Mission & Objectives of Kenneth Mason Waugh Nonprofit Inc.

The Kenneth Mason Waugh (KMW) Nonprofit Inc.'s mission is to foster a constructive community for veterans of the armed forces once they have returned home from active duty. The mission of the organization is to educate veterans and equip them with relevant information in order to advance sustainable agricultural knowledge and practices. In this way, the aim of this organization seeks to connect veterans with agriculture, which has played an important historical role in the culture of the United States. This organization has the goal of reviving the perception of sustainable agriculture by igniting participants' interest in the subject matter of educational programs in such a way that their enthusiasm for the subject matter is increased. KMW is distinctive in that it seeks veterans as a population that can benefit from entering and learning about the agricultural industry. KMW expressly targets veterans as a population that could advantage from doing so. The goal of the organization is to facilitate communication between veterans and seasoned agriculture educators who have the ability to pass on their knowledge and expertise to participants in an instructional environment. This objective will be achieved by the organization through the participation of veterans in a pilot project. Each session will be accompanied by a set of instructional materials that have been developed by the program's agriculture specialist.

• Need of NPOs to Support Veterans

According to a poll conducted by the Pew Research Center in 2011 the vast majority of respondents felt that veterans received insufficient aid from the government. The general people in the United States does not believe that the United States government does enough for returning war veterans. Fewer than two-thirds (32%) believe the government adequately supports military personnel who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan; nearly twice as many (62%) hold the opposite view. When asked if the country does enough to help its returning veterans, Americans are split evenly, with 47% saying yes and 49% no. Since the September 11th terrorist attacks, the families of service members have a more negative outlook on the military as a whole. Families with veterans are more likely to say that the American public does not do enough to help veterans. Among those who believe the government has not done enough to assist our returning troops, the most common complaint is a lack of medical treatment (42%), followed by a lack of financial assistance (37%). One in three people in the general public experience mental health problems; eleven percent of those people have post-traumatic stress disorder.

• Programs & NPOs like KMW:

Across the United States, non-profit organizations and programs such as Kenneth Mason Waugh are working to improve the lives of American soldiers. Veterans learn how to manage a profitable business, how to access USDA resources, and create important mentorship connections with experienced farmers. The United States armed forces are set to lose 250,000 veterans per year for the next several years, with many of these men and women wishing to start over. Agriculture, according to the Farmer Veteran Coalition (FVC), lends itself to veterans' distinctive qualities and character. Growing food allows veterans to put these skills to use by healing their wounds, feeding their communities, and protecting the environment for future generations. Here are eight programs across the country that are assisting veterans in transitioning to a healthy, happy life as farmers.

1. The Arcadia Center for Sustainable Food and Agriculture inaugurated its Veteran Farmer Program in Alexandria, Virginia, with a year-long, intense fellowship on their sustainable farm. The initiative seeks to provide veterans with a range of chances to get involved in agriculture. All of the veterans' produce will be sold at Arcadia's mobile farmers' market, which aims to enhance food access for low-income people of Washington, D.C.

2. Armed to Farm, a program of the National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT), trains veterans in sustainable agriculture. NCAT professionals have participated in seventeen veteran farmer trainings, reaching over 800 veterans.

3. The Organic Farming Program is a 36-credit, one-year certificate program given by Delaware Valley University and Rodale Institute in collaboration. The program qualifies for veteran education benefits, and the courses can be put toward a bachelor's degree at the university.

4. The Enhancing Veterans Farm Fellows Program in Florida accepts veterans of all eras and teaches them everything from writing a business plan to cultivating organic fruit. The organization's aim is to assist veterans in reintegrating into society, with a particular emphasis on soldiers suffering from brain injury and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), as well as the younger cohort of veterans who are most at danger of unemployment.

5. Growing Careers in Agriculture, a Farmer Veteran Coalition program, offers Iraq and Afghanistan veterans training and apprenticeships. Apprenticeships in northern California are paid, run three to six months, and provide educational and training opportunities with organic farms and artisan food businesses.

6. Heroic Food, a New York non-profit, prepares military veterans for professions in sustainable agriculture, agricultural skills, and food entrepreneurship. Their Full-Year Immersion Program involves apprenticeships in the local food and agriculture industry as well as training on their twenty-acre sustainable farm.

7. The Veterans Homestead Project in southwest Colorado is providing new options for veterans. Animal husbandry, cheesemaking, hydroponics, farmers' market and CSA management, pasture management, and greenhouse production are all part of their regenerative agriculture training curriculum.

8. Veterans to Farmers, a Denver-based non-profit, offers a six-week free training program focused on greenhouse production using aeroponic and hydroponic methods. The group is in the process of expanding to a fifty-acre agro-park near Denver, where 300 veterans will be employed, with plans to eventually extend across the state and country.

References

- RUSSELL HEIMLICH; July 12, 2011; Pew Research Center; Government Does Not Give Enough Support to Vets; https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2011/07/12/government-does-not-give-enough-support-to-vets/

- FoodTank; 10 Farmer Training Programs Helping Veterans Heal; Retrieved on Oct. 17th, 2022 from https://foodtank.com/news/2016/01/ten-farmer-training-programs-helping-veterans-heal/