Indiana farmer and retired Army Col. Joe Ricker has been recognized by the American Farm Bureau Federation and the Farm Credit System for his work supporting veterans through agriculture.
After serving 30 years in the Army – including an active duty stint in Afghanistan, working at the Pentagon and ascending the leadership ranks to Colonel – Ricker purchased a farm in Indiana with his family in 2016.
With his close proximity to Purdue University, Ricker got involved with the AgriAbility Project, a partnership with local partners, USDA, Farm Credit Mid-America and the university, among others. The adaptive program assists farmers, ranchers and ag workers with disabilities so they can remain in the workforce. After a contract position, he now serves as AgriAbility’s veteran outreach coordinator.
“I don't think every veteran is going to be the perfect match for owning a homestead or a farm, but I think every veteran has a home within agriculture whether it's flying drones to spray crops, managing animals or being a farmhand,” Ricker told Agri-Pulse. “There's just a lot of agriculture that helps therapeutically and helps keep the community of veterans together by giving them a new community.”
Nine percent of U.S. producers served in the military and about 23% of producers who are veterans have farmed less than 11 years, according to the 2022 USDA Census of Agriculture.
Ricker examines beehives with Jenn Schumaker and Tim Robbins. (Photo: American Farm Bureau Federation)The inaugural Veteran Farmer Award of Excellence, presented by the American Farm Bureau Federation with support from Farm Credit, recognizes veterans or service members for excellence in farming or agriculture who are positively impacting their local communities. Individuals from 34 states were nominated this year.
“Joe’s the very first recipient of this award that we hope lasts for a long time,” said Zippy Duvall, president of the American Farm Bureau Federation. “We're reaching out to our veteran families and saying ‘If you're going back to your community and you're interested in agriculture, we want to make sure you're recognized and help you be a part of that community and be part of our industry.’”
In addition to his current work at AgriAbility, Ricker has created two nonprofit organizations: At Ease Orchard, a nonprofit that introduces veterans, first responders and their family members to beekeeping, and Veterans IN Farming, which provides Indiana veterans with farming training and support. He also works with the Michigan Food and Farming Systems program Heroes to Hives that trains veterans in beekeeping to support financial and personal wellness.
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“As people come home from overseas and after serving and transition back to civilian lives, some of them struggle a little bit and agriculture is a great outlet for that,” said Todd Van Hoose, president and CEO of the Farm Credit Council. “The skills, the dedication, the selflessness that it takes to be successful in the military is something that it takes to be successful in agriculture.”
“I just can't tell you how thrilled we were to learn of Colonel Ricker’s story, because he's having an amazing impact out there,” Van Hoose added.
Ricker with his wife, Annette, and Christina Magers, Dawn Marie, and Jenn Schumaker near a beehive. (Photo: American Farm Bureau Federation)Ricker says the nonprofits he’s created and his role with AgriAbility is unique because the programs allow veterans to build community with others who understand their service.
“I think there's a benefit to veterans being next to veterans. When they get their hands in the dirt, some of them with issues start to come open to another veteran,” Ricker said. “It kind of brings that camaraderie back, but it also allows a veteran, especially if they have an issue, to be more comfortable with opening up because it's hard to open up to a doctor at the VA.”
The American Farm Bureau Federation will present Ricker with the Veteran Farmer Award of Excellence at the organization’s annual convention in January, including a $10,000 cash prize. He plans to use the reward to train additional veterans in beekeeping as well as improve outreach and national networking.
“I like to say that I don't grow stuff,” Ricker added. “I try to grow veterans into farmers.”
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