RFC Joins USDA in Online Chat Re: Veterans and Farming

On Thursday, September 17, USDA Deputy Secretary Krysta Harden led a panel of veteran farmers and veteran training organizations, including Marianne Cufone on behalf of Recirculating Farms Coalition. The group discussed, via an online chat through Google+ Hangout, opportunities available for returning service members who are looking for long-term careers in farming and ranching.

Many veterans show interest in agriculture because they feel that working on the land helps them successfully transition to civilian life and provides them with a way to continue serving their community. As part of the beginning farmer and rancher community, many veterans are eligible for a wide variety of USDA programs and resources.

Recirculating Farms Coalition, through a grant from USDA’s Beginning Farmers and Ranchers Development Program, has been hosting market (commercial) farmer trainings in New Orleans, Louisiana throughout this year, especially focused on veterans, women, and socially disadvantaged communities.

The event allowed RFC to highlight the assorted benefits of water-based growing methods for veterans. During the talk, Marianne Cufone noted, “[w]e learned these growing methods are especially useful for more senior or disabled vets – they are very versatile in design and so inspire creativity, they can be inside or outdoors and so offer flexibility, growing food often leads to healthier eating, and socializing, and in terms of physical requirements these systems are usually vertical – in towers, or elevated in beds – so they don’t require much bending and there is no weeding!”

To read Marianne’s entire remarks, click here:

To watch the full Google Hangout, click here.

See the USDA’s blog at for more information.

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