Episode 167: Veterans Discuss USDA Programs
In this episode, Margo Hale, NCAT’s Southeast Regional Director and Director of NCAT’s Armed to Farm Program, talks with Eric Grandon and Sara Creech. Eric is an Army veteran and owner of Sugar Bottom Farm in Ovapa, West Virginia. Sara is an Air Force veteran and owner of Blue Yonder Organic Farm in North Salem, Indiana. Both are alumni of NCAT’s Armed to Farm program, a week-long, sustainable agriculture training for military veterans.
Eric and Sara share their experiences in accessing various USDA programs. They talk about the programs and services they have utilized, how those programs have helped them reach their farm goals, and tips for veterans and other farmers as they navigate USDA programs.
This podcast was supported with funding by USDA’s Office of Partnerships and Public Engagement.
For more information on this topic, you can contact Margo Hale directly at margoh@ncat.org.
Related ATTRA Resources:
NCAT’s Armed to Farm: Website / Facebook
Financing Your Farm: Guidance for Beginning Farmers
Federal Conservation Resources for Sustainable Farming and Ranching
Other Resources:
Eric’s Sugar Bottom Farm: Website / Facebook
Sara’s Blue Yonder Organic Farm: Website / Facebook
USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA)
USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)
Please complete a brief survey to let us know what you thought of the content presented here.
Please call ATTRA with any and all of your sustainable agriculture questions at 800-346-9140 or e-mail us at askanag@ncat.org. Our two dozen specialists can help you with a vast array of topics, everything from farm planning to pest management, from produce to livestock, and soils to aquaculture.
You can get in touch with NCAT/ATTRA specialists and find our other extensive, and free, sustainable-agriculture publications, webinars, videos, and other resources at NCAT/ATTRA’s website.
You can also stay in touch with NCAT at its Facebook page.
USDA Photo by Lance Cheung. 
NCAT
USDA photo by Lance Cheung