Former U.S. Army major honored with Farm Bureau’s Veteran Farmer Award of Excellence

The American Farm Bureau Federation, with support from Farm Credit, recognized James “Jim” Hartman, a former U.S. Army major from North Carolina, with the Veteran Farmer Award of Excellence during the Farmer Veteran Stakeholders Conference. The award honors veterans and service members who demonstrate excellence in agriculture while making a positive impact in their communities. Hartman is the third recipient of the award and has dedicated his post-military career to helping veterans, beginning farmers and rural communities thrive. Hartman served for 10 years as a paratrooper and bomb disposal technician, including two deployments to Iraq. He later spent 14 years as a defense contractor training soldiers to identify and avoid improvised explosive devices, helping save lives and enhance mission readiness. After turning to beekeeping as a way to manage post-traumatic stress disorder, Hartman transformed a hobby into a thriving business. Founded in 2020, Secret Garden Bees has grown into