“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

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

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.”

To read the full news release, click here.