To join
AgVet Cohort 7 & 8,
complete application form below or contact NSI at 954-434-8220
AgVet Cohort 7 & 8,
complete application form below or contact NSI at 954-434-8220
AgVet Program Overview
Please press pause in the left hand corner of the brochure to read.
Veteran & Beginning Small Farm Business Incubator
Since 2002, the North-South Institute (NSI) has supported the development of veterans in agriculture. Evidence has shown our veteran agriculture community, as a subset of the small farm and rancher program, to have demonstrated sterling qualities in developing agribusinesses as well as becoming leading farm operators and agribusiness managers. At a national conference, the results from a round table show that veteran farmers are more likely to be successful in farming because of the discipline and work habits developed during the military service. In fact, one Vietnam veteran said it best when asked why his farm was successful, he replied, “Because we do things when they are supposed to be done with an aim in mind.”
Veterans can be seen in the Treasure Coast counties in livestock operations and vegetable production in Central and Northern Florida counties. However, veterans face significant barriers to entry in agriculture and employment in allied industries. These are the availability of land, access to capital, and overall lack of knowledge in agribusiness management, crop and livestock husbandry, and value-added food production. In the light of these constraints, opportunities exist for established small farms to supply lucrative markets for specialty food enterprise outputs to include specialty vegetables, small livestock (sheep, goats, pasture poultry, and pigs), honey, cattle, and value-added food (e.g., packaged honey and bakery products) also, in these parts of Florida, significant acreages are available due to the decline in citrus because of diseases and competition from overseas. This provides opportunities for beginning small farmers to secure these lands for farming.
Since 2002, the North-South Institute (NSI) has supported the development of veterans in agriculture. Evidence has shown our veteran agriculture community, as a subset of the small farm and rancher program, to have demonstrated sterling qualities in developing agribusinesses as well as becoming leading farm operators and agribusiness managers. At a national conference, the results from a round table show that veteran farmers are more likely to be successful in farming because of the discipline and work habits developed during the military service. In fact, one Vietnam veteran said it best when asked why his farm was successful, he replied, “Because we do things when they are supposed to be done with an aim in mind.”
Veterans can be seen in the Treasure Coast counties in livestock operations and vegetable production in Central and Northern Florida counties. However, veterans face significant barriers to entry in agriculture and employment in allied industries. These are the availability of land, access to capital, and overall lack of knowledge in agribusiness management, crop and livestock husbandry, and value-added food production. In the light of these constraints, opportunities exist for established small farms to supply lucrative markets for specialty food enterprise outputs to include specialty vegetables, small livestock (sheep, goats, pasture poultry, and pigs), honey, cattle, and value-added food (e.g., packaged honey and bakery products) also, in these parts of Florida, significant acreages are available due to the decline in citrus because of diseases and competition from overseas. This provides opportunities for beginning small farmers to secure these lands for farming.
To register, complete the form below and an NSI Representative will contact you.
Please Note: You must present your Veterans Affairs ID or DD Form 214 to qualify for the program stipend.