FARMER VETERAN COALITION

Farmer Veteran Coalition assists veterans interested in agriculture to enter into or become more successful in the farming, ranching or fishing business, with emphasis on women, minorities and those with disabilities.
FVC began in 2008 when Michael O’Gorman learned that three-quarters of post 9/11 veterans come from rural communities and seek that same lifestyle as civilians. Most of them want to be in the agriculture field. The direct approach for this is to work in or start a farm or ranch. FVC currently has 42,000 members, with more than 200 joining monthly.
Our services include loans, grants and internships. We host dozens of webinars, seminars and conferences throughout the year. There are currently 25 state chapters and there will be another ten by the end of 2023. FVC program staff field calls every day, providing advice and counsel on marketing, food labeling laws and best practices in entering the farming industry.

FVC manages the “Homegrown By Heroes” label on a national level. A member can qualify to use this label in his/her marketing to communicate to the public that the product was grown by a U.S. service veteran. We know that farming or ranching can have a therapeutic value for those with injuries, visible or not.

There is a shortage of farmers in America. According to the 2012 Census of Agriculture Report produced by the USDA National Agriculture Statistics Service (NASS) the average age of principal farm operators in 58.3 years, up 1.2 years since 2007 (nearly 17 years older than the average American worker), and continuing a 30-year trend of steady increase. FVC seeks to remedy this potential national problem by training a new generation.

Members have access to the experienced program staff, who help them access government services related to their agricultural enterprise.