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Published 5:00 pm Wednesday, November 11, 2026
By Jesse Teel — Alabama Cooperative Extension System
An initiative of the Alabama Cooperative Extension System (ACES) known as Operation Grow aims to assist military veterans and their families who seek an entry into the state’s opportunities in farming and farm careers.
Operation Grow — an ACES project made in partnership with the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries — provides special emphasis on the training needs of military veterans who are interested in agriculture for health and employment benefits.
Overall, Operation Grow supports grassroots educational and networking efforts that are inclusive of all veterans and their families, with universal access to information and resources.
Training: Provide a three-step farm planning support system to military veterans interested in farming using hands-on, on-farm, and digital media-based training (integrate technical, experiential, and social learning for veteran-owned farms).
Network with other veteran support agencies and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) for extending current knowledge base and assess future needs.
Sustainable support for veteran farmers with localized multiagency collaboration to increase farming success. Beginning veteran farmers may also loan farm equipment as part of the support services.
Want to learn more about Operation Grow? Check out the Alabama Extension publications Operation Grow for Beginning Veteran Farmers 2023 Annual Report and Operation Grow Outcomes and Impacts .
To register for Operation Grow, visit https://www.aces.edu/go/6900 .
If you are a military veteran and interested in establishing a training schedule in your county, contact a commercial horticulture Extension agent or county Extension director . Use the Farming Basics mobile app to locate your county-based contacts easily and to connect to a vast array of digital and social media resources—such as the Farming Basics online course; a crop, insect, disease, and weed database; and social media tools.
For more information on the Alabama Beginning Farmer Program, visit www.AlabamaBeginningFarmer.com . Typically, several personnel from nongovernmental organizations, state agencies like Natural Resources Conservation Service and Farm Service Agency, and Extension educators form the local support network for new producers.
The Operation Grow Hardware and Equipment Loan Program (OG-HELP) provides farm equipment to designated Alabama counties to offset the upstart cost of agriculture. Equipment is owned and maintained by the OG-HELP implementation team and housed at either a research and Extension center or a county Extension office.
Beginning veteran farmers may schedule and return equipment upon agreement, allowing for a sharing/cost-cutting system. Read more about the Hardware and Equipment Loan Program on the OG-HELP web page at www.aces.edu/go/5283 .
Want to keep up with the latest information? Subscribe to the Beginning Farmer/Operation Grow newsletter. Each issue features information such as program updates, upcoming events and trainings, funding opportunities, educational resources, and opportunities to connect with other beginning and veteran farmers across Alabama.
To subscribe, visit https://mailchi.mp/aces/alabama-beginning-farmer-and-operation-grow-newsletter-signup .