Agriculture workshop for military Feb. 15 in Dallas

‘Battleground to Breaking Ground’ agriculture workshop is for active duty and former military, others

DALLAS – The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, in cooperation with the Texas AgrAbility Program and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, will present a free agriculture workshop on Feb. 15 in Dallas for current and former members of the military.

The workshop, designed for active duty and veteran military with and without disabilities, will be from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center, 17360 Coit Road in Dallas. It also is open to women interested in agribusiness, as well as beginning farmers and ranchers, coordinators said.

“From Battleground to Breaking Ground: A Transformational Journey” gives military veterans interested in farming or ranching the opportunity to get information on aspects of starting, developing, and funding an agriculture-based business, according to coordinators. It was developed with input from AgriLife Extension, AgrAbility, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, the National Farmer Veteran Coalition, Farm Service Agency, Texas Department of Agriculture and others.

The program begins with registration and a continental breakfast from 8-8:30 a.m., followed by a short welcome. Presentations start at 9 a.m., and include a talk by a veteran currently involved in production agriculture. Other presentations will address resource networking, the Texas AgrAbility Program, agriculture business startup, resources available for funding an agricultural enterprise, business plan development, and possibilities for farming and ranching with a disability.

“The Texas AgrAbility Program’s focus is on connecting, assisting and empowering agricultural producers, their family members and employees with disabilities and chronic health conditions to stay engaged in production agriculture,” said Erin Pilosi, Texas AgrAbility coordinator for military programs.

“About 45 percent of returning veterans are from rural areas,” said Dr. Cheryl Grenwelge, AgriLife Extension specialist in disability transition, College Station. “And we want to enable veterans with or without disabilities to return to the area of production agriculture if they choose.”

Attendees must RSVP at http://txagrability.tamu.edu or download the registration form from the website and send to: Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, Attn: Erin Pilosi or Dr. Cheryl Grenwelge, 2147 TAMU, College Station, TX 77843-2251.

For more information, contact Pilosi at 979-847-6185 orempilosi@ag.tamu.edu or Grenwelge at 979-845-3727 or chgrenwelge@ag.tamu.edu.