FARMER VETERAN COALTION

     Farmer Veteran Coalition (FVC) was born out of the produce industry.  On May 6, 2007 a handful of organic farmers gathered at Swanton Berry Farm to discuss helping men and women returning from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan find careers – and places to heal – on our nation’s farms.  When three women showed up, all of whom lost their sons in the wars, there was an overwhelming sense that this modest gesture could turn into something hugely impactful.       And it did.  FVC now has 30,000 veteran members in all 50 states. It succeeded in getting veteran farmers recognized in the 2014 Food and Farm Bill, launched the office of Military Veteran Agricultural Liaison at the USDA, and has won tens of millions of dollars for veterans starting out and groups training them how to farm across the country.     The Farmer Veteran Fellowship Fund has awarded $3.5 million in small grants to help veterans make critical purchases in the early years farm or ranch businesses.  Kubota Tractor Corporation donates five tractors a year to FVC members through their “Geared to Give program.”  And more than 3,000 FVC members use the “Homegrown By Heroes” label to enhance their sales.     A visit to the FVC website, www.farmvetco.org, will show many ways to help from making much needed contributions, getting involved in one of the state chapters, or offering employment to returning veterans.  Let’s honor those that served our nation once by defending it and are serving it again by helping to feed it.

 NEW PRODUCE QUIZ – WHO AM I ???

I am probably most famous as a stick, although I have recently been seen in Buffalo plating down with chicken parts.  I all started when my wild ancestors were cultivated in the 16^th century.  Once considered a powerful aphrodisiac my leaves were used by the Greeks to adorn the crown presented to victorious athletes.  These stars also drank my wine. Romans used me for seasoning and as an elixir to aid digestion and soothe arthritic pain. Medieval magicians put my seeds in their shoes, hoping it would help them fly, but alas, they did not. We never made that claim. I am a fleshy ribbed stalk that ranges in color from white to dark green. Lately, I have been seen down at South Beach stylin’ in red.  My stalk, that can grow up to 16 inches, is my most popular part, my leaves, seeds, and roots are also used. My most popular variety was born in Kalamazoo, Michigan in 1874.  I was socialized at local Michigan train stations throwing myself at passengers for free. My fame really came in 1960 at a Chicago where I was immortalized by bartenders.  When Sears and Roebuck featured me as a muscle relaxer in their catalog, I went viral. Today, scientists agree that eating two of me a day will help reduce blood pressure. My crunch is created by the collapse of my thousands of air filled cells. There are over two billion pounds of us produced every year, and that’s just the United States. I am used in just about anything savory.  There is no stock made without me.  Tomato Juice is one of my best friends. I am a very popular salt. Nary has a crudité existed without me and I’m not saying a word about what we did with the chickens but I will say the press has it wrong.  It was cold up there, and, well, things happen. Anyway the average person consumes about eight pounds of me a year.  I am an excellent source of potassium and a good source of vitamin C, folic acid and vitamin B6. Crunch on!