We are pleased to announce that we have mobilized our first official Board of Directors that will unite in helping our veterans in transition feed America!
Our new board members come from all walks of life and are agricultural leaders and experts in their area–from fields to battlefields to academic institutions—and all have something to bring to the table.
The Agricultural Leaders of the FVC Board
The Chair of our new board is Gary Matteson, who also serves as Vice President of Farm Credit Council for Young, Beginning and Small Farmers. Vice Chair of our board is Charles Kruse who is a retired Brigadier General and President of the Missouri Farm Bureau. Larry Jacobs will serve as our board’s Secretary. He is the co-founder and owner of Jacobs Farm/Del Cabo and CEO of Farm Fuel LLC. Poppy Davis, a national program leader for Small Farms and Beginning Farmers and Ranchers at the USDA, is the board’s Treasurer. The Representative-at-Large to the Executive Committee is Donn Teske who is President of the Kansas Farmers Union and a fifth-generation family farmer from Northeast Kansas.
The FVC Board: Dedicated Farmers and Leaders
Our other board members include:
- Stan Flemming, a retired Brigadier General and Ambassador to the United States Army Reserves.
- Garrett Dwyer, a cattle rancher and veteran with the US Marine Corps. After returning from Iraq, Dwyer now operates and owns the calf operation on his family ranch in Nebraska.
- Dr. Bill Field, Ed.D, the Executive Director of the National AgrAbility Project, which aims to help farmers with disabilities.
- Kathleen Hadley, the Executive Director of the National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT) and their signature program, ATTRA, which provides information about sustainable farming and small-scale farming ventures.
- Tasha M. Hargrove, Ph.D., the Assistant to the Dean for Outreach, College of Agriculture, at Tuskegee University, in Alabama. Dr. Hargrove is also a retired Master Sergeant in the United States Air Force Reserves.
- Weldon Sleight, Ph.D., the Dean Emeritus of Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture (NCTA) where he oversaw the 100 Acre/100 Cow and Combat Boots to Cowboy Boots programs. These programs help farmers and military veterans establish and own their farms.
We’re very thankful for the support of each board member and proud of the important role they will play in continuing to grow our mission in mobilizing veterans to feed America. Our board members are leaders with vast experience and expertise who feel a special affinity and admiration for veterans and farmers. Our Vice Chair, Charles Kruse, says, “As a life-long farmer and having served 26 years in the military, I am proud to be involved in an effort to help veterans become involved in Agriculture. They have stepped up and served us; now it is our turn to serve them.”
To learn more about how you can volunteer with or support the Farmer Veteran Coalition, donate or join our community.
