Armed to Farm, the national program that helps veterans learn how to farm, debuts in the Pacific Northwest in April 2023 at the University of Idaho Sandpoint Agriculture Center.

SANDPOINT, Idaho — Armed to Farm, the national program designed to help veterans learn how to farm, will make its Pacific Northwest debut in Idaho this spring.

The program is April 24-28 at the University of Idaho Sandpoint Agriculture Center.

The deadline for veterans to apply for the program is March 17. It is capped at 30 participants.

Armed to Farm participants learn about business planning principles, and join a network of fellow veteran farmers, said Tammy Howard, agriculture specialist for the National Center for Appropriate Technology, or NCAT, which offers the program.

Howard manages the Intermountain region and the Pacific Northwest. She is based in Butte, Montana.

The program includes business planning principles and farm visits, allowing veterans to experience different farms and decide which enterprises most interest them.

Participants are veterans, Howard said.

“That camaraderie really helps our veterans feel comfortable around each other,” she said. “A lot of them have some form of (post-traumatic stress disorder). Being comfortable around other veterans helps them take down some barriers to learning.”

Many veterans’ military experiences suit them well for the skillsets necessary for farming, Howard said.

“A lot of veterans are attracted to farming for the lifestyle,” she said. “This gives them a really in-depth, kind of ‘fire hose’ approach to learning the different aspects of planning and starting a farm.”

An Armed to Farm program was scheduled for Washington state but had to pivot to virtual training nationwide during the coronavirus pandemic, with some Washington-specific training, Howard said.

The program has served more than 900 veterans in more than 100 sessions since it began in Arkansas in 2013. As of 2019, about 81% of participants were farming or starting a farm, Howard said.

An NCAT employee who was a combat veteran in Iraq started the program, Howard said.

Howard expects to expand future opportunities. An Armed to Farm 2.0 program is scheduled for Montana in September.

“It’s a pretty long journey to become a successful farmer,” she said. “There’s lots of different skills and resources required to start a farm. We’re just trying to give them their farm team they can draw from to be successful. Nobody can start (farming) in a vacuum.”

The Sandpoint training is for veterans in the Northwest, with preference given to those in Idaho.

NCAT will notify those applicants who are selected by March 24. A spouse or farm partner is welcome to attend with a veteran but must submit a separate application.

The event is free: lodging, transportation to local farms and most meals will be provided. Participants must pay their travel costs to and from the event. Travel scholarships are available through a partnership with Ranchin’ Vets.

https://www.armedtofarm.org/

https://www.armedtofarm.org/armed-to-farm-idaho/