GREENSBURG, Pa. — Veterans, military members and their families, and the general public are invited to register for the 2nd Annual PA Veteran Farming Conference to be held virtually on Saturday, February 27 from 9 am to 4 pm.
The Conference will be interactive, combining presentations by agriculture service providers and panels of veterans currently farming throughout the state. Opportunities to ask questions and get answers from experts will be available in real time.
Following on the success of the 2020 Conference, event planners have put together a varied agenda with sessions on the most requested topics from those who attended last year, as well as content addressing frequently requested information since that time.
The PA Veteran Farming Project is the Commonwealth’s homegrown not for profit network of veterans, military, and their spouses who own and operate agribusinesses and farms. Whether experienced in agriculture, new to farming, or just planning to start in the next few years, the Conference has something for all.
Says Sharon Reifsnyder, who with her Navy veteran spouse Michael owns GEMS Farm in Carlisle, PA, “This conference is such a great way to make connections throughout the veteran farming community. No matter what type of challenge in farming, there’s probably somebody in the group that has experience with it. Resources for new ideas/projects, tried & true plans, brainstorming about your challenges, or simply getting you pointed in the right direction.”
Join for the whole day or just the sessions that interest you most. In addition to veterans currently farming who will share their experience and lessons-learned, presenters from Penn State Extension, LeRoux Ag Marketing Consultants, Penn State Center for Agricultural and Shale Law, USDA NRCS and FSA, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, and Good Insurance are scheduled.
Scheduled sessions include: NRCS Projects On the Ground; Farm Finance; Set Yourself up for Success: Scaling Up from Farmstead to Sales for Produce, Poultry, Meat Producers Panel; Creating Consumer Friendly Bulk Meat Sales During COVID-19 and Beyond; Legal Liability, Agritourism, & Insurance; Small Ruminants Session: FAMACHA & WormX; Getting Started in Beekeeping; Farm to Fork to Festival; Grants Panel: What’s Open, What’s Coming, and How Three Veterans Got their Grants
The PA Veteran Farming Project appreciates the support of the USDA Office of Partnerships and Public Engagement, PA Friends of Agriculture Foundation, and AgChoice Farm Credit and MidAtlantic Farm Credit, and the Westmoreland Conservation District for their support of the 2021 PA Veteran Farming Conference.
Admission is free for members of the military/veteran community with verified status; a suggested donation of $15 is requested of the general public. Agenda, registration info, and sponsorship opportunities can be found at https://www.troopstotractors.org/events
–Mimi Thomas-Brooker, PA Veteran Farming Project