The Arkansas Department of Agriculture has extended the deadline to apply for the Homegrown by Heroes scholarship that provides $1,000 to military veterans and active military personnel to attend the Farm School at the Center for Arkansas Farm and Food in Fayetteville.
Applications are due September 30, 2022 and are available at: agriculture.arkansas.gov/arkansas-department-of-agriculture-programs/. Funding for the scholarship is generously provided by Farm Credit.
The scholarships are affiliated with Homegrown By Heroes, an Arkansas Department of Agriculture program that helps farmer veterans market their local agricultural products by labeling them as veteran-produced. Learn more about Homegrown by Heroes and find products grown or made by military veterans at arkansasgrown.org/homegrown-by-heroes/.
“We are proud to partner with Farm Credit to provide a scholarship for the men and women who have served our country in the military,” says Arkansas Agriculture Secretary Wes Ward. “Military service members have many skills that make them great candidates for successful careers in agriculture. It is an honor to provide this scholarship as a way of thanking them for their service to our country.”
“The Farm Credit Associations of Arkansas appreciate the service Arkansas veterans and current military personnel give our country. We are pleased to help service members pursue careers in the agricultural field by sponsoring these scholarships,” said Brandon Haberer, CEO and president of Farm Credit of Western Arkansas.
The Center for Arkansas Farms and Food’s Farm School is an 11-month program at the Milo Shult Ag Research and Extension Center on the University of Arkansas campus in Fayetteville. The Farm School combines hands-on specialty crop farming with classes in production, business, and legal issues through classroom instruction and hands-on field activities. This comprehensive approach is specifically designed for beginning farmers of fruit, vegetable, flowers, and herbs who are interested in selling to local and regional markets. The 2023 program starts January 23, with classes and farm work scheduled for Monday through Thursday from 8:30 to 12:30. The total cost of the program is $2,500. More information about the Farm School can be found at LearnToFarm.org.
Selection of scholarship recipients will be based on career goals, goals for farm/ranch, experience, and financial need. Preference will be given to Arkansas Homegrown By Heroes members, but membership is not required.