Program gives Florida veterans a path to agriculture careers

Florida program connects veterans to agriculture

The Veterans Florida Agriculture Program at the University of Florida gives veterans a chance to learn about all aspects of agriculture. FOX 13's Russel Rhodes reports.

TAMPA, Fla. - Eric Autery has agriculture in his blood. He grew up in citrus-rich Polk County.

"I did everything from picking, to fertilizing, to doing everything possible in citrus," he recalled.

On top of that, his family had a farm with chickens, goats, and a garden.

At 18, Eric joined the Army and went off to Fort Hood, Texas. He left his family back in Florida, but not his love of agriculture. He started a garden while deployed in Afghanistan by collecting plants he would find on patrol.

Pictured: Eric Autery in the U.S. Army.

After 20 years in the service, the fields called Eric back. He joined the Veterans Florida Agriculture Program at the University of Florida.

"We saw a need in regard that Florida has a huge number of veterans and there's a need to try to keep them and try to encourage them to get into agriculture," said program director and professor of plant pathology, Dr. Gary Vallad.

The six-month program is a hands-on, immersive experience for veterans to learn about all aspects of agriculture.

Pictured: Eric Autery.

"You're talking about individuals that are highly motivated and very mission-oriented. It’s just perfect for agriculture," said Vallad.

The program has had about 110 graduates, with 100% of them receiving job offers.

Steven Smith graduated from the program and now works for UF. He's a maintenance technician at the Gulf Coast Research Center in Balm.

Pictured: Steven Smith.

"I basically work on every building on the campus, from air conditioning and plumbing to irrigation and electrical. I wear many hats," he described.

Steven served 27 years in the Army and retired in 2018. He feels the skills he learned in the military transfer well into agriculture.

"It's much easier to speak to people, understand where they're coming from and what they're trying to relay to me," he said.

Eric Autery also stayed with UF after finishing the vet program. He's a supervisor over the genetic and plant breeding lab.

Pictured: Eric Autery.

"It makes me feel like I’m in the Army again, like I’m actually serving a purpose for the nation, for the nation to advance in agriculture," he said.

The program is also open to active military personnel who are within six months of fulfilling their service commitment. And right now, there's also a federal grant that gives participants a stipend during the six-month program.

For more information on the program, click here.

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The Source: FOX 13's Russell Rhodes and Corey Beckman gathered the information in this story.

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