An education program is starting to help veteran farmers and ranchers succeed in the state’s agriculture industry.
The Veteran Farmer/Rancher Education Program will offer hands-on training, mentorship, education seminars, access to resources and make connections with farmers’ markets. Daron Hoggatt, the Oklahoma Department of Veteran Affairs’ business management program administrator, said the program will also focus on mental health and wellness.
“So many veterans unfortunately commit suicide every year that this also helps with that mental health and well-being of that,” Hoggatt said. “Because it gives them not just something that they can physically do, but they can actually emotionally see and relieve some of the stresses that they've got in their lives from serving in the military.”
In 2022, There are about 124,000 producers with military experience in the state, and there are roughly 39,000 who are just starting, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Census of Agriculture. Hoggatt said the long-term goal of this program is to make a strong community for the state’s veteran farmers.
The program is through the Oklahoma Department of Veteran Affairs is working with the Oklahoma Local Ag Collaborative, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences, Oklahoma State University Extension and the USDA.
The State Department of Veterans Affairs is already involved in other programs for veteran farmers and ranchers. On a national level, USDA recently allocated about $46 million for underserved, veteran and beginning producers development projects.
Hoggatt said having the organizations in one program makes it more of a one-stop shop for farmers and ranchers. He said once people are out of military service, it can be difficult to acclimate, work for other people or find a satisfying job.
“So helping them get started in entrepreneurship and their farming and their ranching, it just enhances their lives,” Hoggatt said.
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