There is opportunity in agriculture for veterans and the Farmer Veteran Coalition of Wisconsin is supporting those veterans. The Farmer Veteran Coalition of Wisconsin has been active since 2021. The organization seeks to connect veterans who are interested in becoming involved in agriculture with resources to get started.
Sarah Cope, Vice President of the Coalition, says that most veterans in Wisconsin come from agriculture. “Most of the people we have have been raised in some form of agriculture or they knew that they wanted to go to that when they got out,” said Cope. This is mostly due to the lack of large military bases in the state.
Money is one of the greatest barriers to anyone becoming involved in agriculture. Fortunately for veterans, there are many financial resources at their disposal. Cope says that Kubota and John Deere both have discounts available to veterans.
Cope would like to see the Coalition offer mentorship programs to veterans who are new to agriculture. “Veterans are great employees. Their work standard and work ethic are pretty high. Their really good employees to bring into your organization,” said Cope.
The organization currently has over 500 members. It is Cope’s hope that the organization will one day be as recognizable as other major agricultural organizations in the state.
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