WHO WE ARE

Who We Are

Veterans to Farmers trains veterans in agricultural systems, technologies, and business operations for a fulfilling and sustainable lifestyle

Mission & Values

The mission of Veterans to Farmers is to train veterans in agricultural systems, technologies and business operations for a fulfilling and sustainable lifestyle.

Veterans to Farmers offers an opportunity for our men and women who have sacrificed so much to be our protectors. We offer a way to recover, to learn, and to move forward by becoming our providers, contributing to the solution of our food insecure nation.

Our History

In 2009, Veterans to Farmers Founder and U.S. Marine Corps veteran Buck Adams established Circle Fresh Farms. Starting with a 12,000 square ft greenhouse and turning it into a 12 farm collaborative with a total of 5 acres of greenhouse within 3 years. Circle Fresh becoming the largest organic greenhouse grower in Colorado at that time. In 2011, he established a company initiative to train and hire fellow veterans. After employing a few veterans to learn in the greenhouse environment, word spread. Before he knew it there where many eager veterans willing to learn. Adams realized that the interest from veterans was much greater than anticipated and as a result, Veterans to Farmers was formed in 2013.

In 2014 Veterans to Farmers Founding Member and Program Director, Richard Murphy began working tirelessly on the development of the VTF training program. After working closely with Buck Adams and partnering with established educators like CSU’s Extension Offices and Denver Botanic Gardens, VTF was ready to plant its first seeds. All the hard work and dedication paid off, by the summer of 2014 VTF was training its first veteran farmers!

In 2017, after instructing countless hours and mentoring over 100 veteran graduates Richard took on the role as Executive Director for Veterans to Farmers when Buck stepped down. Richard has been an enthusiastic advocate for veteran support and local food security, he can often be found speaking at veteran and agricultural events across the state. Under his leadership, VTF plans to continue to train and grow their veteran family one farmer at a time.

Veteran Grown, Veteran Owned

Resources for our men and women in uniform are often difficult to attain and navigate through when they return to civilian life. What was once their home can seem as foreign as the lands they are returning from. Without the regimented and structured discipline, they grew to depend on, re-assimilating can be extremely difficult.

Couple this with physical injuries and mental health issues and the picture can be startlingly bleak.

Veterans to Farmers offers opportunities for these men and women who have sacrificed so much to be our protectors. Our curriculum and community provide ways to recover, learn, and move forward by becoming our providers, contributing to the solution of our aging farmer problem and food insecure nation:

Farming utilizes many of the same skills required in the military—hard work, attention to detail, and service before self. It has also been proven to provide therapeutic benefits for many types of trauma, including PTSD and TBI.
We seek out partnerships with established farms that provide many different training and employment opportunities for our veteran graduates.
Our program also connects veterans to necessary resources, such as further training opportunities, veteran-related grant opportunity, business development classes, and a strong, welcoming community. VTF mentors are always available to graduates free of charge as consultants for future agriculture endeavors.
Even if the veteran is not looking to take on an agricultural business endeavor, we are happy to provide them a healthy space to learn and grow in. At a minimum, the graduate will have learned how to grow clean and healthy food for themselves and their family.
VTF believes that every veteran has an opportunity for a “Second Service”. To reach out and actively support their veteran family where they best can. Our graduates are strongly encouraged to teach, support, and lend a hand to fellow veterans. We work on the belief that with enough of us answering that call we can make a notable difference.