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Veterans and Heroes to Agriculture — Free Membership and $600 a Year for Training

West Virginia's Department of Agriculture runs a programme for veterans entering or working in agriculture — and for FIRST RESPONDERS, and for SPOUSES AND FAMILY MEMBERS. MEMBERSHIP IS FREE. It pays SCHOLARSHIP REIMBURSEMENT UP TO $600 PER FISCAL YEAR for pre-approved agricultural training, runs an annual agribusiness pitch competition, and offers Homegrown by Heroes branding. The condition that catches people is that you must APPLY BEFORE REGISTERING for the training — reimbursement is not available retrospectively.

Verified August 27, 2026

What this benefit is

West Virginia's Department of Agriculture runs a programme for veterans entering or working in agriculture — and for FIRST RESPONDERS, and for SPOUSES AND FAMILY MEMBERS. MEMBERSHIP IS FREE. It pays SCHOLARSHIP REIMBURSEMENT UP TO $600 PER FISCAL YEAR for pre-approved agricultural training, runs an annual agribusiness pitch competition, and offers Homegrown by Heroes branding. The condition that catches people is that you must APPLY BEFORE REGISTERING for the training — reimbursement is not available retrospectively.

What it's worth: Free membership, with up to $600 a year in training reimbursement

  • MEMBERSHIP IS FREE.
  • SCHOLARSHIP REIMBURSEMENT UP TO $600 PER FISCAL YEAR for PRE-APPROVED agricultural training.
  • YOU MUST APPLY BEFORE REGISTERING for the training. Reimbursement is not retrospective.
  • An annual AGRIBUSINESS PITCH COMPETITION.
  • HOMEGROWN BY HEROES branding.
  • GRANTS UP TO $24,000 to organisations, which is a separate strand from the individual scholarship.
  • It reaches VETERANS, FIREFIGHTERS, LAW ENFORCEMENT AND EMS/FIRST RESPONDERS, and their SPOUSES AND FAMILY MEMBERS.

Who is entitled to it

  • You are in one of the groups this reaches.
  • West Virginia agriculture.

Not sure whether that describes you?

Answer a few questions about this benefit specifically — we only ask what this one actually depends on, and we stop as soon as we know.

How to claim it

Deadline: Apply before registering for training; $600 per fiscal year
  1. 1Join first — membership is free and it is the gateway to the rest.
  2. 2APPLY FOR THE SCHOLARSHIP BEFORE YOU REGISTER for any training. This is where the money is lost.
  3. 3Ask what counts as pre-approved agricultural training before choosing a course.
  4. 4Spouses and family members can join too.
  5. 5Ask about Homegrown by Heroes branding if you sell produce — it is a marketing asset at no cost.
Form
Membership and scholarship application, WV Department of Agriculture
File with
WV Department of Agriculture, Business Development Division
Documents you will need
dd214
Annual
Claimed once a year.
Worth knowingApply before you register. A veteran who books the course first and asks afterwards has forfeited the reimbursement, and that is the most common way this goes wrong.

Sources

This finder provides an informational match, not a government eligibility determination. The responsible agency decides your application.