Bill introduced to support farmer veterans
Leaders of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Ranking Member Debbie Stabenow and Chairman Pat Roberts, recently introduced new legislation that expands support for military veterans in agriculture.
The Farmer Veteran Opportunity Act of 2018 makes all new veterans eligible for support from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The bill also improves access for farmer veterans across eight existing initiatives to make risk management tools more affordable, expand access to land and capital, and prioritize training for veterans.
“Agriculture offers our veterans rewarding careers and the opportunity to continue serving our nation by feeding our families,” Stabenow said. “After putting their lives on the line, our veterans should be first in line for support that can help them find jobs in farming and grow their agricultural businesses.”
“When our veterans retire from active service, whether here or abroad, they need certainty and opportunity,” Roberts said. “I’m proud to cosponsor a bill that allows men and women who have served our country to return to the farm.”
The legislation expands support to all new veterans who may have existing careers in agriculture. Currently, the USDA’s veterans initiatives are designed to support those who are starting a career in agriculture for the first time. This common-sense change ensures that all new farmer veterans will be able to benefit from support, whether they are just starting a career on the farm or looking to expand their operation.
Additionally, the bill would help farmer veterans receive better assistance from existing farm programs, including more-affordable risk management tools like crop insurance to help them recover from unexpected losses. Because many farmer veterans also face barriers to accessing land and capital to start or expand their farms, the legislation would make farmer veterans eligible for down payment loans when purchasing real estate and would provide priority access for reduced interest rates on loans to buy farmland or finance production equipment. Veterans would also receive priority access for additional training and education opportunities to help them navigate their crop insurance options and meet food safety standards.
The Farmer Veteran Opportunity Act of 2018 builds on a number of provisions in the current Farm Bill that Senators Stabenow and Roberts included to strengthen support for farmer veterans. For the first time, the farm bill created a Military Veteran Agricultural Liaison position to advocate for farmer veterans at the USDA. To help farmer veterans overcome the barriers many new farmers face, the farm bill prioritized veteran access to training resources and financing through short-term, low-interest loans. The bill also made it easier to participate in voluntary conservation initiatives.
The bipartisan bill is supported by the Farmer Veteran Coalition, American Farm Bureau Federation, National Farmers Union, American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States, and Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America.
