A veteran himself, University of Florida plant pathologist Gary Vallad wanted to give back to his comrades-in-arms. So, he and Simon Bollin started the Veterans Florida Agriculture Program (VFAP), which helps train veterans for jobs in that field. In 2017, Bollin, agribusiness development manager for UF/IFAS Extension Hillsborough County, contacted Vallad. What started at the Gulf Coast Research and Education Center (GCREC) is now a statewide program. “I couldn’t say no. The opportunity just made sense,” said Vallad, a faculty member at the GCREC, also in Hillsborough County. “As a former memb…
