Giving Compass' Take:

• Food Tank interviews Lyndsey Antanitis, the Veteran Farmer Program Coordinator at the Rodale Institute, who discusses the intersection between military life and farming. 

• What are the benefits for veterans interested in farming and is there access to this industry?

• Read about other opportunities for veterans. 

Lyndsey Antanitis is the Veteran Farmer Program Coordinator at the Rodale Institute, an independent research institute for organic farming. She is a farmer, healthcare professional, and veteran with a passion for helping others and providing opportunities within organic agriculture.

The Rodale Institute was founded in 1947 in Kutztown, PA and today the institute focuses particularly on compost, soil health, weed and pest management, livestock operations, organic certification, wastewater treatment, and climate change. It is home to the longest running comparative study of organic and chemical agriculture, started in 1981.

Food Tank had the opportunity to talk to Lyndsey Antanitis about getting started as an organic farmer and how veterans can help farming while farming helps veterans:

Food Tank (FT): How did you get interested in organic agriculture?

Lyndsey Antanitis (LA): I’ve always been interested in organic agriculture; my mother was always making sure we ate healthy food growing up. I realized my passion for it when I was watching OMG-GMO, and people didn’t seem to have any inkling of where their food came from, what was in it, how it was grown, etc.

FT: In what ways does farming help veterans and how do veterans help farming?

LA: Farming is a lifestyle that is very similar to the military in many ways. Big Picture: your beliefs are manifested through your actions (this is a lifestyle not a 9 to 5 job), you are serving a greater good, you are part of a small, elite community. Little Picture: using skills you already possess, physical lifestyle, must think on your feet, one mission—many ways to get there. Veterans are able to bring their drive, desire for physical labor, and experience with adapting to different situations to ensure the mission is done.

Read the full article about how organic farming can help veterans by Brian Frederick at Food Tank.