Military Veterans in Agriculture: Why Ag Employers Want to Hire Veterans

Happy Veterans’ Day and Remembrance Day! On behalf of AgCareers.com, I want to say thank you to all who have served their country so that we may enjoy the freedoms and livelihoods that we have.

AgCareers.com is very dedicated to the employment and advancement of military veterans in agriculture. Since 2012, we have carried the Ag Warriors program forward, assisting military men and women in search of careers within the agriculture and food industries. We have partnered with leading agricultural employers including CHS, Inc., DuPont Pioneer, and Tyson Foods to promote the active recruitment and employment of veterans in agriculture.

AgCareers.com also recently completed a survey entitled “Veterans & Military Professionals in the Agricultural Workplace.” You can view the full results here, or a quick snapshot, but as a summary, it’s important that veterans know that agricultural employers want to hire them. Here are some key findings from the survey that veterans can take note of:

Key Findings for Veterans in Agriculture:

• 81% of the agricultural employers who had completed the survey reported that they had hired a veteran within the last three years.
• According to employers, the top three characteristics veterans bring to the workplace include discipline, reliability, and leadership.
• 73% of employers felt that military veterans were best suited for middle management roles. 42% felt that veterans were well-suited for executive roles as well.*
• 66% of employers encountered no challenges while employing veterans.

For agricultural employers who had encountered challenges that hindered their pursuit to recruit and hire veterans, a lack of knowledge about the agricultural industry and experience was the most cited challenge.

Veterans also responded well to the survey, with 47% saying that they felt the agricultural industry was a more viable career path than others for veterans returning to the civilian workforce. 57% of veterans felt that military veterans are widely welcomed and accepted into the agricultural industry.

If you are a veteran and interested in employment in agriculture, we encourage you to visit AgCareers.com and register as an Ag Warrior. You can learn more about this program and how to get started as an Ag Warrior by visiting the Ag Warriors page complete with an informative video.

Again, happy Veterans Day and Remembrance Day. Thank you, veterans for your service.

*Totals do not equal 100%. Respondents were allowed to select more than one response.