducts research and extension work
within the nation’s historic land grant education system through the Agricultural
Experiment Station and the Cooperative Extension Service.
The Division of Agriculture is one of 20 entities within the University of Arkansas
System. It has offices in all 75 counties in Arkansas and faculty on five system campuses.
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture is an equal opportunity
institution. If you require a reasonable accommodation to participate or need materials
in another format, please contact dviguet@uark.edu as soon as possible. Dial 711 for
Arkansas Relay.
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Media contact:
Drew Viguet
Communications & Special Projects Coordinator
National Agricultural Law Center
dviguet@uark.edu