Army veteran starts nonprofit

WILKINSON, Ind. — Joe Ricker wears many hats: army veteran, farmer and nonprofit founder, to name a few.

Ricker is the founder of At Ease Orchard and Veterans IN Farming. Both of the organizations give veterans interested in farming tools, training and support.

“To me, success is seeing the smile on people’s faces and seeing them get where they want to be — even if it’s sometimes a painful journey,” Ricker said.

His own journey included 30 years of service in the Army, deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, and two tours at the Pentagon.

“I think just as a I grew into the military, I grew into agriculture,” he said. “I did not do it as a kid. I grew up in a suburb of Chicago. The longer I was in the service, the more I wanted a peaceful life. That’s why I bought 10 acres in Indiana.”

On his farm, he raises goats, bees and chickens. He also has a high tunnel for produce and an apple orchard.

“At Ease Orchard started with me being deployed and meeting some special forces soldiers that really liked beekeeping,” he recalled.

“I started taking classes on beekeeping. Then I got the specialty crop grant when I moved to Indiana. It kind of just grew from there.”

Now his mission is to give veterans who want a taste of agriculture experiences to help them learn.

With the help of grants, Ricker partners with organizations like Hoosier Uplands and the Indiana AgVets program to help veterans gain new skills.

“We like to give people experiences before they fully invest in it,” he said. “And then we complement that with our partnerships.

“We have a licensed clinical social worker who volunteers with us — that way if they come in with a therapeutic need, we can share resources.

“Some people are going to decide it’s not for them and make a career change, which I think is great. They may end up wanting to be a farmhand, or getting a CDL. All of that is part of the ag lifestyle.”

The current government shutdown means funding for grants is in limbo, but Ricker is optimistic that the administration will support grants for veterans in agriculture.

“As the government reopens and we can get more funding, we’re developing a program called the Vet Farm Network,” he said. “We’re going to pair up veterans with skilled mentors to help them on their path.

“We’re going to do summits in other states. We’ll also have webinars, information and education materials for veterans.”

In the meantime, Ricker continues working on the farm and helping fellow veterans.

“Veterans Day has become a reflective time for me,” he said. “I try to focus on what I can do moving forward to help veterans. And it reminds me of the veterans I’ve served with.”

Learn more about At Ease Orchard at www.ateaseorchard.org.