PENNSYLVANIA FRIENDS OF AGRICULTURE

Usda outreach and education initiative will promote agriculture enterprise development, expansion, and sustainability among veteran farmers throughout pennsylvania. Foa has partnered with the pa veteran farming project on this three-year project. The project will engage and empower beginning and future farmers who are veterans, equipping them with tools to build profitable and sustainable agribusinesses in the commonwealth. Through resource referral, education, and mentoring, our target audience will: (1) gain awareness and understanding of usda and other federal, state, and local resources and programming; (2) learn to navigate and access the sometimes-confusing web of technical assistance available locally and regionally; (3) improve their understanding of, and successfully obtain, financial resources such as grants, loans, and cost share program funding. (4) convene annual statewide veteran farming summits, host 5 workshops throughout pennsylvania each of the three years and create a veteran-to-veteran mentoring program, ag allies. The project will reach a minimum of 300 eligible veterans resulting in at least 24 new farms as a result of grant activities.