Project Victory Gardens Receives Grant To Help Support Military Veterans in Agribusiness
October 13, 2023 Project Victory Gardens, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that provides agricultural education programs designed to cultivate resiliency among our nation’s veterans, has been selected for a grant through the USDA-National Institute of Food and Agriculture Enhancing Agricultural Opportunities for Military Veterans (AgVets) program.
Project Victory Gardens will partner with Clemson University and the Clemson Cooperative Extension Agribusiness Team on the grant programming. They have established strategic partnerships with the South Carolina Departments of Agriculture and Veterans’ Affairs, the South Carolina Small Business Development Center, the Farmer Veteran Coalition of South Carolina, and Matson Consulting to offer education, training, and business development resources for veterans interested in farming and agriculture.
The grant will support Project Victory Gardens’ Palmetto Veterans in Agribusiness initiative. The program will provide military veterans, transitioning service members, and military family members with the training and resources they need to start or grow a business in the agribusiness sector.
The program will offer a variety of training and support services, including:
• Farmer Bootcamp: A two- or four-day training program that will teach veterans the skills they need to start or grow a farm.
• Veteran Agribusiness Internship Program: A program providing transitioning service members with hands-on experience working in an agribusiness setting.
• Veteran Agribusiness Outreach Fair: A resource symposium connecting veterans with resources and organizations that can help them succeed in agribusiness.
• Agritourism Incubator and Farms of the Brave Veteran Agritourism Marketing and Branding Program: A program that will help veterans develop and market agritourism businesses.
“We are thrilled to receive this grant from USDA-NIFA,” says Matthew Rutter, Executive Director of Palmetto Veterans in Agribusiness. “This funding will allow us to provide even more veterans with the training and support they need to start or grow a business in the agribusiness sector. We believe that agriculture is a great way for veterans to transition to civilian life and build a successful career.”
The Palmetto Veterans in Agribusiness program is open to all military veterans and transitioning service members, regardless of their age, gender, or service branch. Programming will be held at Project Victory Gardens’ farm in Townville, SC, and across the state.
Applications for the program are now being accepted. For more information, visit palmettovetsinag.org.