Co-FounderFarmers Assisting Returning Military (F.A.R.M)
Steve Smith joined the U.S. Army in 1998 and served in the infantry in the 1st of the 9th Calvary at Fort Hood, Texas, until 2002. Upon exiting the military, Steve pursued a degree in business management. He was recalled for a short time through the Individual Ready Reserve for 18 months of military service in support of OIF 05-06. During that time, Steve performed base security and QRF operations while attached to the Wisconsin National Guard in Kuwait.
Upon receiving an honorable discharge from the military for the second time in 2007, Steve purchased a construction company and pursued a career in green building technologies at Cedar Valley Community College. In 2011, he started an urban farming operation in Dallas called Eat The Yard. Steve partnered with his Army buddy James Jeffers to become leaders in the urban agriculture movement in Dallas.
Steve is helping establish a food access and urban agriculture plan for Dallas. He sits on a board of advisors that is helping rewrite the city code and zoning regulations on urban agriculture to allow better access to fresh fruits and vegetables, and to promote urban agriculture as a viable business model and necessary tool to feed an urban population. After realizing the healing powers of growing food, seeing many military members needing help in his area, and losing to suicide several friends he served with, Steve joined his friend James and three leaders from their old unit to start the non-profit organization F.A.R.M. (Farmers Assisting Returning Military). They are building a center in the heart of downtown Dallas as an urban farm park, which will provide training, camaraderie, and healing to veterans.
Website:F.A.R.M – https://www.farmvet.org/