November 12, 2025
From Service to Soil: Supporting Veterans with Disabilities in Agriculture
Join Florida AgrAbility for our 4th Quarter Webinar featuring Keith Gerena, Veterans Employment Training Services Manager at Veterans Florida. A proud U.S. Marine Corps veteran with deep agricultural roots, Keith will share his journey from growing up on a sustainable family farm in Puerto Rico to helping veterans across Florida transition into fulfilling civilian careers, many of which begin in the field.
This webinar will focus on how veterans with disabilities can access career training, hands-on agricultural experiences, and vital support services through programs like Veterans Florida Agriculture. Learn about SkillBridge internships, entrepreneurial pathways, and how real-world experience and military work ethic can translate into meaningful agricultural opportunities.
This webinar will focus on how veterans with disabilities can access career training, hands-on agricultural experiences, and vital support services through programs like Veterans Florida Agriculture. Learn about SkillBridge internships, entrepreneurial pathways, and how real-world experience and military work ethic can translate into meaningful agricultural opportunities.
Targeting Youth
Populations in Agricultural Programming
Presented by Vanessa Spero
Join Dr. Vanessa Spero, Regional Specialized 4-H Extension Agent, UF/IFAS, for a one-hour webinar hosted by Florida AgrAbility focused on strategies for effectively reaching youth, especially youth with disabilities, through agricultural programming. This session will explore key findings from Dr. Spero’s dissertation, successful pilot programs like “Barnyard Challengers,” and how Extension professionals can build inclusive, empowering youth-focused initiatives in agriculture. Whether you’re already working with youth or just beginning to explore this opportunity, you’ll leave with tangible tools and ideas to take back to your programs.