Veteran Farmers of America Connects County Vets
With Job Opportunities in the Agriculture Industry
 
When Lawrence Parkhill (pictured above) returned from the second of his two Marine Corps deployments to the Middle East, he began thinking about the fact that soldiers coming home from active duty have precious few resources to aid them in 1) determining the employment opportunities available to them and 2) taking advantage of the opportunities that exist. In his work at Mission Produce, Lawrence has broad exposure to the local agricultural industry. In 2013, together with Mary Maranville he founded Veteran Farmers of America with the goal of introducing vets to career opportunities in agriculture.
 
"We introduce veterans to farming," said Lawrence, "by providing them a paid educational hands-on internship at  local forms and agricultural businesses in Ventura County." Lawrence noted that agriculture offers a full range of career paths in a variety of disciplines, including law, finance, sales, operations, and more. "We attempt to match veterans to agricultural employment, either through 80-hour internships or direct positions. He noted that Mission Produce has hired eight veterans in recent months.
 
For more information, Lawrence recommended that people contact Julie Sardonia, the organization's program coordinator, at (805) 797-5539, or visit the website: vetfarm.org.