From one little blue dragon to an entire world of stories, friendship, imagination—and maybe even a plushie you can hold. If you've been following the work happening behind the scenes here at VYFA, you already know that we're not afraid to dream big. But sometimes the things that become meaningful start in the most unexpected places. Sometimes they start with a little blue dragon. Meet Snoot. 🐉💙 Snoot is a fluffy little baby dragon who isn't quite like the other dragons. He

Veterans & Young Farmers Alliance Welcomes Full Stroke Media Radio as an Official Sponsor and Communications Platform The Veterans & Young Farmers Alliance (VYFA) is proud to announce the launch of Full Stroke Media Radio, a new 24/7 online radio station that will serve as an important communications platform in support of VYFA's mission to strengthen America's veterans, farmers, rural communities, and the future of agriculture. Owned and operated by Midnight Havoc Racing Com

Something historic is starting, and you have the chance to be part of it from the very beginning. The Veterans & Young Farmers Alliance (VYFA) is a bold new nonprofit organization with a mission unlike anything else in the country: to end veteran foreclosures and open the door for the next generation of American farmers . This is a moment where action, advocacy, and innovation intersect—and the need has never been greater. Why We Exist Our veterans sacrificed for our country

Every day, the dream of homeownership — long a symbol of stability, family security, and the American Dream — slips through the fingers of those who defended this country. While most of us go about our daily lives, thousands of veteran families are on the brink of losing the roofs over their heads. This is not a distant problem. It’s here. It’s now. And it matters to every community in this nation. Veterans Still Own Homes at Much Higher Rates Than Most Americans Veterans hav

October 10, 2026 Veterans served to protect our country. Now, as mortgage distress rises across America, we must ask whether our country is doing enough to protect their homes. Across the United States, more homeowners are falling behind on their mortgages, more properties are entering foreclosure, and more families are losing their homes. For America's veterans, these numbers carry an especially troubling message. These are men and women who served our nation, sacrificed tim

Executive Order 26-19 Temporarily Eases Diesel and Weight Restrictions for Agricultural Operations Missouri farmers and livestock producers are getting temporary regulatory relief during the 2026 harvest season after Governor Mike Kehoe issued Executive Order 26-19, declaring a State of Emergency related to the economic pressures currently affecting Missouri agriculture. The order, signed September 30, 2026, recognizes something farmers across the state already know firsthand

Sometimes something small begins with an idea, grows into a dream, and then needs a community willing to help give it wings. That’s exactly where Snoot the Sneezing Dragon is today. Snoot began as a fluffy little blue dragon with an enormous personality, an uncontrollable sneeze, and a simple message for kids: being different doesn’t mean something is wrong with you. Sometimes the things that make you different are the very things that make you special. Since then, Snoot has

For thousands of American veterans, the battle to keep a roof over their family's head is far from over. The newest mortgage and foreclosure data available in 2026 show a troubling combination: VA borrowers continue to experience elevated mortgage distress while foreclosure activity across the United States is rising compared with last year. For the Veterans & Young Farmers Alliance (VYFA), these numbers matter because foreclosure isn't simply a financial statistic. Losing a

When the milk gets bigger, but the farmer gets smaller, somebody needs to ask why. America does not have a milk shortage. America has a farmer problem. And it is not because American farmers suddenly forgot how to farm. It is because the structure surrounding them is changing—and it is changing in a way that increasingly rewards size, volume, consolidation, and corporate control while pushing independent family farms toward the edge. According to analysis published by The Bul

Protecting Our Farmland, Modernizing the Farms We Have, and Creating a Path for the Next Generation A fight is unfolding across rural America that deserves our full attention. It is a fight over who will own America's farmland, who will have the opportunity to farm it, and whether the next generation of American farmers will have a place to begin. A recent Grist report, “As family farms decline and the climate heats up,” farmers weigh what to do with their land,” highlights s

The latest numbers coming out of Wisconsin should concern every American who cares about the future of agriculture. According to USDA data reported this morning, Wisconsin has now fallen below 5,000 licensed dairy operations. As of August 1, Wisconsin had 4,991 dairy operations, down from 5,222 one year earlier and 5,470 just two years ago. That means Wisconsin lost 231 dairy operations in a single year. For a state known around the world as "America's Dairyland," this is mor

America's agricultural future is not some distant question. It is happening right now. Across the country, farmers are aging, farmland is changing hands, agricultural assets are becoming increasingly valuable, and a new generation is trying to figure out how to enter an industry that can require hundreds of thousands—or even millions—of dollars in land, equipment, livestock, infrastructure, and working capital. And among those looking toward agriculture as their next chapter

Land Can Be More Than Property. It Can Be a Legacy. There is a conversation happening across rural America that we cannot afford to ignore. Farmers are aging. Land is becoming increasingly difficult for beginning farmers to obtain. The cost of agricultural property continues to put ownership out of reach for many people who want to farm, and families who have spent generations working the land are increasingly facing a difficult question: What happens to the farm when there i

The future of American agriculture may depend on a question that receives far less attention than crop prices, technology, or farm production: Who will own the farmland? Across the United States, farmers are getting older, farmland remains expensive, and beginning farmers continue to face significant challenges entering the industry. At the same time, agriculture is changing rapidly. Technology is reshaping production. Farm operations are becoming more sophisticated. Agricult

For many military veterans transitioning back into civilian life, securing stable housing is the bedrock of long-term security. In recent years, a significant number of veterans have also found a powerful calling in agriculture, land stewardship, and rural entrepreneurship. Organizations like the Veterans & Young Farmers Alliance see firsthand how housing stability and land access go hand-in-hand. However, recent economic headwinds and shifts in federal loss-mitigation policy

America is facing a farmland crisis that deserves far more attention than it receives. For generations, American families have worked the same fields, raised livestock on the same ground, and passed agricultural land from one generation to the next. That tradition is becoming increasingly difficult to maintain as farmland prices rise, development consumes agricultural acreage, and younger farmers struggle to find land they can actually afford. Now there is another issue that

There is a number in the dairy industry right now that should get everyone's attention: $13 billion. That's the amount of announced investment in new and expanded dairy processing capacity across 19 states. At the same time, the U.S. dairy industry is preparing for approximately 15 billion more pounds of milk production by 2030. On the surface, this sounds like a success story. Demand is growing. Processing capacity is expanding. Technology is improving. Productivity is incre

A new report from Dairy Herd highlights a major transformation underway in American dairy: the United States is preparing to produce approximately 15 billion additional pounds of milk by 2030 while continuing to operate with fewer dairy farms. That is not simply a story about dairy. It is a story about the future structure of American agriculture. According to the report, U.S. dairy processors have announced approximately $13 billion in new and expanded processing capacity ac

There is a problem in American agriculture that doesn't get enough attention. We talk about the aging agricultural workforce. We talk about farmland access. We talk about beginning farmers. We talk about veterans entering agriculture. We talk about agricultural labor shortages. We talk about succession planning and the need to bring a new generation into farming and ranching. But there is another gap underneath all of those conversations: The experience gap. There are farmers

When We Train the Next Generation for Agriculture, We Must Also Make Sure They Have Somewhere to Farm. I woke up this morning and read an article about Riverview's effort to cultivate the next generation of dairy leaders. And honestly, my heart broke. Not because young people are being trained in agriculture. We desperately need agricultural education. Not because internships are bad. They aren't. Not because large farms have no place in American agriculture. They do. My hear