Veterans in Ag Summit Registration Open

Are you a veteran farming in New York State, or an organization serving farmer veterans?

The Cornell Small Farms Program is pleased to announce an interactive meeting just for you — the NY Veterans in Agriculture Summit will take place on Thursday, November 6th, 2014 from 9:00am – 3:30pm at the NYS State Fairgrounds in Syracuse, NY.
About the Veterans in Ag Summit
The Veterans Summit will offer an opportunity to meet others interested in supporting veterans getting into agriculture; better understand the support services available to veterans and those interested in agriculture; and design programs and pathways to help veterans enter agriculture.
About the Organizers
The Summit is presented by a diverse team of collaborators:

  • Cornell Small Farms Program
  • NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets
  • Division of Veterans Affairs
  • Farmer Veteran Coalition of New York
  • New York Farm Viability Institute
  • National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT)
  • Cornell Cooperative Extension: Jefferson, Monroe & Erie Counties

Agenda
The day will begin with ‘lightning’ introductions from organizations in NY that serve farmer veterans.

Jamie Critelli (Image courtesy of FVC)

Jamie Critelli (Image courtesy of FVC)


Featured speaker Jamie Critelli will describe the rewards of entering farming after serving in the military. Critelli will touch on the unique skill sets of veterans that compliment farming, highlight the challenges of reintegration into communities and outline basic strategies to improve support of veterans who want to start farming.
Following the morning presentations, attendees will be invited to participate in two of four ‘working groups’ to engage in facilitated discussion around the following topics:

  • Veterans Starting Farms
  • Veterans Employed on Farms
  • Communication and Outreach Strategies to reach NY Veterans
  • Training for Service Providers

These working group discussions will build the foundation for generating a NYS Work Plan for Veterans in Agriculture and a NY Veterans in Agriculture Task Force.
Who Should Attend? 
If you live in New York State and you…

  • Are a veteran who is farming in NY and want to help other veterans to do the same
  • Are a veteran who wants to farm or work in agriculture
  • Currently work with veterans who are interested in starting farms or working in agriculture
  • Want to employ veterans in your agriculture business

Space is Limited: Register Early
To register for the NY Veterans in Agriculture Summit, click here.  The meeting is free and lunch will be provided.  Space is limited, so early registration is encouraged.Registration closes on October 26th.  If you prefer, you may also register via phone by calling 607-255-9227.
General questions about the Veterans Summit should be directed to smallfarmsprogram@cornell.edu.
Sign up for the “Veterans in Agriculture” Listserve
Interested in future programs and resources for Veterans in Agriculture?  Fill out our short Interest Form to be added to the listserve.

Avatar of arw225@cornell.edu

arw225@cornell.edu

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2 Comments

  1. Avatar of Elizabeth Ryder Elizabeth Ryder on October 22, 2014 at 6:02 pm

    I did sign up for this and I am being called out of town and will be UNABLE TO ATTEND. I left prior comments on my interest to hire/mentor vets on my small scale diversified veg, herb, flower farm incl some livestock. I would love to receive any information on this, Thank You

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