From Service to Soil: How VFNC Gives Veterans a New Mission
For Robert Elliott, a United States Marine Corps veteran and Executive Director of the Veterans Farm of North Carolina (VFNC), joining the military was his ticket off the family farm. After a 15-year military career, however, agriculture became the purpose he needed to find mental clarity and stability after his service.
As Elliott found success in his own agricultural pursuits, word began to spread. Other veterans started reaching out, searching for the same camaraderie and connection that had once been found in uniform, now with a shared interest in farming. From those conversations, VFNC was born.
Today, the organization serves veterans across North Carolina with three core pillars:
· A New Mission for Veterans
· Bridging Military and Agriculture
· Community Building and Support
“VFNC reflects upon the meaning of Memorial Day, literally, every day by honoring those still here, giving them a purpose after the military, and connecting them to a new 'unit' of brothers and sisters to support each other for the years to come,” Elliot said. “All of which are based on combatting the battles we face at home.”
The Veteran’s Farm of North Carolina isn’t just teaching farming, it’s rebuilding the networks that once defined rural life. Founded by veterans, for veterans, VFNC helps servicemembers transition into agriculture with confidence, skills, and a strong support system.
“American agriculture is suffering in many ways,” Elliot explains. “The average age of a farmer is 58 years old, and only 1% of the American population is a farmer now (30% in the 1930s). Because of the difficulty of making a farm work today, many farm kids (like me) chose a different route into the world than ag.”
But the veteran community brings unique qualities to the table: tenacity, discipline, and the perseverance to see the mission through. VFNC’s goal is to equip veterans with practical skills and resources to rebuild the agricultural knowledge that’s been lost in just a generation or two and, ideally, begin to tip the scales back toward a thriving, resilient agricultural workforce.
VFNC provides various programs that work with active duty military and veterans to learn everything from livestock and grazing systems to vegetable production, to beekeeping, and business planning. While many arrive thinking they want to raise cattle, often drawn by the adrenaline of working around a potentially dangerous animal, participants can discover their areas of interest through hands-on learning opportunities without pursuing significant infrastructure investment, which comes with starting from scratch.
Transitioning out of military service can be difficult. The sudden loss of structure, purpose, and camaraderie can lead to isolation and mental health struggles, but Elliot has seen, firsthand, the power that farming offers these men & women after their service.
“The therapy in farming is the purpose alone,” he said. “When you have livestock that depend on you or they die, you're locked right back into a place of structured purpose. Vets need to be needed, and making a way into farming gives us a new mission outdoors, in nature, and all of that is worth it alone for many of us.”
Memorial Day is a time to remember those lost in war, but also a time to recognize those lost with the war at home; suicide. Over the years, Elliott has heard from multiple veterans who credit this new career path with saving their lives.
“Because of the work that we're doing, we've had seven veterans in the last four years tell us that without VFNC, they wouldn't be here anymore. That's why this work is my calling and what always keeps me getting out of bed.”
When asked what message he most wants to share about supporting veterans on Memorial Day, Elliott offers a powerful perspective.
“I'd like for the public to understand that this is not a day to thank us for our service. It's not about honoring the veterans that are here at all. It's about honoring the ones that gave their lives in whichever manner it was lost,” he says. “It's a day of remembrance for us still here, and any veteran worth their salt would want the ones who were lost to receive all of the attention.”
While debates often flare up online about how people should or shouldn’t spend Memorial Day, Elliott offers this message:
“Please enjoy your time and your families. Cook a burger or a steak, please. It's not about what you're doing with your freedom, because that price was paid; it's about you exercising that freedom and remembering our people that made it possible.”
To learn more or get involved with the Veteran’s Farm of North Carolina, visit https://vfnc.org/who-we-are/
