See details of the Veterans Florida Agriculture Program, a training fellowship that prepares military personnel for an ag career.

It’s an unfortunate truth that many military personnel often struggle to find work upon returning to civilian life. A recent WGCU story shared the details of the Veterans Florida Agriculture Program (VFAP), citing the fact that “U.S. military veterans often face challenges when transitioning to civilian employment after leaving the service. Sometimes their skills and experiences don’t directly translate to civilian jobs — and employers might not fully understand the value of military experience or how it applies to their industry. Some veterans may need to undergo additional training or education to meet the standards required for civilian jobs, which can be time-consuming and costly.”

This issue led to the creation of the VFAP, when “two employees with the University of Florida Institute of Food & Agricultural Sciences decided that helping veterans possibly find a path to a new career in agriculture would be a great fit…” See the details of VFAP below.

Veterans Florida Agriculture Program Details

According to the Veterans Florida Agriculture Program (VFAP) website, the program is “is a six-month training fellowship that provides veterans and servicemembers a comprehensive, hands-on experience and equips you with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to be competitive for leading careers in Florida’s $149 Billion agriculture industry.”

Additional details include:

  • “The training takes place at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Research and Education Center facilities located across Florida. The Institute is a research pioneer and its innovations in food safety, crop production, and disease-resistant plants have played a vital role in advancing the industry.
  • Veterans Florida will work with participants to further their career at an agribusiness or working farm or ranch after completing the training.
  • Open to veterans and transitioning service members.
    • Veterans in our program earn a $15 per hour stipend through special USDA funding for veterans in agriculture.
    • Servicemembers in our program retain their active duty pay and benefits through DoD SkillBridge.”

Veterans and current service members can apply on the WFAP website here.

Griffin Fertilizer is committed to helping both growers and ranchers make sound agronomic and economic decisions in order to maximize the health of their grove and pasture. As a full-service custom dry & liquid fertilizer blender and crop protection product distributor, we will continue our mission to further advance Florida agriculture. For questions -or concerns about your farm or pasture, contact us and one of our team will be in touch.