Southern States encourages vets to consider agriculture at Workshop slated June 6-7

As returning veterans make the transition from military service to civilian life, an increasing urgency for finding them suitable employment is being seen throughout the country.

The Livestock Conservancy, in partnership with Southern States, Virginia Cooperative Extension, the Farmer Veteran Coalition and other leaders in the ag industry, is offering a slightly outside-the-box alternative for veterans to consider: raising heritage livestock and poultry.

A workshop is being offered on the subject Friday and Saturday, June 6 and 7, at the Stoneridge Events Center in Warrenton, Va. This one-of-a-kind, heritage livestock workshop is designed to educate and train America’s service men and women on the skills necessary to steward some of America’s most historic and endangered farm animals.

“Our goal is to help returning veterans and retired service members succeed financially in heritage breed, sustainable agriculture by providing them with the knowledge and skills they need,” said Livestock Conservancy Executive Director Eric Hallman.

Established in 1977, the Livestock Conservancy is the leading nonprofit membership organization in the United States working to protect nearly 200 breeds of livestock and poultry from extinction.

The workshop will feature a full day of presentations June 6 on the various breeds of heritage livestock, getting started and discussions on economics and marketing. Participants will tour one of three farm operations June 7 to hear discussions about breeding and herd management of grass-fed cattle, integrating farming for fun and profit with heritage livestock, and low-impact techniques for handling sheep and chickens.

The workshop is open to any interested individual. Registration is on a first-come, first-served basis with priority given to service men and women. There is a fee for attending the two-day event which includes materials, lunches and the farm tours, but scholarships are available. For more information, go to www.LivestockConservancy.org . For scholarship information, email amartin@albc-usa.org.

Go to www.southernstates.com for more information about Southern States.