Growing jobs
As demand grows for local produce in Alabama, Chris Becker sees more job opportunities for veterans returning to civilian life.
Becker works with the Alabama Cooperative Extension System and is the coordinator for Operation Grow, a free training program for veterans interested in small-scale agriculture. Operation Grow’s first Birmingham-area course began in late April at the Alabama Green Industry Training Center in the North Shelby Library.
The idea for Operation Grow started when Becker began talking to the Wounded Warrior Project about the ACES, which shares research about state land and agriculture with the public.
“They said, ‘We have a lot of veterans interested in agriculture. They just don’t know how to get started,’” Becker said. “It was difficult for these veterans to find the avenues to get into small-scale agriculture.”
Becker came up with a program proposal, but the Wounded Warrior Project didn’t want to support it without a guarantee of employment for veterans, he said.
But Becker was inspired by his father’s and grandfather’s military service, and he said he didn’t want to let the project go.
“I really wanted to get this thing off the ground,” Becker said.
He found grant funding, and in 2015, Operation Grow held its first eight-week course. Becker said the goal is to give veterans and their families an introduction to the skills needed to succeed in small-scale farming, not for major crops such as corn, soybeans, cotton or wheat.
“The opportunities we’re talking about are vegetable production, fruit production, [the] ornamental industry,” Becker said. “Those are all viable, profitable [and] relatively easy … to get involved in.”
The classes include information on soil types, climate, pests, plant growth and other factors of agriculture. There is also a day of class featuring only marketing, funding, partnerships and other opportunities to help veterans get started. However, Becker said the program also is about making sure veterans are choosing the right career path, possibly preventing them from taking out an agricultural loan and then realizing they’re not cut out for the job.
“If we prevent one veteran from making that huge financial mistake, that’s a success, and I count that as just as much a success as getting someone involved,” he said.
It’s the right place to learn that lesson, as Operation Grow is free to veterans and their families. Those who decide they want to pursue agriculture can continue on to more specialized education.
“You’re not going to walk out of this program thinking I know everything I need to know,” Becker said. “It’s basically sparking an interest — that’s the goal — or preventing mistakes.”
About 90 people participated in the first Operation Grow course; some came to every class, and some only participated in ones related to their career interests. Becker said he knows at least one man who now owns land to raise fruit, vegetables and hogs.
“He, by far, has been the most successful participant in the program overall,” Becker said. “He’s full-bore into small scale agriculture.”
These small farms have the chance to sell at farmers markets or connect with restaurants that want local vendors. Decorative landscaping is also taught in Operation Grow and can be used to start a lawn care or landscaping small business, he said.
“This whole ‘buy local’ food revolution that’s going on, it really gives people an opportunity to get involved in the vegetable and fruit production,” Becker said.
The state Department of Agriculture has given Operation Grow a two-year grant, which Becker said allows him to take the program “on the road.” The Green Industry Training Center made North Shelby Library a natural fit for Operation Grow to come to Birmingham, he said, since it already provides training and certification services for people interested in similar fields.
Later this year, Operation Grow will host a program in Mobile. In 2017, it will go to Huntsville and Montgomery.
“We want to be able to take this closer to the veterans,” Becker said.
After that, Operation Grow will need to find more grant funding to continue, but Becker said he hopes to be able to bring the program back to Birmingham in the future.
“We’re just real excited to be able to serve veterans. They have absolutely already paid for anything we could offer to them,” he said.
The Birmingham Operation Grow program began April 19 and continues each Tuesday from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. until June 7. For more information, visit agitc.org/operation-grow or email Becker at cmb0034@auburn.edu.