Acadiana Veterans See Inexperienced in Rising LSUE Ag Packages

Connecting Veterans With Alternatives in Agriculture

By the most important grant in current LSU Eunice historical past, from the Delta Regional Authority,
the faculty will start welcoming college students right into a free Introduction to Agriculture
class this spring. The course will probably be mixed with skills-based coaching in considered one of
4 areas—newbie cattleman, grasp farmer, crop analyst or FAA drone certification,
together with a enterprise administration certification.

Army veterans within the area have been actively concerned in serving to LSUE get the grant
and construct the brand new tech-driven agribusiness certificates packages, a part of Sustaining
Future Farms in Louisiana at LSUE. Certainly one of them is David Billings, a U.S. Military veteran
and co-founder of Coastal Plains Meat Firm in Eunice, which is Louisiana’s main
beef harvester.

“We assist LSUE and have partnered with them to construct an internship program at Coastal
Plains Meat Firm for college students,” Billings mentioned, who acquired his personal grasp cattleman
certification by means of the LSU AgCenter. “Not solely are we attempting to maintain Louisiana
beef in Louisiana; we’re trying to rent graduates popping out of LSUE.”

With the ability to entry skills-based certificates packages proper in Eunice, in addition to
a brand new Affiliate of Science in Agriculture diploma at LSUE, may very well be of nice assist to
veterans transitioning right into a profession exterior of the navy, Billings mentioned. Present
LSUE scholar and Military veteran Adam Guillory from Mamou, Louisiana, agrees. He’ll
take the Introduction to Agriculture class this spring and pursue FAA drone certification.

“After being in conflict and present process stress, getting my arms into the soil retains me
grounded,” Guillory mentioned. “I’m all for drone expertise as a result of I feel it could possibly
clear up numerous issues in agriculture. Utilizing expertise, we are able to shield the land
and develop wholesome meals.”

David Billings, Military veteran, co-owner of Coastal Plains Meat Firm and graduate
of the LSU AgCenter’s grasp cattleman program, has partnered with LSUE to assist
agribusiness schooling for veterans and “hold Louisiana beef in Louisiana.” He’s the
fourth era of Billings to hitch the navy; his son Peyton is the fifth.

– Picture courtesy of David Billings