Help us Teach Veterans and Others to Farm!

The SAVE Farm trains veterans and others for careers in agriculture. The goal of this project is to help us obtain funds to expand our orchard, beekeeping, and livestock programs. These funds will directly benefit our students as they continue their college-accredited training to find a meaningful career in agriculture. Thank you for your consideration!

SAVE provides agricultural training to veterans, transitioning servicemembers, and the general public through our training farm in Riley, Kansas. SAVE has three key programs - beekeeping, farm tours, and college-accredited courses with classroom and hands-on teaching. The USDA estimates that the United States needs one million new farmers within the next 15 years to maintain our food supply. SAVE believes that veterans are uniquely qualified to fill that gap.

Our farm will one day provide access to a healing center focusing on service members and veterans in need of specialized treatment and therapy. This training and therapeutic farm will serve as a model for other cooperative partnerships among military installations, land grant universities, and departments of agriculture in other states. SAVE plans to place 100 trained veterans or transitioning service members in agribusiness positions each year.

The SAVE program offers a critical bridge from the security and comradery of the military to the serenity offered by farming, avoiding what can be a debilitating and often dangerous period following discharge. In addition, SAVE offers an opportunity for multiple private organizations and governmental agencies to coordinate efforts to benefit our military veterans and transitioning servicemembers.

Founded in 2015 as a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization, SAVE’s mission is to provide a pathway to agriculture for individuals who desire to learn best practice agriculture techniques. While the program is open to all, SAVE specializes in providing agriculture training to veterans and servicemembers who are transitioning from military to civilian life. We provide an 11-month, college accredited training program with a variety of courses, including agriculture business, animal science, raising crops, raising livestock, and beekeeping, among others. We also offer medical, dental, and psychological services to our students. In addition, SAVE helps to place students in jobs on working farms and ranches, with the possibility of one day managing or owning that farm.