On April 26th, a free workshop will be held from 8 a.m.-7:30 p.m. at the Texas A&M Research and Extension Center, 1380 A&M Circle. The workshop, which has been designed for military veterans with and without disabilities, is also open to active duty military, as well as men and women new to agribusiness.
On May 17th the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, in cooperation with the Texas AgrAbility Project and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, will present an agriculture workshop in Belton for active duty, veteran military and others, program coordinators said.
The free workshop will be from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. at the Bell County Expo Center, 301 East Texas 121 Loop. Called “From Battleground to Breaking Ground: A Transformational Journey,” the program workshop gives current and former military with or without disabilities interested in farming or ranching the opportunity to get information on starting, developing and funding an agriculture business.
“While the program is designed for military, women and those just starting an agricultural endeavor are also welcome to attend and can benefit from the workshop information,” said Dr. Cheryl Grenwelge, AgriLife Extension specialist in disability transition with the TexasAgrAbility Project in College Station.
Presentations will include an address by a veteran currently involved in production agriculture, an overview of the Texas AgrAbility Project, and information on resources available for funding options, business plan development and resource networking. Lunch is included in the program.
Grenwelge said Texas AgrAbility focuses on connecting, assisting and empowering agricultural producers, their family members and employees with disabilities and chronic health conditions to stay engaged in production agriculture.
She said the program was developed with input from AgriLife Extension, AgrAbility, the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, the National Farmer Veteran Coalition, Farm Service Agency, USDA Risk Management and Texas Department of Agriculture.
To ensure adequate space, attendees are requested to RSVP by registering online in advance. A registration form can also be downloaded from the site and mailed to the attention of either Dr. Cheryl Grenwelge or Erin Pilosi at Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, 578 John Kimbrough, College Station, Texas 77843-2251. The completed form can also be emailed to Pilosi.