Brian Clements began his service in the U.S. Navy in the 1980s, traveling the globe as a sailor. After his service, however, he began a new venture: beekeeping. With support from the Farmer Veteran Coalition (FVC), Clements started his business, Honey River Farm, and has been able to built a new life for himself in agriculture. Many U.S. veterans originate from smaller, more rural areas of the country and are familiar with an agricultural lifestyle. Agriculture provides an ideal space for veterans to become involved in everyday life again, while allowing them to expand on their individual business dreams.
The U.S. military veteran community is made up of approximately 17.4 million individuals, some of the most dedicated and hard-working people in the country. However, recent years have seen rising unemployment rates among veterans. After years of service, cultural gaps between military life and everyday civilian life can make it hard to find employment, especially outside of larger cities. In May 2020, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported as a 11.7% unemployment rate for veterans, up from 3.5% percent in 2019. While more than 40,000 veteran support groups exist to help military veterans, few focus on engaging veterans in rural parts of the country. One of those programs, the Farmer Veteran Coalition, was started as a way to provide assistance to rural veterans interested in agriculture opportunities to start their own farming operations.
Photo: Alex Jauregu by Susanna Frohman.
In 2008, FVC founder Michael O’ Gorman had nearly 40 years of experience in agriculture production and had helped build three of the country's most successful organic farms when he decided to focus his attention elsewhere. He believed his experiences could help veterans serve their country in a new way, as contributors to the nation's food supply. What started in the back of his pickup truck with a few volunteers became a nation-wide organization that now assists thousands. In 2013, the organization served 1,915 and now, eight years later, serves 20,000 and counting.
FVC provides a wide range of services and programs to help orient veterans to the business of agriculture, regardless of experience. From legal consultations to career services and business planning, FVC encourages members to be their own leaders. The Farmer Fellowship fund, one of the many programs created as a part of FVC, provides grants for items that the veteran finds essential to their business. Since 2011, almost $3 million worth of grants have been awarded for a range of items, including beekeeping equipment, breeding livestock and fencing.
The Homegrown by Heroes program provides members the opportunity to label products produced by veterans. This label gives them not only a direct way to connect with customers who want to support veteran businesses, but also a competitive advantage from national exposure of the logo. Recently the FVC released a Homegrown by Heroes interactive map displaying participating businesses, with plans to add more in the coming weeks, making it easier to buy direct and ship products to a friend or family member.
Clements joined the U.S. Navy in 1985 as a sailor and his endeavors took him across the globe, but his recent venture has been beekeeping in the small town of White Stone, Virginia. Still an active member of the Navy, Clements learned about FVC from a fellow veteran, leading him to take up the opportunity and partner with Cyndi Knudson to form Honey River Farm, a honey and beekeeping business. With Knudson’s previous beekeeping experience and Clement’s interest in food and agriculture, they began their small honey venture in 2019. The Fellowship fund directly impacted Honey River Farm by helping them purchase honey bottling equipment. In addition, the Homegrown by Heroes logo makes their honey stand out on the shelf, with Clement’s stating it has “had a positive impact on sales.” The FVC has provided numerous occasions for the small honey business owners to network with fellow veteran-owned businesses.
Photo: Cyndi Knudson (left) and Brian Clements; provided by Farmer Veteran Coalition.
In the midst of the global pandemic, the FVC has found its mission more important than ever: helping veterans feed America. There are many ways non-members can support these hardworking veteran businesses. Donations to the Farmer Fellowship Fund go directly to help farmers purchase essential equipment and other items. During 2020 alone, over 450 members applied to the program, making donations more important than ever, with every cent going directly to veteran farmers. Continuing to buy local is also one of the most direct ways to show support, especially with the new interactive Homegrown by Heroes online map.
The FVC’s future is bright with a national network of more than 20,000 members, both veteran farmers and non-veteran supporters. What started with a dozen volunteers in the back of a pick-up truck has turned into a community with lasting impact in the agriculture industry, hopefully encouraging generations of veteran-owned businesses to develop in the future.
Article header photo: Briar Wood Cattle Farm, provided by Farmer Veteran Coalition.