By Brent Adams | Rural Strong Media
Farmer Veteran Coalition, a national nonprofit organization that mobiles veterans to feed America and transition from military service to a career in agriculture Monday announced its 2023 Farmer Veteran Fellowship Fund recipients.
The Farmer Veteran Fellowship Fund is a small grant program that provides direct assistance to veterans who are in their beginning years of farming or ranching.
Awards range from $1,000 to $5,000.
According to Farmer Veteran Coalition, the organization received a record 687 grant requests.
“We do our best to award as many Farmer Veteran Grants as possible, however, we could not provide an award for every applicant,” the organization said. “We continue to look for additional funders each year to support the farmer veteran community.”
Financial supporters for the program include Wounded Warrior Project, Kubota, Tractor Supply Co., Tractor Supply Co. Foundation, ADM, AgWest, Farm Credit, Woods Equipment and Lamps Plus.
To learn more about the program, visit www.farmvetco.com.
The following grant recipients, along with their funding contributors, were announced Monday:
Wounded Warrior Project
- Molly Guthrie & Megan Marsteller | Side Step Farms, Michigan, Marines
- MELISSA HODGE | Kentucky, Air Force, Milkhouse Barn and Gardens
- Paula Campbell | Camp Campbell Apiary & Camp Campbell Comforts, Ohio, Army
- Evie Ehret | Virginia, Marines, Cornerstone Farm and Poultry
- Joe Beeman | Pennsylvania, Army, Liberty acres
- Miguel Boschulte | Bo’s Farm, Alabama, Army
- Perry Coats | Harvesting Hands Homestead, Georgia, Army
- Michael Ivory | Harvest Ranch LLC, Texas, Army
- Steve Archer II | Archer Urban Farm Initiative, Illinois, Marines
- Joy Schaefer | Lost Cabin Homestead LLC, Virginia, Army
- Nathanael Engen | Black Forest Mushrooms, Washington, Air Force
- Scott Rian | AlliCat Farm, Minnesota, Air Force
- Jason Reeves | Wind River Club Lambs LLC, Wyoming, Army
- Brenda Arnold | Twin Hills Farm & Co, LLC, Kentucky, Marines
- Morgan McCown | McCown Farm LLC , Virginia, Marines
- Phillip Kauffman | Circle K Ranch LLC, Virginia, Marines
- Robert Knowlton | Mystic Acres, Washington, Army
- Vanessa and Dave Jakubiec | Farm 627, Tennessee, Army
- KENNETH JOHNSON | Blue 0311 LLC, Florida, Marines
- Christopher Smith | A & B Angus Farm, Kentucky, Army
- Roberta Smith | RockinBarB Ranch, Texas, Army
- Deann Gallegos | Metzger Forage and Livestock, Missouri, Army
- Robert Ulander | Sunset Meadow Honey LLC, Wisconsin, Air Force
- Victoria Walsh | Hansel Hill Farm, Maryland, Army
- Michael Zmuda | Specialty Farming LLC, New Mexico, Air Force/Army
- Tessa McDonald | The Green Woman Farm, Texas, Army
- Brian Sheets | Freedom First Farm and Preserve, New Jersey, Marines
- April Mendez | Valhalla Highlands, Colorado, Army
- Tricia Lourenco Boucher | Growing Hope, Rhode Island, Air Force/Army
- Wendy Williams | Shiloh Acres Family Farm, North Carolina, Army
- Kimberly Ojeda | Dry Bones Farm LLC, Colorado, Air Force
- Melissa Neal | Garden of Eden Nursery, Virginia, Navy
- Matthew Nicholls | The Honey Bee Mine, Tennessee, Army
- Daniel Reeder | New Liberty Farm LLC, Kentucky, Marines
- Joshua Adamson | Fidelis Miniature Cattle Company, Missouri, Marines
- Daniel Klatzke | The All Natural Farm, Michigan, Army
- Heidi Stein | 4-S Ranch LLC, Colorado, Air Force
- Randa Yassine | Linaya Farms LLC, Florida, Navy
Tractor Supply Company $1,000 Gift Certificates
- Marcus Quint, Jersey Woods Farm, Tennessee, Air Force
- Tona Trice, Hops Meadow Farm, West Virginia, Army
- Micah Hicks, Hicks’ Flag and Fowl Farmstead , Louisiana, Army
- Allen Farley, Forked Mountain Farms, Arkansas, Marines
- Kevin O’Brien, Sweet Little Farm, Massachusetts, Navy
- Breezy Grenier, Naromi Springs, Connecticut, Coast Guard
- Richard Bailey, Whisper Wind Farm LLC, Indiana, Air Force/Marines
- Kevin Garlock, Highwind Terrace LLC, Michigan, Air Force
- Jason Hand, MKONO FARM, Indiana, Navy
- Michael Hickerson, Ozark Honey Bee Farm, Missouri, Marines
- Jeremy Larson, Dusty Britches Farm, Minnesota, Air Force/Army
- Ryan Lugo, Patriot Corner Farm, New Jersey, Army
- John Maynard, AOR Farmstead, New Hampshire, Air Force
- Patrick McNabb, Carolina Heritage Vineyard and Winery Co., North Carolina, Army
- James Blough, Robins Nest Farm, West Virginia, Air Force
- Cody Russell, Horsing Around Farm LLC, South Carolina, Army
- Gilbert Smith, Bainbridge Smith Ranch, North Carolina, Navy
- Shawn Robnett, Reap A Harvest Farm LLC, Idaho, Army
- Frederick Keeley, Second Wind Farm, Kentucky, Army
- Joseph Apsey, Clarity Homestead and Trading Post, West Virginia, Marines
- Barry Gibson, Hannah Bees Apiary, Virginia, Navy
- Karla Schwartz, Fort Farm LLC, Wyoming, Navy
- William Cox, Cox Family Farm, Kentucky, Army
- Erik Burkhart, Willow and Two Figs Farm, South Carolina, Army
- Katie Flinn, Milk & Honey Orchard and Apiary LLC, Iowa, Air Force
- Douglas Davis, DRDs GotYourSix Farms, Maryland, Army
- Curtis Goho, Goho Farm, Kentucky, Army
- Colin M Murphy, Murphy’s Law Restoration Farm, Maryland, Army
- Tamara Monaghen, WIshful Thinking Farm LLC, Tennessee, Air Force
- Kenneth Mills, Casa Negra Farm, Indiana, Marines
- David Zapicchi, Hobble Hill Farm llc, Pennsylvania, Navy
- David Yount, Rask Farm, Kentucky, Air Force
- Russell Williamson, Water Oak Ranch, Mississippi, Air Force
- Kenneth Stock, Stock Family Farm, Wisconsin, Navy
- Robert Southerland, Mac Clan Farms Grazing and Restoration LLC, New York, Army
- Donald Sims, Bossy Bee Farm, Colorado, Air Force
- Jacob Stenger, Eagle Ridge Ranch, Kansas, Air Force
- Marcus Moore, Moore Farms , Mississippi, Army
- Flint Raben, Raben Ranch, Montana, Navy
- Kyle Cook, Agate Acres Farm, Minnesota, Coast Guard
- Joe Preece, Preece Farms, Texas, Army
- Cody & Tucker Stonecypher, Stoney’s Homegrown LLC, Georgia, Marines
- Scott Fischer Fischer Family Farms Idaho Marines
- Allen Brezenski, HoneyBreeze Orchards, Nebraska, Air Force
- Heather Delanoy, Wild Sage Farms, Washington, Air Force
- Randal Newbold, Andrew’s 100 Acre Woods Farm, Michigan, Marines
- Eugene, Okamoto, Six Crows Farm, Tennessee, Navy
- Matthew Yost, Yost Enterprises LLC, Ohio, Army
- Jonathan Westbrook, The Wild Wild Westbrooks Farm LLC, Virginia, Army
- Makayla Smith, Rolling S Ranch, Nebraska, Army
Tractor Supply Company Foundation
- Brad Dearing, Dearing Country Farms, Illinois, Army
- William Dunlap, Silver Bell Ranch, Texas, Army
- Jared Schmidt, Wilsch Family Farm Iowa Army
- Nathan Higgins, Higgins Family Farm, Missouri, Army
- Rusty Defoe, Birds N Things Farm, Wisconsin, Marines
- Clint Rudd, Target Gardens LLC, Illinois, Army
- Timothy Shiflet, Crossed Arrows Farm, North Carolina, Army
- Lauren Spencer, Brownings, Kentucky, Coast Guard
- Tim Zamora, Zamora Farms, New Mexico, Army
- Steve Whittington, Front Porch Farms LLC, Michigan, Army
- Brian Branch, Branch River Farms LLP, California, Marines
ADM
- Warren Cohn, cMc Family Farm and Ranch, Texas, Air Force
- Brad Fourby, Leafy Green Farms LLC, Kansas, Navy
- Joshua Black, Black Family Livestock, Nebraska, Army
- Amanda & Adam White, Straight Aces Homestead, Oklahoma, Army
Woods Equipment
- Joseph Burdulinski, Romans Empire Farm and Ranch, Texas, Army
Ag West Farm Credit
- Blake Brimhall | Bee Right Back Bees, Idaho, Army
- Brian Bodenman | Ellensburg Bee Company LLC, Washington, Air Force
- Michael RICE | Bridges Creek Farm, Oregon, Army
- Corey Callison | Gabhran Creek, Montana, Air Force
- Ronald Illingworth | North Pole Peonies, Alaska, Air Force
Individual Donors
- Ayna Lisa Brown | Oak Grove Lavender, Tennessee, Navy
- Edwin Maldonado | Rosado Ranch & Bees, Florida, Army
- Michael Hall | 2H Arces, Kansas, AirForce
Lamps Plus
- Samuel Mason | Mason Wholesale Greenhouses, Texas, Air Force
- Ann Satchell | Diddly Squat Farming LLC, Maryland, Air Force