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Battleground to Breaking Ground Entrepreneurial Training Project

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension project providing equal opportunities in education and employment, focusing on new farmers/ranchers, particularly military veterans.

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Battleground to Breaking Ground Entrepreneurial Training Project

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  1. Battleground to Breaking GroundEntrepreneurial Training Project Rick Peterson, Ph.D., LMFT, CFLE Professor and Extension Specialist Texas A&M AgriLife Extension The members of Texas A&M AgriLife will provide equal opportunities in programs and activities, education, and employment to all persons regardless of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, sexual orientation or gender identity and will strive to achieve full and equal employment opportunity throughout Texas A&M AgriLife.

  2. Who We Serve New & beginning farmers/ranchers with an emphasis on military veterans. 70% of funds are allocated to serving the military veteran population.

  3. Veterans • Texas ranked second in the nation in population of veterans, with 1,593,072 million (Texas Workforce Investment Council, 2011). • The National Center for Veterans Analysis (2010) indicates that 30% of veterans live in rural areas, making the Texas rural veteran population some 477,921 strong. • A staggering 26.9 percent of the rural veterans reported being unemployed as compared to only 14.8 percent  of rural non-veterans.

  4. Veteran • High unemployment rate for service men and women transitioning from military service back into civilian life with the highest unemployment rate occurred in veterans ages 35-64. • Several factors influence veterans’ ability to return to work or find new careers after their military service • physical or mental health challenge due to disability • career and/or job opportunities for veterans • lack of transition services

  5. Veteran • Military service is highly correlated with self-employment probability • Self-employment has many advantages for individuals with disabilities including: • provide solutions to many of the employment barriers • difficulties with transportation, workplace discrimination, • the absence of available jobs in which the individual is skilled. • self-employment can mediate many of the needs of individuals with disabilities, • and provides the most direct route to achieving the individual's career goals. • People with disabilities are self-employed at almost twice the rate of the general population 14.7% compared to 8%

  6. What We Do

  7. Provide Education & Support • Face-to-face and online educational training in: • farm business planning (16 week) • farm/ranch management • production specific agriculture practices

  8. Provide Education & Support • Individualized educational planning • Guidance to support diverse agriculture business interests

  9. Provide Education & Support • Hands-on learning opportunities connected to online course content • Follow-up mentor support

  10. Peer-to-Peer Education • Cohort Model • Peer-to-Peer Learning • Community Of Practice

  11. Support Services • Veteran Transitional Services • Disability Support Services • AgrAbility - Assistive Technology • VetAdvisor’s Coaching • Behavioral health • VA benefits navigation • Personal finances • Wellness

  12. Phases Phase 1 (optional) Battleground to Breaking Ground Ag Workshop • Rural Business Ideas • Business Planning Basics • Resources Phase 2 Online Education • 16 weeks of business planning courses • Individual Education Plan • Community of Practice • Develop your business plan! Phase 3 Production Education • Mentorship • Hands-On Training • Production Agriculture Online Courses Apply

  13. Webinar Series • Farm Food Safety • On Farm Processing Rules & Regulations • Overview of Food Manufacturer's license requirements Archived Webinars Texas AgrAbility

  14. Partners • Texas Center for Rural Entrepreneurship • Online courses, Community of Practice, Workshops • VetAdvisor • Veteran transitional and disabilitysupportservices for veterans & veteran families

  15. Incubator / Farm Sites • F.A.R.M. • Dallas, Texas • Millican Reserve • College Station, Texas • Mesquite Field Farm • Nixon, TX • Hands-On Workshops • Farmer Education and Training (FEAT) Farm • Gatesville, Texas

  16. Stay Updated! Join our Email Newsletter http://txagrability.tamu.edu/resources/newsletters/ Check out our Website farmranch.tamu.edu

  17. Contact US! Cheryl Greenwelge Co-Director Phone: (979) 845-3727 Chgrenwelge@ag.tamu.edu Rick Peterson Director Phone: (979) 845-1877 rlpeterson@ag.tamu.edu Erin Kimbrough Program Coordinator Phone: (979) 847-6185 Erin.Kimbrough@ag.tamu.edu Cathryn Morgan Program Assistant- Battleground Cathryn.Morgan@ag.tamu.edu Jason Morgan Program Assistant- FSA Program Marine Veteran & Farm Owner Jason.Morgan@ag.tamu.edu

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