SAN ANTONIO — 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 for military veterans July 25 in San Antonio.
The no-cost workshop, which takes place from 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m., will be held at 4th Reconnaissance Battalion, 3837 Binz Engleman Road.
The workshop, called “From Battleground to Breaking Ground: A Transformational Journey,” gives military veterans interested in farming or ranching the opportunity to get information on aspects of starting, developing and funding an agriculture-based business, said program coordinators.
“The Texas AgrAbility Program’s focus is on connecting, assisting and empowering agricultural producers, their family members and employees with disabilities and chronic health conditions to stay engaged in production agriculture,” said Dr. Cheryl Grenwelge, AgriLife Extension specialist in disability transition with the Texas AgrAbility Project. “About 45 percent of returning veterans are from rural areas, and we want to enable veterans with or without disabilities to return to the area of production agriculture if they choose.”
The program begins with registration and a continental breakfast from 8-9 a.m., followed by a short welcome. Presentations start at 8:45 a.m. and include a presentation by a veteran currently involved in production agriculture. Additional presentations include an overview of the AgrAbility program, panel discussion on resources available for funding options, business plan development and resource networking.
“The workshop also addresses the possibilities for ranching or farming for veterans with disabilities,” Grenwelge said.“We’re hoping military veterans will take advantage of this program which has been designed with input from AgriLife Extension, AgrAbility, the USDA’s Natural Resource Conservation Service, the National Farmer Veteran Coalition, Farm Service Agency and Texas Department of Agriculture.”
Grenwelge said the local point of contact for the workshop is Master Sergeant Ruben Villarreal at 210-223-1551, ext. 365.
To ensure adequate event space, attendees are requested to RSVP by registering in advance at http://txagrability.tamu.edu/. A registration form can also be downloaded from the site and mailed to: Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, Attn: Dr. Cheryl Grenwelge, 2147 TAMU, College Station, TX 77843-2251 or emailed to EMPilosi@ag.tamu.edu.
For more information, go to http://txagrability.tamu.edu/ or contact Grenwelge at 979-845-3727 or chgrenwelge@ag.tamu.edu.
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