At Veterans IN Farming, we know that strong communities are built by the people in them. Our organization is member-led, and that means we rely on your involvement to grow, share knowledge, and support one another. With the Winter Conference coming up, this is the perfect time to step up and get involved.
Volunteering is about more than helping others—it’s about being part of something bigger. Whether it’s lending your expertise, helping to organize, or just showing up to connect, your efforts make a real difference in building a stronger network for veterans and their families in farming and homesteading.
Here are a few ways you can get involved as we plan for the Winter Conference:
By volunteering, you’ll not only contribute to our mission—you’ll also gain:
We’re always looking for members to help create a Winter Conference that’s meaningful, inspiring, and impactful. If you’re interested in hosting a farm tour, leading a workshop, or contributing in any way, reach out to Brian Beal at BrianB@ateaseorchard.com to learn more.
Your time and talents can make a real difference. Together, we can grow a community that supports and uplifts all veteran farmers and homesteaders.
Join us and help make this year’s Winter Conference unforgettable!
Farm ON!
Indiana Grown has announced a $25,000 grant program to support members in exhibiting at tradeshows, aiming to reduce financial burdens and open new business opportunities. These grants, offered as reimbursements of $1,000, $3,000, or $5,000, will cover essential costs such as booth rental, setup, shipping, and auxiliary fees.
The initiative addresses common challenges faced by businesses when attending tradeshows, such as booth fees, travel expenses, and setup costs. Indiana Grown Director Caroline Patrick emphasized the impact of these grants, saying that last year’s recipients were able to grow their businesses by reaching new markets. The goal of this program is to continue expanding the visibility of Indiana-made products across the U.S. and beyond.
To qualify, applicants must be Indiana Grown members with commercially ready products and meet SBA small business guidelines. Funds must be used specifically for tradeshows, and businesses cannot use other grants, such as the Branded Program or IN-STEP, for the same event.
“These tradeshow grants are vital for small and large Indiana Grown businesses to compete nationally and globally,” said Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch. “This funding allows Hoosier products to enter new markets and expand their reach.”
If you’re a member of Indiana Grown and interested in applying, visit indianagrown.org for more information, including eligibility details and post-award requirements. For additional questions, contact indianagrown@isda.in.gov.
With this grant opportunity, Indiana Grown continues to support local businesses, making sure the unique products made in Indiana are shared far beyond state lines.
We are deeply sorry for the disruption during our recent Veterans IN Farming (VIF) board meeting, which was unfortunately hacked. The content shared by the hackers was abhorrent, and we sincerely apologize for the distress this caused to everyone involved.
To prevent future incidents, we are adjusting our procedures. While meeting announcements, including dates and times, will still be posted on Facebook and our website, the Zoom link and passcode will now only be sent to members via email.
An email with the Zoom meeting details was sent out on Monday morning. If you did not receive it, please check your spam folder or contact us directly, and we will ensure you get the correct information.
This meeting will cover several important topics, including:
We value your participation and look forward to your input on these important discussions. Thank you for your patience and understanding as we work to make our meetings more secure.
We hope to see you there!
Dear Veterans IN Farming Community,
We want to sincerely apologize for the disruption during today’s Zoom meeting. Unfortunately, our session was hacked, leading to an unexpected and frustrating interruption.
We are actively working to strengthen our security measures to prevent future incidents and ensure that your time and participation are respected. If you have any concerns or questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us.
Thank you for your understanding and patience. We appreciate your continued support as we work to create a safe, productive space for everyone.
Farm ON! The Veterans IN Farming Team
Save the Date: January 24-25, 2025
We’re getting ready for the Veterans IN Farming Winter Conference at the Monroe Convention Center in Bloomington, Indiana! The event kicks off with a Friday evening social, followed by workshops all day Saturday. Registration opens soon and we’d love to have you involved as a volunteer!
Volunteers help make the conference run smoothly, and we’re always looking for new members to jump in. Whether you’ve been part of Veterans IN Farming for a while or you’re just getting started, this is a great way to connect with others and support veteran farmers.
Here are a few ways you can get involved:
If you have connections to businesses that might be interested in sponsoring or exhibiting, let us know! Sponsors are key to making this event happen, and a personal introduction can go a long way.
Sign up when registration opens on October 1, 2024! Whether you have a couple of hours to spare or want to help all weekend, we’ll find the right spot for you.
Got questions or know a sponsor we should reach out to? Email Joe Ricker at joericker@ateaseorchard.org.
At Veterans IN Farming, we love highlighting inspiring work from people in our community. This month, we are excited to feature Frontline Gardens, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to supporting our nation’s heroes. Frontline Gardens offers a unique horticulture therapy program designed to help Veterans, First Responders, and Gold Star Families heal physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Their work focuses on providing participants with custom-built gardens right at their homes, creating a lasting space for personal growth and recovery.
The organization’s founder, Michael Trost, is a 32-year U.S. Army veteran with a deeply personal connection to this mission. In 2012, while serving in Afghanistan, Michael was seriously injured, resulting in the loss of his right leg and partial right hand. He endured 35 surgeries and spent over a year recovering at Walter Reed Military Hospital.
After five years of intense physical and emotional recovery, Michael and his wife, Stephanie, purchased a farm in Madisonville, Tennessee. The healing power of working with the land made a profound impact on their lives, helping them find emotional, physical, and spiritual renewal. This personal transformation inspired Michael to launch Frontline Gardens, creating an opportunity to give back to fellow Veterans, First Responders, and Gold Star Families.
Since its founding, Frontline Gardens has expanded to serve participants in Tennessee, Colorado, North Carolina, and Georgia, with plans to grow further as new opportunities arise. The organization has completed over 70 custom garden projects, each designed to fit the specific needs of the individual veteran.
These projects go far beyond simply installing raised garden beds. Frontline Gardens provides ongoing support by connecting participants with master gardeners and offering monthly "Lunch and Learn" gardening classes through the University of Tennessee. This ensures that each participant not only starts with a garden but also has the knowledge and resources to succeed in cultivating it.
Frontline Gardens emphasizes working within each veteran’s existing care plan. While the organization itself does not provide formal therapy, it collaborates with participants' therapists—whether through the VA or civilian providers—to incorporate horticulture therapy into their treatment process. This thoughtful integration ensures a smooth and supportive path to recovery.
Michael and his team are committed to expanding their reach and are always open to conversations with new partners, supporters, and volunteers. As their work continues to grow, so does their vision to support more individuals across the country. If you would like to learn more about Frontline Gardens, get involved, or explore how you can support their mission, visit www.frontlinegardens.org.
Starting a farming business requires the right mindset to succeed, and one of the most important approaches is having a Growth Mindset. Popularized by psychologist Carol Dweck in her book Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, growth mindset is the belief that your abilities and intelligence can grow through effort, learning, and perseverance. This contrasts with a fixed mindset, where people believe their abilities are set in stone.
With a growth mindset, you view challenges as opportunities to improve rather than obstacles to avoid. This mindset is critical for anyone looking to start a farming business because it encourages resilience, adaptability, and continuous learning—all essential traits for running a farm.
Starting a farm comes with its own set of challenges, but each challenge is a chance to learn and grow. Here are a few you might encounter as you transition from military service into farming:
Learning New Skills: Farming covers a wide range of skills, from animal care and raw dairy production to managing finances and marketing your products. At first, this might feel overwhelming, but with a growth mindset, you can embrace the process of learning as part of the journey to success.
Financial Management: Planning a budget, securing funding, or applying for grants may be new to you, but every step forward improves your financial knowledge. With a growth mindset, you recognize that financial skills can be learned and developed over time, and any early challenges will set the foundation for future success.
Adapting to the Unpredictable: Farming has variables like weather, market fluctuations, and equipment maintenance. A growth mindset helps you adapt and find solutions when things don’t go as planned. Each challenge becomes an opportunity to learn and grow your problem-solving abilities.
Finding Your Niche: Whether you're focusing on raw dairy, poultry, or crop farming, finding the right niche for you and your land takes time. It’s okay to experiment, try different approaches, and refine your focus as you discover what works best. A growth mindset embraces this process as part of building a successful farm.
As you start your farming business, remember that each obstacle is an opportunity to improve, not a setback. A growth mindset will help you persevere through the challenges of learning new skills, managing finances, and adapting to change. Just like in your military career, success in farming comes from the ability to learn, adapt, and grow.
Transitioning into agriculture isn’t just about what you already know—it’s about embracing the potential for what you can learn and achieve. Keep pushing forward, stay open to new experiences, and remember that every challenge is an opportunity to grow.
As the cold Indiana winter approaches, it’s time to ensure your goat herd stays healthy and comfortable. Whether you’re raising goats for weed control, milk, or meat, keeping them warm and well-cared for during the winter months is key to maintaining a humane, self-sufficient homestead. Here are three essential tools that will help you protect your goats from harsh weather while staying on budget.
Indiana winters can be tough, with freezing temperatures and icy winds. In fact, Indianapolis recorded an all-time record low of -27 degrees F (-33 Celsius) on January 19, 1994. To keep your goats warm and safe, providing them with well-insulated shelters is a must. Whether you build a small barn, retrofit an existing structure, or use a movable shelter, make sure it’s properly insulated and draft-free. Goats don’t need a heated barn, but they do need protection from wind and moisture. A three-sided shelter with the open side facing away from the wind can work well. Adding straw or hay bedding will help trap heat, keeping them more comfortable and dry.
Budget Tip: Consider repurposing materials like pallets, old lumber, or even metal roofing to build a cost-effective shelter. You can also use natural insulation like straw bales to further cut down costs while keeping things cozy for your herd.
Keeping your goats hydrated is critical in winter, but cold weather often leads to frozen water buckets. Heated water buckets or de-icers can prevent freezing, ensuring your goats always have access to fresh water. Goats tend to drink less in the winter if their water gets too cold, which can lead to dehydration and health problems. A heated water source can help encourage drinking and promote good digestion—especially important for goats raised for milk or meat.
Budget Tip: If purchasing heated buckets is out of your price range, consider insulating their water troughs using foam or straw bales around the sides to slow down freezing. This can buy you extra time between water changes, saving both effort and money.
Goats have specific nutritional needs during winter, especially if they are being raised for milk or meat. Cold weather increases their energy needs, and without access to pasture, they rely more on stored hay. A good-quality mineral block or loose minerals formulated for goats is essential to keep them healthy. One great option is Fertrell’s Goat Nutri-Balancer, which is specifically designed to meet the nutritional requirements of goats at all life stages. It contains essential vitamins, minerals, and trace elements to promote optimal health and performance. Goat Nutri-Balancer should be used alongside high-quality grains and forages to keep your goats in top condition. It’s available in both 10 lb. and 50 lb. bags, making it convenient for farms of all sizes.
Budget Tip: Buying minerals in bulk or joining a co-op with other local farmers can reduce costs. Always ensure the minerals you choose are specifically for goats—using cattle or sheep minerals may not provide the right balance they need.
By focusing on these three essential tools—insulated shelters, heated water, and quality minerals—you can ensure that your goats thrive during Indiana’s coldest months. Prioritizing their welfare doesn’t have to break the bank, and with a bit of creativity and planning, you can keep your homestead running smoothly throughout the winter.
Lastly, don’t forget to provide enrichment to keep your goats mentally stimulated during the colder months. Hanging treats, adding safe climbing structures, or even providing large balls for them to nudge around can help them stay active and entertained when they’re stuck indoors. A happy, enriched goat is a healthier goat, even in winter’s chill.
Stay warm, and Farm ON!
Veterans IN Farming is excited to invite you to our upcoming Membership Meeting on October 17th at 6:30 PM Eastern Time! Whether you're already a member or thinking about joining, this is a great opportunity to get more involved with our community.
During the meeting, we will:
If you aren’t a member yet, don’t worry – membership is free and you can easily sign up on our website. Your voice matters, and we would love to hear from you as we plan for these exciting events and opportunities.
Meeting Details: Date: October 17, 2024 Time: 6:30 PM Eastern Time
Join Zoom Meeting: Click here to join
Meeting ID: 879 5337 3327 Passcode: 099316
You can also dial in from your phone using the numbers below:
We look forward to seeing you there and hearing your thoughts on how we can continue supporting veteran farmers through our programs and grants. Don’t miss out – this is a key opportunity to stay connected and informed.
See you soon, and as always, Farm ON!
Transitioning from military service opens up a new world of possibilities, and for many veterans, entrepreneurship is a natural fit. Whether you're just beginning to think about starting a business or already have an idea in mind, the SBA's Boots to Business Reboot program offers practical tools and guidance designed specifically for veterans like you.
This course taps into the strengths you’ve already developed during your military service—like leadership, adaptability, and the ability to stay mission-focused—and helps you apply those skills to business ownership. It’s more than just a business class; it’s an opportunity to plan your next mission with purpose.
The program offers:
This is your chance to bring the discipline, leadership, and resolve you honed in the military to the world of entrepreneurship. No one understands the value of determination and resilience quite like veterans do. Boots to Business Reboot gives you the tools to take that mindset and apply it to your business future.
We’re offering this course on October 11 from 9 AM to 4:30 PM at the ADM Agricultural Innovation Center in West Lafayette, Indiana. It’s open to all veterans and their spouses, giving you a solid foundation to pursue the next phase of your journey.
Let your next mission be one of your own making—join us on October 11.
For more information or to sign up, contact mark@vetbizcentral.org