A newly established award recognizes veterans or service members for excellence in farming or agriculture and positively impacting local communities. Retired Army Col. Joe Ricker of Indiana is the first recipient of the Veteran Farmer Award of Excellence presented by the American Farm Bureau Federation with support from Farm Credit. 

Ricker served 30 years in the Army before retiring from a logistics post at the Pentagon in 2022. His service included tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. Since leaving the Army, his commitment to excellence in farming and enriching the lives of veterans has blossomed in a myriad of ways in both his local community of Wilkinson, Indiana, and across the country

Ricker started At Ease Orchard, a nonprofit that introduces veterans, first responders and their family members to beekeeping and other farm activities. He also founded Veterans IN Farming, which provides veterans in Indiana with training and support to succeed in farming.

He’s also involved with Heroes to Hives through Michigan Food & Farming Systems, which uses beekeeping to help veterans achieve financial and personal wellness. For the last several years, he has served as veteran outreach coordinator for the National AgrAbility Project, which helps farmers, ranchers and agricultural workers with disabilities remain in the workforce.

Applications for Veteran Farmer Award of Excellence were reviewed by a panel with a wide range of backgrounds. Excellence in farming and community impact were the primary criteria used to evaluate the applications and select the inaugural honoree.

“We’re proud to elevate and celebrate Col. Joe Ricker for his past service to our country and current involvement in agriculture and local communities,” said AFBF President Zippy Duvall. “We greatly appreciate the sacrifices of veterans and active service members so we can enjoy the freedoms we have in our country, and I’m delighted to highlight their contributions to agriculture, too.”

Ability to assess risk, aptitude for planning and patience are among the skills gained from military service that Ricker has found transition well to agriculture. Through the training classes he conducts in beekeeping and other types of agriculture for veterans, he offers an ear and more formally, referrals for mental health support and resources.

“I feel successful and worth my time if I save one [person] from hurting themselves,” Ricker said. He added that he’s excited about using the $10,000 cash prize for the award to train additional veterans in beekeeping and also improve outreach and national networking.   

AFBF will present Ricker with the Veteran Farmer Award of Excellence at the organization’s 2025 convention, to be held Jan. 24-29 in San Antonio, Texas.