KCARD is one of 17 organizations awarded a 2020 USDA AgVets grant to establish and enhance farming opportunities for military veterans.

USDA announced today awards in the Enhancing Agricultural Opportunities for Military Veterans Program (AgVets). Kentucky Center for Agriculture and Rural Development along with partners Kentucky Department of Agriculture, Kentucky Sheep and Goat Development Office, Kentucky Horticulture Council, and University of Kentucky’s Community and Economic Development Initiative of Kentucky (CEDIK) are collaborating on a $746,567 USDA grant to provide educational opportunities for veterans and transitioning service members interested in agriculture, develop a peer-to-peer network for veterans in agriculture, and construct a pathway that facilitates veterans’ entrance into agriculture-related careers.  Additional support partners for this grant include the Kentucky Farm Bureau Federation, Kentucky Commission on Military Affairs, and Hopkinsville Community College.

The grant funding will allow for Kentucky’s veterans to receive opportunities for hands-on training, classroom workshops, and one-on-one assistance for veterans to enter or increase veterans’ knowledge of the agriculture sector. It will also create a network of agricultural producers and veteran mentors in diverse agricultural areas to advise veterans entering agricultural careers. Finally, the grant will design three distinct agriculture training programs, ensuring departing service members have the information and training to enter Kentucky agriculture and agricultural careers.

Funding for the project is provided by the USDA National Institute for Food and Agriculture (NIFA) Enhancing Agricultural Opportunities for Military Veterans Competitive Grants Program (AgVets).

For more information or to learn how you can be a part of this new program, contact Kellie Padgett, KCARD Business Development Specialist at kpadgett@kcard.info, or at 270-883-0052.