Karis Gutter, Agriculture deputy undersecretary for farm and foreign agricultural services, presented challenge coins to the competitors in the Military Chef Barbecue Battle at the opening of the USDA Farmers Market this morning. (Jerry Hagstrom/The Hagstrom Report)   Left: Agriculture Assistant Secretary for Administration Gregory Parham dedicates the 2014 USDA Farmers Market opening ceremony to veterans, especially those who work at the Agriculture Department and live in rural America. Right: Representing farmers who are military veterans were, from left: Calvin Riggleman from West Virginia; Michael O’Gorman, executive director of the Farmer-Veteran Coalition; and Matt Soldano of New Jersey. (Jerry Hagstrom/The Hagstrom Report)

By JERRY HAGSTROM and ALEX GANGITANO

With the 70th anniversary of D-Day coinciding with the opening of the Agriculture Department’s 19th seasonal Farmers’ Market, USDA officials today highlighted veterans who are growing food for farmers’ markets, the growth of markets on military bases to improve the food available to the troops and their families, and military chefs in a barbecue competition.

Assistant Secretary for Administration Gregory Parham, representing Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, dedicated the ceremony to the military veterans who are farmers or work in agriculture and at USDA.

Parham noted that 11 percent of USDA employees are veterans, and that 4 million veterans live in rural America. He also repeated Vilsack’s frequent comment that rural Americans serve in the Armed Forces in “disproportionate numbers.”

Michael O’Gorman, executive director of the Farmer-Veteran Coalition, noted that his organization has begun certifying foods raised by veterans as “Homegrown by Heroes” and that 75 farmers have applied for certification since the program opened on May 15.

Two Iraq war veterans who are now farmers were present, although they did not have stands at the market.

Calvin Riggleman, a Pleasant Dale, W. Va., farmer who served in Iraq in 2003 and 2005, said he sells 90 different foods under the Homegrown by Heroes label at seven markets in the Washington area, including the White House Farmers’ Market on Vermont Avenue between H and I streets, NW.

Matt Soldano, a northern New Jersey farmer who produces pasture-raised and organic beef and poultry, said he has applied for certification.

Agriculture Department Agricultural Marketing Service Administrator Anne Alonzo talks to the USDA officials and members of the public who came to the opening of the 2014 USDA Farmers Market. (Jerry Hagstrom/The Hagstrom Report)

Agricultural Marketing Service Administrator Anne Alonzo also announced that USDA and the Defense Department have signed a memorandum of understanding to cooperate on the development of farmers’ markets on military bases around the world.

There are already farmers’ markets at 14 military locations, including nine for active duty military, and the Defense Department is trying to establish a farmers’ market at the Pentagon, which could reach the building’s 30,000 workers.

“Our biggest concern is if the Pentagon is big enough to handle the crowd,” said Chuck Milam, the DOD principal director for military community and family policy

The objective of the MOU, he said, is to make the military installation markets easy enough to run that they can continue on a regular basis.
Marine Sgt. Joseph Hale shows off the USDA “challenge coin” presented to each of the military chefs taking part in today’s “Barbecue Battle.” (Jerry Hagstrom/The Hagstrom Report)

To kick off the season, chefs from the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps participated in a barbecue competition.

Karis Gutter, the Agriculture deputy undersecretary for farm and foreign agricultural services, honored the chefs by presenting them with the USDA equivalent of the “challenge coins” that members of the military get to prove membership in their units and to enhance morale.

Gutter, who started his career in public service enlisting in the Marine Corp Reserves, noted that use of the coins goes back to an American soldier in World War I who had his identification taken away by German captors, but who used his coin to prove to the French that he was a soldier on their side.

The USDA coin has the American and Agriculture Department flags and Vilsack’s name on it.

The barbecue contest was judged by Eric Ziebold, executive chef of CityZen at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Washington, Alexis Taylor, a former Army chef and chief of staff for the USDA’s Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services mission area, and Arthur Neal, deputy administrator of the AMS Transportation & Marketing Program.

The winner, Army Sgt. Monique Sorrell, made coco- rubbed flank steak, grilled asparagus, herbed cous-cous and blood orange citrus salad.

▪ Farmer Veteran Coalition

Army Sgt. Monique Sorrell works up her winning entry of cocoa-rubbed flank steak at the Military Chef Barbecue Battle at the USDA Farmers Market opening today. (Jerry Hagstrom/The Hagstrom Report)