Darnell joined the Army at 19 years old, proudly serving with the 1st Cavalry Division and deploying to Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2009. He is a Korea Service Medal recipient and a 100% service-disabled veteran. His time in the military - born into a family of service as the son of two Army veterans - instilled in him the values of discipline, mission focus, and the belief that true service extends beyond the uniform. Those values continue to guide everything that he does on the farm today.
"The Farmer Veteran Coalition has been instrumental in my journey from soldier to shepherd. As a grant recipient, FVC provided critical financial support during the early stages of building Acre & Herd Ranch — a time when every resource counted. Beyond funding, FVC connected me to a community of like-minded veterans who understand both the discipline of military service and the challenges of building an agricultural operation from the ground up."
Darnell's involvement deepened as he joined the FVC Georgia Chapter as Vice President, where he works to ensure other veterans in his state have access to the same resources and community that helped him succeed.
"FVC gave me more than support — it gave me purpose and a platform to pay it forward by helping fellow veterans build meaningful careers in agriculture."
Acre & Herd Ranch, LLC is a regenerative sheep farm located in Griffin, Georgia, where Darnell manages 200+ sheep across 200+ acres and multiple solar installations throughout the state. Deploying sheep to graze beneath solar panels as a sustainable alternative to diesel mowers and chemical herbicides. This practice, known as agrivoltaics, allows land to simultaneously support clean energy production and regenerative agriculture.
After military service, Darnell was searching for something that offered the same sense of mission and purpose he had in uniform. Agriculture gave him that. Farming demanded the same discipline, adaptability, and commitment to something larger than himself that the Army had instilled in him — and working the land gave him a deep connection to stewardship that resonated with his core values.
"Growing up as the son of two Army veterans, service was always in my DNA. But I came to realize that service doesn't end when you take off the uniform — it evolves. For me, that evolution led to the land. I saw an opportunity to not only build a livelihood but to actively heal degraded landscapes, support clean energy, and demonstrate that veterans can lead the way in sustainable agriculture."
Darnell started with just 9 sheep, no farming background, and a steep learning curve. Early mistakes taught hard lessons, but the same resilience that carried him through deployment carried him through those challenges. Today, managing 200+ sheep across Georgia solar installations, Darnell knows that farming was the mission he was always meant to find after the military.
"Farming is service — just in a different uniform. Every day I am stewarding land for future generations, producing food for my community, and demonstrating that agriculture can be a climate solution. The mission has changed, but the commitment has not. Through the Farmer Veteran Coalition Georgia Chapter, I help other veterans find their footing in agriculture. Through solar grazing, I help America meet clean energy goals while keeping land productive. That is all service. Being an American farmer means being a guardian of something sacred. As we celebrate America's 250th birthday, I feel the weight and honor of carrying forward what generations of farmers built before me. The farm is where I continue to serve — for my community, for fellow veterans, and for the next generation of American farmers."
