Military Entrepreneur Magazine Fall 2016

Message from our Founder

When my friend and fellow milspouse, Jaime Wood, suggested that we do an issue on veterans and military spouses in agriculture, the entire Rosie team thought, ‘What a perfect idea!’ We knew our readers would be interested in learning about military families who had chosen agriculture for their entrepreneurial efforts.

What we didn’t realize, was the sheer number of these businesses, and the resulting impact agriculture has had on things like PTS and the overall mental health of our veterans and their families. There is something to be said about getting your hands dirty and making a living from mother earth.

“If the population of the world does hit 9 billion people by 2050, the demand for food, fiber, and energy to supply the world will be a daunting task,” said Dwight Koops, president of Kansasbased Crop Quest. “There is no reason to doubt that production agriculture is in the driver’s seat as we look forward into the future.”

Clearly, there is a movement across the country to empower American farmers, and veterans are front and center. It has been a pleasure getting to know some of these amazing individuals, the companies they have founded, and sharing the resources available to other military families who might be considering agriculture.

Agriculture by definition means the science or practice of farming, including cultivation of the soil for the growing of crops and the rearing of animals to provide food, wool, and other products.

By definition then, that means that my home in Southern California — with its abundance of farm critters — would qualify as an agriculture business? Apparently so, should we ever decide to sell Lulu and Rosie’s wool (my mother & daughter alpacas)? Awesome. I’ve already told my husband that our next career might just be as Alpaca farmers – I like that.

Brown Proud Military Spouse CEO & Founder, The Rosie Network

Stephanie

Meet Rose, our newest Alpaca!

Featured Stories

Ready-to-use FarmBoxes help growers ‘farm smart.’

Veterans fill a growing need for Ag production.

Combat nurse finds peace in growing organic food and helping people.

Air Force couple returns to rural roots.

Why are so many veterans and military families turning to agriculture?

“Where I live, jobs are scarce,” says Jeral Cooley, a Coast Guard veteran from rural Anza, California. At Hillcrest Farmer’s Market in San Diego, Calif., Cooley sells produce from Archi’s Acres, a veteran-owned and run organic farming enterprise. Meanwhile, with his wife Cindy he is establishing his own berry-growing business and a small family dogbreeding operation, awesomelabradoodles.com

Like many veterans, he came from rural roots and wanted to return to them. Other veterans point to the high cost of urban living as a reason to live farther afield.

TAMING THE RAVAGES OF PTSD

Aside from geography, veterans have other challenges. PTS and war injuries pose obstacles for many veterans returning to their previous work. Sara Creech, an Iraq War Veteran, and nurse who like many others returned with PTS, found re-entry into nursing impossible. “I couldn’t work,” she told NPR last year. “I couldn’t do my job. It was devastating.” Creech found salvation in buying a 43-acre farm in North Salem, Indiana. She has since named it Blue Yonder Organic Farm, now a flourishing business that has its own veteran outreach program, Operation Groundwork. Other farms and programs have developed around the country to meet this need, such as National

Why Agriculture?

Today’s veterans and military spouses are returning to rural roots to tame PTS and feed a growing world.

Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA)’s Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program, which allocates $5 million towards getting veterans the access to land and training that they’ll need to start their own farms. (See related article, “War Veterans Turn to Farming to Cope with PTS” on p. 16)

NEXTGEN FEEDING THE WORLD

As much as many veterans enjoy finding their niche in agriculture, they also help fill an increasing void in American farming. The USDA has identified a great need to begin replacing the aging ranks of America’s farmers. According to the 2012 Census of Agriculture, the average American farmer is 58 years old. Farmers over 55 work half of the country’s farmland, and fully half of those farmers are likely to retire in the next decade. The number of new farmers entering the ranks has been declining since 1987.

Dwight Koops, president of Kansas-based Crop Quest, identifies demand as the most pressing trend in agriculture going forward. “If

forget how to dig the earth and tend to the

“To

soil is to forget ourselves.”-Gandhi

Why Agriculture (cont‘d)

the population of the world does hit 9 billion people by 2050, the demand to supply enough food, fiber, and energy to supply the world will be a daunting task,” said Koops. “There is no reason to doubt that production agriculture is in the driver’s seat as we look forward into the future.”

INCENTIVES AND ASSISTANCE FOR VETERANS

So to benefit both veterans and America’s needs, Congress included grants and incentives for veterans in the Agricultural Act of 2014. The 2014 Farm Bill gives a boost to Veteran farmers in several ways. It designates veterans as a distinct class of beginning farmers within the U.S. Department of Agriculture. This status allows them to apply for low-interest loans to buy animals and equipment, apply for grants to expand their farm, and extra payments to implement conservation practices on their land.

The Farm Bill even requires the USDA to give veterans preference in some cases over nonveterans and minorities. This boost ahead is considered payment for the time veterans took away from their goals to serve, said Michael O’Gorman, founder of the Farmer Veteran Coalition, in an interview with National Public Radio. In addition to the Farmer Veteran Coalition, numerous nonprofit organizations and universities all over the country have opened programs to help vets pursue agriculture careers, as well as smaller veteran-owned operations putting out a helping hand to bring more veterans into the Ag business, as Blue Yonder’s Operation Groundwork does.

Whether it’s desire to work with their hands or with nature, struggles with PTS, or lack of interest in an indoor, 9-to-5 job, a marriage between veterans and agriculture is proving a good fit for them and for America. And besides, as Jeral Cooley notes, “Who doesn‘t want to be their own boss?“

• Grow organic with Archi’s Acres: www. archisinstitute.com

• Join the Farmer Veteran Coalition to match with jobs and apprenticeships: http://www. farmvetco.org

• Learn beekeeping with Boots to Bees: http:// www.beeculture.com/tag/boots-to-bees/

• Connect with help from the USDA: https:// newfarmers.usda.gov/veterans

• There are even programs to connect new farmers with retiring landowners: http:// www.cfra.org/renewrural/landlink

Combat Nurse Heals Herself by Working the Land and Giving Back

GIVING UP A CAREER AND FINDING A CALLING

“A

fter serving in the military as a surgical nurse during Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, and later losing my husband to cancer, I was left feeling like my life was over. It seemed that there were no more beautiful colors, no more joyful sounds, and no more hope for the future,” says Sara Creech. Like many veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan, she found herself unable to work anymore in her specialty. For her it was nursing, the field in which she has a master’s degree and 16 years of experience. She had such depression and anxiety that she felt she could be risking her patients’ safety. “It was devastating,” she says.

She quit her job as a nurse, needing to seek a different path. She credits the love and support of her friends and family to take a chance on starting her own farm, using her savings account and family support to buy a foreclosed farmhouse in rural Indiana. Preparing for

her new trade by reading “what seemed like hundreds of books,” she began with the large orchard on the farm and bought chickens (“They call them the gateway animal,” she says). Tipping her hat to the U.S. Air Force theme song, she named her farm Blue Yonder. Quickly becoming a model of small-farm success, Blue Yonder sells meat, eggs, and produce through a CSA and at the local farmers market.

Creech has also taken advantage of programs to help veteran farmers, such as the USDA’s low-interest loan programs designated in the 2014 Farm Bill and connections offered by The Farmer Veteran Coalition, a nonprofit that helps connect veterans with farming jobs and internships.

Now raising turkeys, chickens and sheep along with vegetables, Blue Yonder is “committed to growing the tastiest, nutrient packed food in a way that mimics nature. All of our animals are raised outdoors on fresh pasture with additional organic feed for our poultry and our produce and orchard fruits are grown organically.” But

Creech’s connection with food and the land is deeper than that; she aims to connect people with their food in a way that fosters abundance and renewal.

FEELING THE NEED TO GIVE BACK

Creech started Blue Yonder Organic Farm to honor her husband’s memory and to show that working with animals and the land can offer a unique and powerful experience. Having found peace, healing, and connection in the hard daily work of farm life, Creech says her heart is burdened with the need to help fellow veterans. “My husband, Charles Creech, chose to dedicate his life to serving his country as a military pilot. This choice came with amazing sacrifices, hard work, determination, and a strength of character that I have never seen before. His journey was not always an easy road, but I will testify that until his last breath,

Chuck lived and breathed the Air Force Core Values:

• Integrity First

• Service Before Self

• Excellence in All We Do

In that spirit, Creech launched Operation Groundwork http://operationgroundwork.org. org In a place that offers peace and healing, Operation Groundwork offers educational programs for veterans interested in getting started in agriculture and an opportunity to partner with select veterans who need help finding resources to start a farm enterprise. In addition to this practical help, Blue Yonder offers social connections for veterans with regular picnics and other farm events.

With the growing food needs of our nation, the web of programs offered by the USDA, universities, and nonprofits, and leadership of veteran farmers such as Sara Creech, agriculture offers a promising way forward for many veterans. Read more about Sara Creech and veteran farmer programs here

Air Force Veterans

Make Smooth Landing at Dickie Bird Farms

Husband and wife Air Force veterans

Kipp and Ivory Harlow always knew that farming was in their blood. Ivory was born in Minnesota and raised on a horse farm. Kipp was born in Texas, grew up raising hogs, and eventually his family got into the cattle business. After serving their country, farming seemed like the natural next step.

“For me, there is no work as real or satisfying as building a business with my own two hands,” says Ivory. “I got my first job at 15 and spent the next ten years working for other people. I learned a lot during those years but never felt

“

For me, there is no work as real or satisfying as building a business with my own two hands.”

challenged to be the best version of myself. As a business owner, I’m challenged to reach my full potential every day.”

CHOOSING ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Kipp and Ivory chose to farm because they wanted to return to their roots. So after leaving military service in 2012, they established Dickie Bird Farm as a Limited Liability Corporation. Dickie Bird Farm is a small, family-owned farm that implements sustainable and natural production methods. They raise Boer goats for show and meat sales, and their forage enterprise produces high-quality mixed grass hay from diverse and healthy pastures.

OHIO BEGINNINGS

Like the majority of military members, the coowners of Dickie Bird Farm came from rural America. They chose Southern Ohio, which is smack in the middle of their homes of record, for a few reasons: After Kipp finished his enlistment he returned to work for the government as a civilian Biomedical Repair Technician. He works at the Veteran‘s Hospital by day and works nights and weekends with Ivory at Dickie Bird Farm. Ivory explained their decision process: “We had never been to Ohio before we moved here. We did a lot of online research and found it was a good match with our ambition to farm. We love it here! Our community is small and

supportive, people are friendly, and the pace of life is slow.”

CHALLENGES AND LESSONS

After getting established, the Harlows have found that financing growth has been their greatest challenge. They self-financed startup with savings and off-farm income. “As a first-time business owner, I was naive to think business debt would be dangerous to my bottom line,” says Ivory. “I pinched pennies to build inventory and paid cash for farm equipment. As a result, we had zero business debt, but also zero business credit.” Conventional wisdom says that being cautious and thrifty is the best way to conduct our lives—but that isn‘t really the case for business owners.

“When I outgrew my operational capacity and needed to purchase additional farmland to grow the business, I couldn’t find a commercial lender willing to finance me based on my lack of business credit. The little savings we had was not enough to cover the down payment requirement. I’d been operating only four years, so I did not have much equity. A business operating in the black was not enough to earn the confidence of lenders.“

“If I had to do it over, I would have secured small, manageable loans for start-up instead of financing with my money. Doing so would put me in a more favorable position to secure growth funding.”

Micro Farms Inc. is a San Diego-based group that supplies ready-to-use Farm Boxes throughout the U.S. to experienced farmers as well as a hands-on learning environment for newer farmers who want to build a farming business. Co-founders Justin LeBlanc and Matt Huneycutt are young U.S. veterans who want to create good jobs for returning vets as well as a way for them to run their own businesses that are good for the environment and their local communities. Matt, a 10-year Navy veteran, and fourth-generation farmer brings skill and experience and a desire to farm more efficiently. Justin, an 8-year Marine veteran and experienced entrepreneur, brings knowledge of supply chain management

Farming Goes Micro

SMART farming for the next generation

and talent for helping others achieve their goals. With MicroFarms, they hope to benefit their families and their world as they grow a business around doing what they love.

Co-founders: Matt Huneycutt and Justin LeBlanc

Micro farming means growing for profit on a smaller footprint than traditional farming or greenhouses. MicroFarms offers off-grid, solarpowered, climate controlled, hydroponic FarmBoxes that grow a variety of greens so customers can run their own successful local, organic farm businesses and provide needed produce to local restaurants and farmers markets. Though many love traditional farming, few veteran entrepreneurs have a significant amount of land and start-up capital required. FarmBoxes use a fraction of the space and capital of traditional farms. They grow produce anywhere, in any season, with minimal cost to operate. “Microfarmers” can grow where demand is highest despite common challenges to traditional farming such as climate, drought, fires, season, access to utilities, water availability, pests, and transportation.

Micro FarMs:

• Use 95% less water.

• Yield 7 times more prodUce per sqUare foot.

• redUce contamination from pesticides

• Have a Year-roUnd growing season.

• Use otHerwise UnUsable land (Urban and rUral areas).

MicroFarms helps their customers start and grow successful micro farming businesses by providing experience, products, and information that cuts short their learning curve and brings in income sooner. They also help with securing financing, GAP (Good Agricultural Practices) certification, and Organic certification. Find out more at http://rosieslist.org/microfarmsfarmbox. So, what are you waiting for?

War Veterans Turn to Farming to Cope with PTS

By Lauren Rothman

(Originally in VICE, reprinted with permission.)

Last year was a historic one for veterans seeking a rehabilitative career path upon returning home from conflict zones. 2014’s Farm Bill, which was a disappointment in some areas— notably when it comes to food stamps—recognized veterans as a distinct class of beginning farmers, creating a number of loans, outreach assistance, and training programs specifically available to vets interested in working the land. One program alone—the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA)’s Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program—allocates $5 million towards getting veterans the access to land and training that they’ll need to start their

own farms.

That legislation came as great news to Richard Murphy, program manager at Veterans to Farmers (VTF). Since 2011, VTF has trained American veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan in its five-acre greenhouse in Denver, offering a 12-week program that provides vets with the essential knowledge needed to, one day, start their own farms.

Murphy is a 37-year-old Air Force vet who has been stationed both in Saudi Arabia as well as the US. When he left the military in 2004, he recommitted himself to an old passion— gardening—growing food for his family and neighbors in five raised beds outside his home in Colorado. Several years later, his wife—a fellow vet—found out about VTF, and the couple became

heavily involved in the program, with Murphy eventually managing day to day operations. He says the therapeutic value of farming holds the biggest vocational appeal for vets, who suffer disproportionately from post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTS. Up to 20 percent of Iraqi war vets and up to 11 percent of veterans of the war in Afghanistan are afflicted by the disorder, but Murphy says farming can help.

“I think I heard it best from one vet who said, ‘My job used to be to take life, and now it’s to create life,’” he says. “That’s a very self-rewarding process. And I think you’re getting more sunlight! No one should be in a damn cubicle all day.”

“I saw a study recently that said that putting your hands in the dirt on a regular basis actually increases your immune system, but also personal happiness,” Murphy continues. “And I’ve always felt that way. Reconnecting with the earth on some level is therapeutic; it’s very important for human beings to do that. And we live in a culture and society where that’s just not as common

anymore.”

VTF put down roots in 2009, when Marine Corps vet Buck Adams established Circle Fresh Farms, a hydroponic, or Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA), model that serves the Denver area. Adams made it a mission to hire fellow vets, eventually founding VTF specifically to train them inside the greenhouse. For Murphy, the parallels between military work and farming are apparent.

“Being willing to pay attention to detail on a very high level was a big one in the Air Force,” he says. “And with plant production, there’s a lot of that in it, because you have to pay attention to how that plant is growing.”

Murphy notes that vets returning home from service often face big obstacles when it comes to rehabilitating, reentering society, and finding a job. And there’s no magic bullet for how to help those vets achieve those goals.

“We can’t effectively treat every single veteran with a monoculture method of treatment—getting them pills, going to see a counselor, and expecting that to work,” he says. “Every veteran is unique. And so there has to be an opportunity for every veteran for something to strike him just right in order to help him out. For some people, that’s farming.”

VTF trainees mostly come from the Colorado area. They receive a $12 per hour stipend for the 15 hours of work they do in the greenhouse over the course of 12 weeks as they learn the basics of food production. Upon completing the course, veterans have the option of taking a six-week class for beginning farmers offered by Colorado State University. Murphy just completed that course. He and his wife are looking for land, and hope to open their own commercial greenhouse by the end of the year.

Since 2011, VTF has focused on CEA farming. Not only can greenhouses produce a large amount of food in a small area, but they’re also well suited to the Colorado climate, where the growing season is only 22 weeks long. Greenhouses are capable of producing food year-round. But starting this year, VTF will partner with Denver Botanic Gardens to offer vets 12 weeks of training in conventional,

War Veterans Return to Farming (cont‘d)

land-based agriculture.

“It’s the same thing as food—you can’t monoculture your food. You’re bound for problems if you do.”

“The idea is that we can offer different ways for that veteran to learn about agriculture that might be suitable for them,” Murphy says. VTF released its 2015 application about two weeks ago, and Murphy has already received applications from 55 veterans, all the program has room for this year. He’s confident that, especially in light of new Farm Bill legislation, opportunities for veteran farmers will spread. Organizations with similar missions to VTF’s already exist, such as the Farmer Veteran Coalition, which is based in California but has regional chapters all over the country. Murphy wants to see more programs like those develop in coming years. He asserts that such programs can be a matter of life or death for veterans.

“I usually get on my soapbox about the suicide rate for veterans,” he says. “Last year was a winlose for us. There were some huge issues that were addressed about veterans, whether it was the Farm Bill or increased attention to how the VA treats veterans. But it also was bittersweet, because we found out that 22 veterans a day are killing themselves. And that is an absolutely staggering number.”

“It’s a very real number, and I think it’s a clear indication that the way we have gone about treating veterans has not worked, and it’s because we’ve had a monoculture approach,” he continues. “It’s the same thing as food—you can’t monoculture your food. You’re bound for problems if you do.”

But Murphy a third-generation member of the armed forces―sees an opportunity in farming, and in other veteran-run programs, to help reduce that figure.

“I think the positive side of that number is that people are going to be more motivated to seek out ways to stop it. It’s not gonna be the VA’s office, it’s not gonna be our government. It’s gonna be all these different approaches that give that veteran a place where they actually feel like they’re part of something again. That’s

what’s going to change that number.”

Read more about what Veterans to Farmers is doing at http://veteranstofarmers.org and http://airman.dodlive.mil/tag/farmers/.

NEW AND NOT-SO NEW NICHES IN AGRICULTURE

Not every veteran entering agriculture can buy a huge parcel of prime farmland or marry into the Tyson, Cargill, or Green Giant families. Fortunately, the rising demand for food nationwide and worldwide means we need to use the “spaces in between,” often in the form of niche farming. A niche farm creates or grows a specific product that few people are producing, for example, lavender, truffles, shiitake mushrooms, goat cheese, pasture-raised beef and poultry—even crickets! Find a niche for your farm: http://www.grit.com/farm-and-garden/find-a-niche-foryour-farm.

ORGANIC PRODUCE

No longer really a niche; slowly entering the mainstreamw as consumers become more concerned with their health and that of the planet. Dickinson Farm http://RosiesList.org/dickinson-farm

MICROFARMS

Micro farming means growing for profit on a smaller footprint than traditional farming or greenhouses. http://RosiesList.org/microfarmsinc

PASTURE-RAISED

Pasture-raised meat (as opposed to factory farming), such as Willow Springs Farm http://RosiesList.org/willow-springs-farm

AQUACULTURE

New techniques that save water —VL Aquafarms; http://RosiesList.org/lvaquafarms

EDIBLE INSECTS

Ozark Fiddler Farms—edible crickets from the Ozarks! http://rosieslist.org/ ozarkfiddlerfarms

Ag Opportunities for military veterans

An increasing number of military veterans are interested in farming as a post-service career. Government agencies and private organizations are stepping up to support troops entering the agricultural industry. Special financing, product development and marketing, and education opportunities are available for farmer vets.

FINANCING

The Farm Service Agency (FSA) helps farmers finance farms, land, and working capital when they are unable to secure loans through a commercial lender. The 2014 Farm Bill increased resources available to military veterans, and created a USDA Military Veterans Agricultural Liaison. Farmer veterans receive preference and priority when applying for FSA loans and guarantees, and may qualify for additional incentives.

• Download Your Guide to FSA Farm Loans http://www.fsa.usda.gov/programs-andservices/farm-loan-programs/index

• Download a Quick Guide to Veterans Resources https://www.usda.gov/veterans

PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT AND MARKETING

Value Added Producer Grants help farmers plan, develop, and deliver new products to market. Farmer veteran applications receive priority points. The grant is awarded in two categories; Planning grants up to $75,000, and working capital grants to $250,000. There is a 50-50 program-producer matching funds requirement.

• Value-Added Producer Grant information http://www.rd.usda.gov/programsservices/value-added-producer-grants

• Homegrown By Heroes is a nationally recognized brand. The Farmer Veteran Coalition certifies veteran producers, and

permits use of the HBH logo. Homegrown By Heroes encourages customers to support farmer veterans by purchasing farm fresh products bearing the label. Learn about Homegrown By Heroes and FVC at http:// www.farmvetco.org/homegrown-byheroes.

EDUCATION

Armed to Farm trains military veterans to operate sustainable farms. Veterans learn how to manage crop and livestock operations in the classroom and on working farms. “The handson experience was amazing along with the speakers,” an Armed to Farm grad said. “We made a lot of contacts with other veterans doing a variety of different farming ventures.”

• Learn more about the program https://www. ncat.org/armedtofarm/. Veteran run farms offer bootstrap internship opportunities:

• Veterans Farm fellowship teaches organic production, farm management, and business planning, http://veteransfarm.org.

• Veterans to Farmers provides basic farm education and specialty enterprise education in aquaponics, aeroponics, hydroponics, and greenhouse production, http:// veteranstofarmers.org.

• Growing Warriors trains veterans to start farms and agricultural businesses that strengthen communities and local economies, http://www.growingwarriors.org.

Veterans can use GI Bill benefits to study agriculture at land grant colleges and universities, and other approved schools. Vocational/technical and non-degree training in agricultural fields may also be covered. Search

for schools and programs visit https://www.vets.gov/education/.

Written by: Ivory Harlow, an Air Force veteran and coowner of Dickie Bird Farm LLC, which is a small, familyowned farm in southern Ohio (http://RosiesList.org/ dickiebirdfarm). This article is reprinted with permission from her regular column in Farm and Dairy, http://www.farmanddairy.com/category/columns/.

Archi’s Acres:

A priceless resource for veteran farmers in California.

In his recent book Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging, Sebastian Junger analyzes the reasons that veterans encounter such difficulty reintegrating into the American fabric after returning from war. A major factor, Junger argues, is that American society is so fragmented. In many residential communities, residents stay isolated in their homes; in businesses, workers may not act as a team. After being part of a cohesive military unit where each member’s life depends on the others, veterans back home unconsciously feel that they’ve lost their “tribe.”

Colin Archipley understood this feeling. He and his wife Karen bought a farm between Colin’s second and third tours in Iraq as a Marine and worked hard to make it truly

sustainable. It is now Archi’s Acres, a certified organic greenhouse operation that grows living basil, kale, and other herbs and produce. They use highly efficient methods of crop production that maximize available natural resources. Their business focuses on local sales distribution channels such as farmer’s markets, local businesses and corporate partners such as Whole Foods.

“

When you come back [from war] into the private sector, you lose that mission focus, you lose that sense that you belong to something greater.”

Farming is good for kids, too!

Kids who grow up on farms may have lower allergy risk than their rural and urban counterparts, research suggests. Researchers digested data on nearly 10,000 people from 14 countries and found that:

• adults who grew up on farms were less likely to respond to allergens and have nasal symptoms of allergies.

• adults who grew up on farms were...”54% less likely to have asthma or hay fever.”

• women who spend their early years on a farm typically have stronger lungs than their suburban or city-dwelling peers.

Archi’s Acres (cont‘d)

Having created this model, the Archipleys wanted to share it. They believe that the key aspect of a successful business is how it meets its responsibility to its community and its customers, and they believe in sustainable agriculture. “When you come back [from war] into the private sector, you lose that mission focus, you lose that sense that you belong to something greater,” says Colin. They started the Veterans Shaping a Sustainable World (VSAT) to “tap into the talent pool of returning veterans,” Colin says. “Creating this program was another way we could feel like we were part of something greater.”

Karen points out that agriculture is a natural fit for families bringing home loved ones who have “the difficulty of turning the war off.” Agriculture is not only therapeutic because of working with your hands and growing food but being able to make a sustainable living.

VSAT is an agriculture training program offered in partnership with Cal Poly Pomona and located at Archi’s Acres. The Sustainable Agriculture Training (SAT) is an agricultural entrepreneurial incubator taking students from

seed to market. SAT is open to everyone who is willing to take the challenge, providing training to those interested in learning more about the production and business behind sustainable agriculture.

More than just a business, Archi’s Acres, VSAT, and Archi’s Institute, are a community— or a “tribe.” Veterans can find the latest classes offered, loan information, the latest Urban Ag news, and USDA news that farmers can use—such as the Agriculture Secretary’s announcement that after an 11-year embargo, China is opening its markets to American beef. They make connections with other farmers and ag groups. “We continue to look out for each other,” Colin says.

Colin and Karen Archipley. More at archisacres.com.

Research published in Thorax as reported by TIME (9/27, Worland) and HealthDay (9/27, Dallas).

Vonita’s Tips for the Budding Ag Entrepreneur!

aGo straight to your local NRCS office (Natural Resources Conservation Service, a program of the USDA, http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/ wps/portal/nrcs/site/national/home/. They are THE essential resource for beginning farmers; they know their area and their programs.

g b

Consider an internship—these are huge. An internship can help you decide if agriculture is really for you and connect you with the people and organizations you need to know. Begin your search at Veteran Farmer Coalition (http://www.farmvetco.org), Veteran Farmers Project (http://www.cfra. org/veteran_farmers_project) and your local colleges and universities.

Don’t just research online: Get out and talk to people-meet people-ask questions, or in business-speak, NETWORK.

ASSISTANCE FOR

VETERAN

FARMERS, THANKS TO THE 2014 FARM BILL:

Veterans of the U.S. Armed Services receive preference for NRCS conservation programs. These conservation programs benefit both agricultural producers and the environment, and include financial and technical assistance and easements.

ARE YOU ELIGIBLE?

An eligible Veteran Farmer or Rancher:

• meets the definition of a Beginning Farmer or Rancher

• has not operated a farm or ranch; or hasn’t operated a farm or ranch for more than 10 consecutive years

• was discharged or released, under conditions other than dishonorable, from the United States Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, its reserve components and the National Guard

HOW TO APPLY

To learn how to get started with NRCS, visit www.nrcs.usda.gov/getstarted.

OR visit your local USDA service center: http://offices.sc.egov.usda.gov/locator/app.

Vonita Murray, disabled veteran and veteran farmer, offers her advice on how to get started in agriculture.

VETERAN-OWNED CERTIFICATION OPENS DOORS TO CORPORATE AMERICA

The National Veteran Business Development Council (NVBDC), a team of veteran and non-veteran business leaders who share a passion to help veteran businesses succeed, is launching a new Veteran Business Certification program to help veteran business owners share in the supplier diversity spend of corporate America. For almost 40 years, Minority and Women Owned businesses have been very successful in working with corporate America and participating in their purchasing process. Though the federal government established the Veteran and Disabled Veteran Business classification in 1999, this class has not made the same inroads into corporate spend—mainly because of a lack of a certification program that is acceptable to them. After nearly three years of work, the NVBDC has created the certification program that corporate America has accepted and veterans will be proud to earn.

With letters of support from GM, Kellogg’s, AT&T, Consumers Energy, Ford, JPMorgan Chase, Freddie Mac, CPI, and many others, corporate America is supporting the NVBDC certification program. NVBDC is also working with the VA, SBA, Federal Reserve and other government agencies to reach agreement on supporting the NVBDC efforts.

The National Veteran Business Development Council (NVBDC) is the 501c3 non-profit organization for Veteran Owned (VOB’s) and Service Disabled Veteran Owned Businesses (SDVOB’s) that will open the supplier diversity spend of corporate America by giving them the certification they will need to do business with the leading corporations in America. Go to http://nvbdc.org to start certifying your business.

325 E Crescent Lane, Detroit, MI 48207 PH. 313-446-6885 Fax 313-446-6846 | Keith King, President, U.S. Army 1969-1971, Disabled Vietnam Veteran

Bottles & Brew:

Veteran vintners and brewers thrive in a ‘niche of personality’

“The wine world is exploding,” writes Tracy Byrne in Entrepreneur Magazine. In 2016, wine trends include more sparkling wines (bonus: lower alcohol and lower calories); more wine-by-the-glass options; marketing to millennials; bigger, darker red wines; and finally, the story matters: people want to know about who made the wine, how it was made, etc. That is good news for military family-owned businesses who have another layer to their story. Valor Winery, for example, is one of many with a story worth hearing: Valor was branded in 2007 by Marine combat veteran and owner Josh Laine, whose vision was to empower and honor veterans through exceptional wines. As veterans from all branches

of the Armed Forces became a part of this vision, Valor evolved into diverse markets to bring forth Uncle Sam’s Misguided Brewery, USMB, to create more jobs and options for veterans through a taphouse, wine and beer garden nestled between the vineyards and ranches of Northern California. Valor Winery’s mission is to create job opportunities for veterans while giving them a place to exercise their leadership skills and create an environment that helps them transition to the civilian life.

And wineries are by no means limited any more to the traditional locations in California and the Northwest. In addition to those locales, The Rosie Network lists military familyowned wineries in Texas, Idaho, Ohio, Virginia, Washington, and Florida! Another key to

veteran vintners’ success: wineries no longer live on tastings and bottle sales alone. A winery near you likely becomes a fun destination, offering tours and education as well as events such as “Wino Lympics,” with a wine-themed obstacle race, at veteran-owned Indian Creek Winery in Idaho; “Adopt-a-Vine Dinner” at Mercer Estates in Prosser, Washington or “Movie Nights on the Patio” at Mermaid Winery in Norfolk, Virginia. Similarly, the trend toward local and specialized beers shows no signs of slowing. Microbreweries and specialty brewing are hot businesses that military entrepreneurs have been launching, with surprising success. More Americans are wanting to drink their local brew at home, as well as drinking the local brew when they travel. In the December 30, 2015 issue of Business Insider, Kate Taylor reported that “In 2016, Americans are more invested increative and innovative beers than ever before. We just recently surpassed the number of breweries in existence before Prohibition,” beer sommelier Marc Stroobandt told Business Insider. “We should be celebrating beer expansion and welcoming new breweries opening every day.” That’s good news for entrepreneurs in the brew biz, such as Young Veterans Brewing Company in Virginia Beach, Virginia (http://rosieslist. org/young-veterans-brewing-company) and Orlando Brewing Company in Orlando, Florida (http://RosiesList.org/orlandobrewing). Veteran brew businesses and home brewers can even get their supplies from military-owned businesses such as http://rosieslist.org/hop-goblin, a brewing supply company based in Warren, Michigan.

Expanding opportunities for brewers and vintners and the motivation and skills of returning veterans a perfect match!

The Rosie Network’s Wineries and Breweries

MERCER ESTATES

Prosser, Washington http://RosiesList.org/mercerwine

MCCLEAN X VINEYARDS

Paso Robles, California http://RosiesList.org/mccleanxvineyards

MERMAID WINERY Norfolk, Virginia http://rosieslist.org/mermaid-winery

TOPO DISTILLERY

Fredricksburg, Texas http://RosiesList.org/fbgwinery

VALOR WINERY Livermore, California http://RosiesList.org/valorwinery

INDIAN CREEK WINERY

Kuna, Idaho http://RosiesList.org/indiancreekwinery

FREDRICKSBURG WINERY

Fredricksburg, Texas http://RosiesList.org/fbgwinery

HONOR BREWING

Chantilly, Virginia http://RosiesList.org/honorbrewing

HONOR WINERY

Nampa & Sonoma, California http://RosiesList.org/honorwinery

Find a screening near you at http://groundoperations.net

Ground Operations is an award-winning documentary film and social action campaign that champions the growing network of combat veterans who are transitioning into careers as sustainable farmers, ranchers and artisan food producers. Let’s help them get started and build their resources, so that veterans can create healthy new lives for themselves and delicious food security for communities across America. Ground Operations screening events feature farm-fresh food, the film, farmer-veteran speakers and a robust conversation about local food and farming.

SBA Announces $3.4 Million for Small Business Startups

The Rosie Network clinches SBA Accelerator Award, one of only two military-focused winners

As a winner of the third annual SBA Growth Accelerator Fund Competition, The Rosie Network will receive a cash prize of $50,000 to further its mission: to build stronger military families by developing entrepreneurial programs and support services that empower military spouses, transitioning service members and veterans, increasing the financial stability and self-sufficiency of American families who serve. “We are thrilled to receive this award. With close to half of today’s military spouses interested in entrepreneurship, this grant allows us to continue our work of empowering

these amazing and underemployed men and women,” says Stephanie Brown, CEO and Founder of The Rosie Network.

On August 31, from over 400 applications and presentations, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Office of Investment and Innovation, Office of Native American Affairs, and Office of Veterans Business Development, along with the National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, and Department of Education, announced 68 winners of SBA’s third annual Growth Accelerator Fund Competition. Winners will receive a total of $3.4 million in prizes to boost the economic impact of

Barbara Carson and Craig Heilman of the SBA Office of Veteran Business Development in Washington, D.C. presented the Rosie Network‘s Military Entrepreneur Development Center with the SBA 2016 ACCELERATOR AWARD.

accelerators across 32 states and the District of Columbia.

In making the announcement, SBA Administrator Maria Contreras-Sweet said: “SBA created the Growth Accelerator Fund Competition in 2014 as a way to make new connections and strengthen existing bonds within America’s small business support network, bringing entrepreneurs and innovators together and connecting them with local and national resources that support small business job creation and growth. These awards deliver on a longstanding commitment at SBA to strengthen and modernize these support systems, especially in parts of the country where access to capital has been a major barrier to starting a business. This year’s winners show that our efforts are bearing fruit and further cementing our nation’s most pioneering accelerators, incubators and innovation hubs as major players driving America’s technology startup ecosystem.”

The competition’s goal was to draw attention and funding to parts of the country where there are gaps in the entrepreneurial ecosystem. While entrepreneurial activities occur nationwide, some are better supported by private sector ecosystems than others. SBA has created connective tissue among the over 200 winning entrepreneurial ecosystems now part of the Growth Accelerator Fund Competition program. The Rosie Network will be able to enhance and expand these ecosystems for military families.

The Rosie Network’s mission is to build stronger military families by developing entrepreneurial programs and support services that empower military spouses, transitioning service members and veterans increasing the financial stability and self-sufficiency of American families who serve.

VETERANS BUSINESS OUTREACH CENTER PROGRAM

ABOUT THE VETERANS BUSINESS OUTREACH CENTER PROGRAM

The SBA’s Veterans Business Outreach Center (VBOC) program is designed to provide entrepreneurial development services such as business training, counseling and mentoring, and referrals for eligible veterans owning or considering starting a small business. With organizations participating in this cooperative agreement all across the country, there’s a VBOC to help you get up and running regardless of your location.

Providing Veterans, Service Members and their Spouses with:

` Business Training —VBOCs conduct entrepreneurial development workshops dealing with the major issues of selfemployment, assist in developing and maintaining a five-year business plan (including the legal form if the business, equipment requirements and cost, organizational structure, a strategic plan, market analysis, and financial plans) and utilizing the Internet as a tool for developing and expanding businesses. VBOCs also provide assistance and training in such areas as international trade, franchising, Internet marketing, accounting, etc.

` Counseling —VBOCs provide assistance in identifying and analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of the business plan to increase the probability of success. The results of the analysis are utilized to revise the strategic planning portion of the business plan. Working with other SBA resource partners, VBOCs target entrepreneurial training projects and counseling sessions tailored specifically to address the needs and concerns of the service-disabled veteran entrepreneur. Each client is afforded the opportunity to work directly with a business counselor.

` Mentoring —VBOCs conduct, as appropriate, on-site visits with clients to ensure adherence to their business plans. Additionally, VBOCs review monthly financial statements to determine whether a revision of the business plan is warranted or that desired results are being attained.

` Access to Capital —Through the SBA, VBOCs work with lenders across the nation to help get small business loans into the hands of more service member, veteran and military spouse entrepreneurs.

 SBA Veteran’s Entrepreneurship Act of 2015 reduces the upfront borrower fee to zero dollars for eligible veterans and military spouses for SBA Express loans up to $350,000. https://www.sba.gov/sites/default/files/ lender_notices/5000-1356.pdf

 SBA Veterans Advantage guarantees loans approved to businesses owned by veterans or military spouses during fiscal year 2016 (October 1, 2015 through September 30, 2016) will receive the benefit of its regular guaranty fee reduced by 50%, when the loan is over $150,000. https://www.sba.gov/sites/default/files/lender_ notices/5000-1354.pdf

` Contracting Opportunities —The government offers many tools to help small businesses build their potential to successfully compete in the federal sector. VBOCs can help with preparation for opportunities in federal procurement, cultivating connections within commercial supply chains, and disaster relief assistance.

` Transition Assistance —VBOCs participate in transition assistance for service members separating or retiring from U.S. military service and serve as instructors, follow-on providers and integrators of business assistance for the Boots to Business (B2B) and Boots to Business Reboot Programs.

 Boots to Business —Boots to Business is an entrepreneurial education and training program offered by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) as part of the Department of Defense’s Transition Assistance Program (TAP). The curriculum continuum includes steps for evaluating business concepts, the foundational knowledge required to develop a business plan and information on SBA resources available to help access start-up capital and additional technical assistance. Boots to Business is available to active duty service members and military spouses separating from service. www.sba.gov/bootstobusiness

 Boots to Business | Reboot—Boots to Business | Reboot is a two-day training program based on the Boots to Business curriculum that provides participants an overview of business ownership as a career vocation, an outline and knowledge of the components of a business plan, a practical exercise in opportunity recognition, and an introduction to available public and private resources. Reboot is available to all veterans, active duty service members, Guard & Reserve members and military spouses. www.sba.gov/bootstobusinessreboot

LEARN MORE AT WWW.SBA.GOV/VBOC

All SBA programs and services are provides to the public on a nondiscriminatory basis

New Entrepreneur Training Program in San Diego

The Rosie Network (TRN) and San Diego Financial Literacy Center (SDFLC) have partnered to offer ‘Service2CEO.’ A first of its kind, this entrepreneurial, shared office space and educational program offers the tools necessary to launch and grow small businesses and empower the next generation of Military Small Business Leaders.

Service2CEO is a 12-month customized, entrepreneurship and financial literacy program for military spouses, veterans and transitioning military. Participants receive financial literacy counseling, concept feasibility assessment, business plan development, free website development and service-to-civilian mentorship from local community business leaders. Additionally, Service2CEO will provide business training including but not limited to: accounting, human resources, cybersecurity, sales, marketing, raising capital, record keeping, eCommerce, and management training.

Service2CEO participants: Victoria Hudson and Milena Klein.

Apply at http://therosienetwork.org/service2ceo.php or c ontact Lura Poggi at lpoggi@rosieslist.org.

T he Rosie Networ k

Special Events

On May 7 over 250 guests boarded the USS Midway aircraft carrier to help raise awareness and funds for The Rosie Network, a nonprofit headquartered in San Diego whose mission is to strengthen military families.

The evening began with a red carpet arrival in to the iconic museum for a cocktail reception and silent auction. Special guest Derrick Van Orden, retired Senior Chief and U.S. Navy SEAL

and author of best-seller, A SEAL’s Guide to the Lost Art of Manhood, joined Craig Sewing, San Diego TV and radio show host for the evening’s event. Guests had the opportunity to bid on once-in-a-lifetime LIVE auction experiences and “Raise the Paddle” in support of our region’s military families.

San Diegan philanthropists, Craig and Rebecca Irving, were presented with the San Diego ‘Military Family Strong’ award for their

Senior Chief Derrick Van Orden (ret) SEAL, Craig Irving, Stephanie Brown, and Rear Admiral Tom Brown (ret) SEAL.

Actor, Robet Davi, sings Sinatra on USS MIDWAY

T he Rosie Networ k Special

Events

long time commitment to military families, going above and beyond for those who serve our great nation. Event sponsors included Epsilon Systems Solutions, Inc., Wells Fargo, Thrivent Financial, Larry & Fran Irving, First Republic Bank, The USS Midway Museum and Media Sponsor San Diego Business Journal for helping make this first time event a huge success.

Actor and singer, Robert Davi entertained guests with his tribute to Frank Sinatra and the Great American Songbook “Davi Sings Sinatra.” At the end of the night, over $100,000 was raised to help fund vital support services and programs that directly impact hundreds of military families in San Diego.

SAN DIEGO SUMMER OF ENCORE MENTORING EVENT

On August 19, The Rosie Network hosted the San Diego Summer of Encore, presented by the Small Business Administration San Diego District Office and AARP.

District Director Ruben Garcia gave opening remarks; Acting Lead Economic Development Specialist Mike Sovacool moderated the program; and Carlos Figari, director of the new Southern California Veteran’s Business Outreach Center (VBOC), presented “Tips to Start and Sustain a Successful Business.”

Participants met our local resource partners

SCORE, the North San Diego SBDC, and VBOC, as well as local lending partners such as JPMorgan Chase, Sunwest Bank and Home Bank of California. After the presentations, participants could visit a lender fair, have oneon-one counseling sessions and network with presenters and fellow participants.

CM1 Michael Hall and Flossie, military spouse and CEO of Healthy Momma.

he Rosie Networ k Special Events

The Rosie Network’s Military Entrepreneur Development Center is OPEN!

The Rosie Network’s Military Entrepreneur Development Center is OPEN!

San Diego City Officials, business leaders and community advocates celebrated the grand opening of The Rosie Network‘s Military Entrepreneur Development Center (MEDC) on July 15th. The Center provides NO COST training and support for the area‘s transitioning service members, veterans and military spouses looking to launch and grow a business.

The recently-launched Service2CEO program, housed at the Center, is a 12-month, individualized business development initiative offering office space, financial literacy

counseling, strategic planning, legal, accounting, marketing and HR support, along with one-onone mentorship with industry experts.

San Diego is home to the nation‘s largest military family population. Over 20% of our transitioning veterans and close to half of active-duty military spouses are turning toward entrepreneurship. The Military Entrepreneur Development Center and Service2CEO are designed to help this growing sector of business owners succeed,” said Stephanie Brown, CEO and Founder of The Rosie Network.

Help us strengthen military families, one entrepreneur at a time. Show your support by donating, volunteering, or becomeing a member.

San Diego City Council member Chris Cate proclaimed July 15 offical ‘Rosie Network Day’ in honor of the opening. Pictured (l-r) are Councilmember Cate, Rosie Network CEO Stephanie Brown, and Managing Director SDFLC, Brad Pagano.

Stephanie Brown and Councilmember Chris Cate cut the ribbon on San Diego‘s first Military Entrepreneur Development Center.

Ask Rosie!

Where do I begin?

A/Believe

Q/Farming

What

is expensive!

it or not, the old-fashioned virtue of “living within your means” is not the way to show you deserve credit! One of our favorite thrifty farmers, Ivory Harlow of Dickie Bird Farms, cited getting a loan to expand her farm as one of her biggest challenges— because she ran it in the black! “If I had to do it over, I would have secured small, manageable loans for start-up instead of financing with my own money. Doing so would put me in a more favorable position to secure growth financing.” You can start looking for loans at https://www. outreach.usda.gov/veterans.htm. To find more connections and read about other veterans’ experience securing farm loans, go to http:// groundoperations.net/usda-loans-beginningfarmer-veterans/.

A/I’m

glad you asked. Federal and state governments do offer incentives to keep your land “green,” referring to sustainable farming practices, energy and water savings, and protecting it from development. We consulted Forbes Magazine Staff Writer Ashlea Ebeling for advice on federal and state green incentives. “You can research federal and state green incentives at dsireusa.org. Check in with your local utility, too. In California, for example, PG&E offers 49 different rebates for agricultural users who conserve on energy or go green.” Every farmer should also get IRS Publication 225, Farmer’s Tax Guide, at https://www.irs.gov for bedtime reading. You can read Ebeling’s full article at http://www. forbes.com.

tax breaks, credits, or government incentives can I “harvest” to ease the squeeze?

Q/I want to take out some loans to expand my small farming business. I pay for everything upfront and run my business in the black.

Get your business in front of the 70 percent of Americans who prefer to patronize a Veteran Owned company today! Register your business on the nation’s largest nonprofit database of verified veteran and military spouse-owned businesses in the country. Free complete profile page. Add a shopping cart feature at no cost. What are you waiting for?

As a veteran, you have drive, tenacity and discipline—traits that will make your business successful. First Data is proud to offer veterans and military spouses a variety of small business solutions designed to support your success.

Running your business is more than a full time job. First Data makes managing your business easier with innovative solutions for everything from tracking inventory and managing employees to building lasting customer relationships and securely accepting all types of payments.

If you are a veteran or a military spouse, come learn how Clover can help you grow your business.** With Clover, you can do more, know more, and sell more—more easily.