The mission of Colorado's Veterans to Farmers is "to provide American veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts with pride, education and fulfillment through a permanent source of sustainable income, community and contribution: The family farm. Veterans will be taught how to build environmentally controlled greenhouses of uniform size and design that utilize methods of high-tech, controlled environment crop culture."
Nebraska's Combat Boots to Cowboy Boots "assists military personnel and their families to become farmers, ranchers and business entrepreneurs ... matching up beginning farmers and ranchers with existing mentors. Working with the USDA Farm Service Agency and organizations, they have developed a program to assist with business plans to address 30-year property transfers, as one generation hands the land over to the next."
Dulanie (left) and Meryl Ann (right) visit John Wilson 11.09.13
(Image by Meryl Ann Butler) Details DMCA
Pennsylvania's Veteran Organic Farm Program is a one-year certificate program that includes "classroom subjects in organic farming and hands-on experience at the Rodale Farm during the summer. Vets who are eligible for the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill will have up to 100% of their tuition paid, in addition to funds for housing and bills. The curriculum includes business development skills and career placement assistance."
A screening of GROUND OPERATIONS: Battlefields to Farmfields will be held in Washington DC on Tues. Nov. 12, at 6:30 pm, at the Capitol Visitor Center theater for Congressional members, staff and NGOs. The event will be hosted by Elizabeth Kucinich, Policy Director for the Center For Food Safety. A Congressional briefing will follow on November 13 at the House Rayburn building. Speakers at the screenings include Buck Adams, founder of Veterans to Farmers (Denver), D'Artagnan Scorza, founder of the Social Justice Learning Institute (Los Angeles) and Vu Ngyuen of Mission Continue's 1st Platoon (Washington DC).
Trailer: Website: http://www.groundoperations.net
Additional Resources: http://www.groundoperations.net/get-involved/
Blog: http://www.groundoperations.net/blog
Facebook: http://wwwfacebook.com/GroundOperations
RECIPE
I brought home some of those crisp green tomatoes from New Earth Farm. It had been over 30 years since I'd made fried green tomatoes, and I was excited. They were tasty, but I'd only gotten a few fried up when I remembered why I hadn't done it in 30 years -- it's time consuming and messy. And after years of cooking for 8 kids and a couple of husbands, I've streamlined my kitchen experiences.
So after I'd eaten enough fried green tomatoes to scratch the itch, I googled green tomato recipes, got inspired by a few, and developed what I now consider to be the definitive recipe for green tomatoes. These were so simple and delicious, I will probably never cook them another way again! You can go read a book while this roasts in the oven all by itself, and you don't have to be precise about any part of the recipe.
Oven Roasted Green Tomatoes
Green tomatoes, washed, and halved (or quartered, depending on size) with any bad spots removed.
Coconut oil (if it's not liquid at room temp, heat it a little 'til it is. I started with a couple of tablespoons in a little glass cup, adding more as needed. Other oils could be substituted, but when I found out how healthful coconut oil is, I got rid of my other oils... it's yummy too.)
Salt, pepper, herbs/spices (such as Italian seasoning) as desired
Cookie pan with a rim
Preheat oven to about 275 - 300 degrees. Dip the tomatoes in the oil to cover, and place on the pan. (The pan needs to have a rim so the juicy stuff doesn't drip. This is an easy recipe...you don't want to ruin it by having to clean the oven!) Sprinkle with salt, pepper, herbs/spices to taste. Place in oven to roast and check on it in an hour or two.
The green tomatoes will have turned into bite-sized bursts of flavor. I had planned to save them to add to soups, but they were so delicious I ate them all!
Added March 23, 2014: Read Marta Steele's great review of this movie on OpEdNews, "Ground Operations: Battle Fields to Farm Fields: Happy Earth Day to Returning Vets," here.
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