The summit will run from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Doc Bryan Student Service Center at 1605 N. Coliseum Dr. on the Arkansas Tech campus. The event will offer panel discussions and speakers that will help prepare military veterans for potential careers in the agriculture field, while educating them about employment opportunities that surround the agriculture industry, Arkansas’ largest business sector. The combined impact from Arkansas agriculture is more than $20 billion annually, with roughly 1 in 6 jobs in the state connected to agriculture.

“Agriculture is a fundamental industry to our state economy. It’s an industry that requires independence, hard work and innovation and that’s a natural fit for those that have served in our military – active, guard or reserve,” said Col. Nate Todd, secretary of the Arkansas Department of Veterans Affairs. “Simply put veterans and farming is a great match.”

Arkansas Secretary of Agriculture Wes Ward also sees strong opportunities for veterans in agriculture.

“Arkansas has a large veteran population made up of individuals that are highly trained and well suited for careers in agriculture,” said Ward. “Our goal with the Veterans 4 Ag Summit is to ensure that every veteran in Arkansas is aware of available resources and the many career opportunities that exist within this industry. In Arkansas, we’re proud of our agricultural heritage and we’re proud of our military veterans. This summit brings both together."

The Arkansas Department of Veterans Affairs, the Arkansas Department of Agriculture and Arkansas Farm Bureau are jointly organizing the Veterans 4 Ag Summit. Various agriculture and veteran’s organizations will be on hand to provide attendees with networking opportunities and the chance to speak one-on-one with industry partners.

“We are proud to be one of the leaders of Veterans 4 Agriculture in Arkansas and we’re excited to be part of a program that highlights opportunities in agriculture for our military veterans,” said Randy Veach, president of the Arkansas Farm Bureau. “All of the previous summits have been well-received and well-attended, so we expect strong interest for this latest event in Russellville.”

For more information on Veterans 4 Agriculture, the upcoming summit and a link to free registration visit http://bit.ly/Vets4Ag.

Arkansas Farm Bureau is a nonprofit, private advocacy organization with more than 190,000 families throughout the state working to improve farm and rural life.

For more information, contact:

Steve Eddington                                                                       
(501) 228-1383                                                                         
steve.eddington@arfb.com

or

Rob Anderson
(501) 228-1640
rob.anderson@arfb.com