skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Friday, March 29, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

The latest on the Key Bridge collapse, New York puts forth legislation to get clean energy projects on the grid and Wisconsin and other states join a federal summer food program to help feed kids across the country.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Republicans float conspiracy theories on the collapse of Baltimore's Key Bridge, South Carolina's congressional elections will use a map ruled unconstitutional, and the Senate schedules an impeachment trial for Homeland Secretary Mayorkas.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

Farming: A Viable Post-Military Career for Nebraska Veterans

play audio
Play

author Mary Kuhlman, Managing Editor

 Contact

Monday, February 19, 2018   

LINCOLN, Neb. — Nebraska's rural lands offer abundant opportunities for farming and ranching, and also are home to nearly half of the state's 133,000 military veterans.

This combination makes agriculture a great fit for young men and women returning home from service. Veterans interested in farming and ranching can learn more at the second-annual Answering the Call conference in Hastings.

Jordan Rasmussen, policy program associate with the Center for Rural Affairs, said it's an opportunity to connect with others who have converted their military skills into a career in the field.

"That sense of service that occurs as a member of the military is something that translates into how you approach your work as a farmer,” Rasmussen said. “Farming can be seen as a solitary vocation. That's not really the case. Instead, there is a comradeship that's similar to military service that exists in agriculture."

The March 24 conference is sponsored by the Center for Rural Affairs and Legal Aid of Nebraska. It's a free event, but pre-registration is required by March 16.

Rasmussen said veterans will be able to learn more about programs and resources that can help them get a start in agriculture. And they'll cover other topics for those already in the business including conservation and diversification.

"Whether that be agri-tourism or, in addition to your row crop, growing more of a cash crop like pumpkins or something of that nature,” she said. “And so helping them to find identified different avenues for resource development is part of what we're trying to accomplish here."

She added that farmers looking to transition their ownership to veteran farmers or who are willing to mentor are also encouraged to attend. It's estimated that about half of current farmland will have new ownership in the next 25 years. And Rasmussen said they are hoping to help bridge that gap by connecting experienced farmers with those just getting started.


get more stories like this via email

more stories
The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments this week about the popular abortion pill Mifepristone and will weigh in on whether the U.S. Food and Drug Administration was correct in how it can be dosed and prescribed. (Ascannio/Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

Missouri residents are worried about future access to birth control. The latest survey from The Right Time, an initiative based in Missouri…


Social Issues

play sound

Wisconsin children from low-income families are now on track to get nutritious foods over the summer. Federal officials have approved the Badger …

Social Issues

play sound

Almost 2,900 people are unsheltered on any given night in the Beehive State. Gov. Spencer Cox is celebrating signing nine bills he says are geared …


The U.S. teaching workforce remains primarily white while the percentage of Black teachers has declined. However, the percentage of Asian and Latinx teachers is rising.(WavebreakMediaMicro/Adobestock)

Social Issues

play sound

Education advocates are calling on lawmakers to increase funding for programs to combat the teacher shortage. Around 37% of schools nationwide …

Environment

play sound

New York's Legislature is considering a bill to get clean-energy projects connected to the grid faster. It's called the RAPID Act, for "Renewable …

Social Issues

play sound

Earlier this month, a new Arizona Public Service rate hike went into effect and one senior advocacy group said those on a fixed income may struggle …

Social Issues

play sound

Michigan recently implemented a significant juvenile justice reform package following recommendations from a task force made up of prosecutors…

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021