by Emily Cyr

The U.S. government wants to help military veterans become farmers.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently launched a program to help America’s veterans transition from a military career to an agricultural one.

Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue introduced The Vets in Agriculture Initiative to connect veterans across the country with jobs in the agriculture industry. Perdue, an Air Force veteran himself, recognized that the same strengths and skills used in national security operations could be translated to food security operations. He also said that hiring veterans in the USDA would enhance the agency’s mission to revitalize rural America.