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Last updated on Thursday, November 8, 2018
(BLOOMFIELD) - With Veterans Day just around the corner, now is the perfect time to highlight a veteran who is serving the Bloomfield community in a new way - by helping to feed it.
Benjamin Riggs, a 14-year U.S. Air Force veteran, owns and operates Four Flags Farm in Bloomfield. Four Flags Farm is proud to be a sustainable agriculture practitioner, specializing in growing primarily heirloom produce from seed.
To help boost his business, Riggs was named one of 50 veterans nationwide to receive a $1,000 Tractor Supply donation in partnership with Farmer Veteran Coalition (FVC) on Armed Forces Day in May 2018. The donation was made possible by FVC's Farmer Veteran Fellowship Fund, which offers assistance to veterans in the early stages of their farming operations.
Riggs purchased farm tires, berry bushes, plant starts, chicken supplies and more with his donation. The tires allowed him to utilize a donated piece of farm equipment that was previously unusable because of dry, rotted tires.
The berry bushes and plant starts expanded his produce area while the chicken supplies grew his farm's egg production.
According to Riggs, without the award, the donated farm equipment would have stayed in his barn indefinitely, and he would have had to wait at least another year to expand his produce and egg production.
His business goals for the upcoming year include expanding his farm's presence at local farmers' markets and exploring additional enterprises like maple syrup and crafts.
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