Message from our Founder: Agriculture

Meet Rosie, our newest Alpaca!

When my friend and fellow milspouse 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 businesses and organizations that work with agriculture and the impact it has 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, or watching the fruits of your labor grow right before your eyes.

“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 and companies that they have founded, and getting to know 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, does that means that my home in Southern California — with its abundance of farm critters — would qualify as an agriculture business? Apparently so, should we decide to sell Lulu and Rosie’s wool (my mother & daughter alpacas)? Awesome! I’ve already told my family that our next career might just be as Alpaca farmers – I like that.

Brown Proud Military Spouse CEO & Founder, The Rosie Network

Stephanie