http://www.livestockconservancy.org/index.php/news/internal/veterans-workshop
From Service to Stewardship
A Workshop for Veterans on Farming with Heritage Breeds of Livestock and Poultry
June 6-7, 2014, Warrenton, VA
Join Virginia Cooperative Extension, The Livestock Conservancy, and the Farmer Veteran Coalition for a two-day intensive workshop that will help transform today’s veterans into tomorrow’s farmers!
Friday: Full-day classroom with local farmers
Saturday: Heritage farm visits
Learn
• Which farming enterprise is right for you
• How to choose and raise Heritage poultry
• How to farm with Heritage sheep
• Select, raise, and market Heritage cattle and hogs.
• AND: Heritage Breed Farm Marketing
“Our goal is to help returning veterans and retired service members succeed financially in heritage breed, sustainable agriculture by providing them with the knowledge and skills they need.” –Eric Hallman, Executive Director
Reservations for this workshop are on a first-come-first-serve basis. Priority will be given to service men and women. After May 1st, The Livestock Conservancy will accept registrations from the general public.
Why Veterans?
In 2012 The Livestock Conservancy received a call from Michael O’Gorman, the Executive Director of the Farmer Veteran Coalition. He indicated that most of the veterans that were contacting the coalition, wanted to work with heritage breeds. So the Conservancy partnered with the Coalition to organize and hold a workshop in Pittsboro, NC, to provide veterans the education needed to succeed with heritage breed farming. From this The Livestock Conservancy’s Service to Stewardship initiative was launched as part of its Train the Next Generation Program. By supporting veterans who raise heritage breeds, The Livestock Conservancy simultaneously serves its own mission of livestock and poultry breed conservation.
Our veterans face many challenges. Some of them struggle to find jobs. Some struggle to find productive ways to reconnect with society. They need time to heal, and a place to do it. With so many of our veterans returning to small communities, many find healing in rural life and farming. The act of raising animals and giving new life is a benefit to our soldiers.
Veterans are also service minded, and want to find new ways to serve their communities. Those that farm want most of all to feed their families and their neighbors. They find that raising endangered breeds of livestock and poultry, is a good way to add yet another form of service by helping save breeds that might otherwise disappear.
“Veterans are especially suited for heritage breed agriculture due to our unique connection with the heritage of our country,” said Althea Raiford, a workshop attendee from Brunswick, Georgia. “For many of us, farming and being in the military is part of our personal heritage and pride in being an American.”