Matt spent his youth on a horse farm and joined the National Guard in college. After graduation, he was posted to Iraq and served as a Cavalry Scout Platoon Leader. Upon returning from military service, Matt went to work for a construction company in South Carolina. He works hard to pay the bills and help care for his wife Kimberly and their two sons. But Matt dreams of owning and operating an environmentally sustainable livestock operation producing pasture-raised meats.
Matt - a driven, self-reliant veteran coping with the upheaval of returning from combat to civilian life - wants to work for himself, create something valuable and independent, and build a solid future for his young family.
But getting started in farming isn't easy. Neither land nor financing is readily available, and gaining experience is also a challenge. Matt and Kimberly's search for programs that could help them get started came up empty, until recently.
With our partners we formed the Veteran Farmers and Ranchers Project so veterans like Matt can receive personalized professional consultations on farm production, business and finance as well as attend workshops and farm tours to access guidance from a variety of experts.
This project, alongside the Center for Rural Affairs' Land Link program, Farm Bill Helpline (402.687.2100 or trac
For more information: www.cfra.org/veteran_farmers_p
