Veterans Find New Purpose Through Farming

Quick Smiles:

• Virginia’s Arcadia Center offers veterans a fresh start through farming.
• Veteran-run training provides agricultural skills and healing opportunities.
• Military spouses also discover fulfillment growing food for communities.

A Virginia farm is opening its gates to veterans, inviting them to learn the art of farming and discover a meaningful new career after military service.

The Arcadia Center for Sustainable Food believes veterans are naturally equipped for agriculture, combining physical endurance, resilience, and teamwork skills with a passion for serving their communities.

Through the Veteran Farmers Training Program just outside Arlington, former servicemembers are taught essential farming techniques both on the land and in the classroom, led by those who understand their unique journeys.

Ephesia Sutton, a US Army veteran of 20 years, now guides fellow veterans as they grow fresh, nutritious produce for their families and neighbors.

“I left the military with PTSD, depression, and anxiety, and I would rather be anywhere else when dealing with those symptoms. This is the place that relaxes me,” said Sutton from a field thriving with collard greens and tomatoes.

“Knowing the work that I’m doing every time I put my hands in the soil is going to provide for a family, for somebody in this community, that just gives me the push to be out here every day,” she added.

With new waves of veterans retiring, and an aging farming population nationwide, Arcadia sees an opportunity to address both challenges by inspiring and supporting veterans to become the next generation of growers.

The program’s approach pays veterans during their training, assists with land access, and helps them connect with thriving markets for organic and local foods, breathing new life into agriculture while fostering a sense of purpose.

Military spouses, often putting career aspirations on hold during deployments, are also finding renewed purpose tending Arcadia’s fields and gardens.

Stories like these show the power of second chances and the strength found in coming together to serve others—this time, through the land itself.

Feeling inspired by these dedicated veterans and their families? Share their story and spread the good news!

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