Veterans Day is coming up on Monday, November 11. How important are military veterans to South Carolina agriculture?

Here in South Carolina, around 12 percent of producers are serving or have served in the military. We’re tied with Florida for 1st in the nation.

Nationwide, there are around 306,000 producers with previous or current military service, about 9% of all producers. This is a decline of 18% from the previous ag census in 2017.

It’s important that we do more than just thank military veterans for their service. Here are some important programs that our department supports to help veterans find their next step in life and thrive.

Farmer Bootcamp: We work with our friends Matt and Kara Rutter of Project Victory Gardens/Palmetto Veterans in Agribusiness on this multi-day workshop designed for transitioning military service-members interested in agribusiness. The program covers business planning, marketing, grant writing, and regulatory information, with hands-on farm experiences.

Homegrown by Heroes: This logo shows consumers that the products they are using/ consuming products raised or grown by U.S. military veterans.

Farms of the Brave is a certification program designating veteran-owned or veteran-led farms and agribusinesses engaging in agritourism.

Farmer Veteran Coalition is a national organization with a South Carolina chapter. Look them up on Facebook to join.

I thank all our veterans for protecting our freedom. Happy Veterans Day.