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By. Stefanie Pidgeon, U.S. Department of Agriculture
Provided for the 2017 Transition Magazine
After spending 14 years in the Air Force, with a break between for school, Angela Mulder felt burnt out. She left the service and took time off from work, unsure of what to do next. When it was time to return to the workforce she didn’t want to return to a desk job.
“I knew I had skills to contribute,” said Mulder. “When I realized I could learn to farm organically it was like something clicked on for me. I now have a mission, which makes me feel like I want to be part of society again.”
Mulder, who first joined the Air Force on active duty working in contracting and then transitioned to a job as a Medical Laboratory Technician in the Air Force Reserve, now works with Vets on the Farm. This is a program with the Spokane Conservation District and one of many programs and initiatives across the country helping military veterans learn more about farming and agriculture.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has a number of programs and incentives to help military veterans transition, whether it be to a career at USDA, education in agriculture or tools and support for setting up and running a farm or business.
“At USDA, we’re focused on helping veterans with the three E’s: Employment, Education and Entrepreneurship,” said Mike Alston, Military Veterans Agricultural Liaison for USDA. “For those service members who come from rural America and want to return home, USDA is here to help.”
EMPLOYMENT. USDA is dedicated to hiring veterans. Currently, more than 13 percent of the USDA workforce is veterans. With more than 2,100 county offices across the country, USDA has a variety of job opportunities for those who are interested in federal service.
“We also hire veterans through the PathwaysProgram,” said Alston. “We’re always looking to expand our talent pool and see veterans as a great way to do that.”
EDUCATION. Veterans looking to use their GI Bill benefits should consider a degree in food, agriculture, renewable natural resources or environment. According to a recent Purdue University study, college graduates will find good employment opportunities if they have expertise in these areas.
ENTREPRENEURSHIP. For those interested in starting or expanding a farm operation or business, USDA can assist with accessto capital and access to land. USDA offers preference to veterans for some loans and microloans, can assist with start-up costs and provides incentives for risk management.
“USDA can even help veterans with a home loan or can assist a small business in rural America with infrastructure or internet. USDA has so much to offer, we just need folks to take advantage of it,” said Alston.
For Mulder, she wants to garden and eventually own her own land.
“I wanted to get back into life-affirming activities and I realized I wanted to learn to grow my own food, so I just started planting things,” she said. “I was living in a house that didn’t have a yard, so I was growing things in buckets on the porch and figuring how to do this vertical gardening and container gardening. I got such a feeling of confidence out of being able to grow things and eat them.”
Mulder credits her ongoing connection to the veteran community for helping her get back in a routine after leaving the military. “I had very close friends who said, ‘get on a system, and start volunteering,’ and that was the thing that did it for me.” Mulder spent her active duty career in contracting and then her Reserve career as a lab tech in Alaska. She notes many similarities between her experience as a lab tech and her work on the farm.
“A lot of the skills that I used as a lab tech have really helped me get organized. I know how to be systematic and how to manage my time and resources. There’s a lot of military jobs that give people skills that could absolutely translate. Anyone who has any training in chemical or biological warfare has the background knowledge that can be applied to learning about soil science, pests, insects, bacteria and viruses that we have to be aware of when farming. There’s a lot that veterans learn that can then be turned around and used to run a farm. It’s basic science.”
Regardless of the career path veterans choose, Mulder recommends volunteering and finding ways to be engaged in your community.
“Be willing to show up and work hard. Volunteer, take a course or look at local colleges that have degrees in landscape management, greenhouse management or horticulture — all of these are a great way to start,” Mulder said.
For more information on USDA’s Veterans in Agriculture program,visit
www.usda.gov/veterans.
| Date Taken: | 07.31.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 04.05.2018 13:21 |
| Story ID: | 271897 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 55 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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