AgVOLs Veterans in Ag | UT Center of Farm Management

The Tennessee AgVets Opportunities on FarmLand (TN AgVOLs) Program is a partnership of TN agricultural service providers. We aim to increase the participation of transitioning service members (TSM) and veterans into agriculture. Program activities will focus on connecting military personnel with disabilities and aspiring veteran beginning farmers with the technical assistance, education, financial support, and hands-on training needed to succeed at launching new or expanding existing agricultural businesses in TN rural communities. AgVOLs partner organizations include lead applicant non-profit Appalachian Resource Conservation & Development Council, The University of Tennessee (UTCFM, TN AgrAbility, UT Extension), TN State University’s TN New Farmer Academy, Fort Campbell (the largest military installation in TN), Farmer Veteran Coalition of TN (FVC TN), TN Department of Ag Home Grown by Heroes, and USDA.

Internships for Veterans and TSMs

We help veterans locate farms and ag-related businesses to intern with. If you are a veteran that is interested in agriculture and want to gain valuable, hands-on experience, then reach out and we will help you find internships to match your goals. If you are a service member preparing for separation from service, we work with the Career Skills Program to establish an ag-related internship for you.

Explore our internship host sites

If interested, please fill out our intake form.

Complete Intake Form

Interested in Becoming a Mentorship Host Site?

Do you have a farm or ag-related business? Would you be willing to host a veteran to gain knowledge, experience, and confidence on your farm or with your business? Show your support for our veterans by becoming a Farm Mentor! Veterans are looking to conduct internships on farms throughout Tennessee.

Fill out our application and we will be in touch shortly to talk about opportunities.

Complete Application

AgVOLs Veteran Internship Program Handbook

Have Questions? Reach out to our Eastern Region Veteran Program Coordinator – Sarah Moffit – sarah@agvols.org – (865) 421-9127 or our Central and Western Veteran Program Coordinator – Charley Jordan- charley@agvols.org – (731) 407-6654

Educational Opportunities & Scholarships

We can help you find and potentially fund the right educational opportunity for you! We work directly with UT Ag Extension and TSU Cooperative Extension as well as private vendors and non-for-profits to find the most relevant educational programs for the veteran farmer. We encourage you to reach out to your County Agent to find local educational opportunities.

Educational Opportunities that may be Available for Scholarship:

UT Master Beef
UT Master Small Ruminant
UT Master Row Crop
UT Master Nursery Producer
UT Master Farm Manager
UT Farming Fundamentals
TSU’s New Farmer Academy
UT Master Beekeeping
UT Master Horse
UT Master Backyard Poultry
UT Master Commercial Poultry
UT Master Dairy
UT Master Gardner
UT Master Farm Family Health & Wellness

Don’t see what you want to take listed here? That’s ok! Please fill out the intake form and let us know about the class, it may qualify for a scholarship.

If interested in our Scholarship Program, please fill out our scholarship application.

AgVOLs offers up to $250 in reimbursement for veterans completing approved agriculture-related training (examples: UT Extension Master Series, New Farmer Academy, Pick TN Conference, ….).

How it works:

Confirm with AgVOL’s veteran coordinators if it is an approved educational opportunity.
Pay your registration fee.
Attend the full training.
Complete the application by clicking the button below.
Email your payment receipt and digital copy of your course completion certificate to ebell@utk.edu.
Approved applications are processed for reimbursement.

Complete Application

Education and Outreach

2026 Tennessee New Farmer Academy Series

Registration for the 2026 Tennessee New Farmer Academy series is OPEN for all locations and classes start in March.

Fee: $200 per person (includes textbook, materials, and lunches). Eligible for scholarship.

Download the program registration form below for the session you would like to attend and return it to the address specified on the form.

Knox County Tennessee Registration (once per month March – August 2026)

Middle Tennessee Registration (March – September 2026 on the 3rd Monday of each month)

West Tennessee Registration (April—October on the 4th Thursday of each month)

Southeast Central Tennessee Registration (March—September on the 3rd Friday of each month)

AgVOLs Workshops

We will be hosting 2-day workshops throughout the year in East, Middle, and West Tennessee to provide hands-on training, networking, and in-person education for our veterans. These workshops will include classes pertaining to both the production and business side of farming. There will also be an additional opportunity to get one-on-one help with completing a business plan.