MOULTRIE, Ga. (RFD-TV) — Army Majors Eric and Angela Czaja are combining military service and agriculture through a regenerative grazing program that improves military training lands while helping veterans build skills for careers in agriculture.
The husband-and-wife team was recently inducted into the Howes Hall of Fame for their contributions to agriculture and service. They discussed their work at the Sunbelt Ag Expo in Moultrie, Georgia, and joined us on Market Day Report to share the experience and more of their story.
Regenerative Grazing Improves Military Training Grounds
Eric Czaja said the program at Camp San Luis Obispo in California is producing encouraging results for the land and the military personnel who use it.
“The changes we have seen to the landscape, to our cattle, I mean, they’re just performing very well,” he said.
Czaja said the program uses livestock grazing to improve military training areas while reducing erosion and improving water infiltration.
“The way we graze these cattle, it improves the training areas,” he said. “We have reduced erosion, we have better water infiltration, we have more training days available for soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines to utilize these training areas.”
The couple hopes to expand the approach to additional military installations.
Connecting Military Service and Agriculture
Although both Czajas grew up in Wisconsin, their agricultural backgrounds differed. Angela grew up on a dairy farm, while Eric helped bale alfalfa and clean stalls before pursuing a military career.
Eric said working with livestock eventually became a natural fit.
“It’s so calming, being out in nature, working with it, being outside,” he said.
He sees similarities between agriculture and military service, particularly the need to adapt when circumstances change.
“You sign up for whatever you think your day is going to be. In agriculture, it turns out something else is going to happen,” Eric said. “That water line might break, that cow might get out.”
He said veterans are often well suited to handling those unexpected challenges because they understand responsibility and how to complete a mission.
Boots to Roots Helps Veterans Build Agricultural Skills
Angela founded Boots to Roots to help veterans and transitioning service members develop skills for careers in regenerative agriculture.
She said the program provides hands-on training in livestock management and regenerative grazing, including for participants who have no previous agricultural experience.
“It’s a really challenging sector to get into if you didn’t grow up on a farm or ranch,” Angela said.
The program gives participants practical skills they can apply on military installations as well as private farms and ranches.
She said the couple’s goal is to provide a strong foundation in regenerative grazing rather than a short introductory experience.
“They have a mastery in regenerative grazing,” Angela said of participants completing the program.
For the couple, helping veterans transition into agriculture brings together their commitment to service and their interest in land stewardship.
Family Is Part of the Work
The Czajas also shared that involving their children in their agricultural work is one of the most rewarding parts of the experience. Eric said it gives the family more time together while offering their children meaningful opportunities to take on daily responsibilities.
“Veterans often are seeking more time with their family, not less,” he said.
He said having their children involved has helped them experience the satisfaction of working together and completing tasks as a team.
Angela also said it has been rewarding to watch veterans who begin with little knowledge of livestock develop an interest in agriculture.
The couple said support for expanding regenerative grazing to more military installations has been encouraging. Angela said Eric had the opportunity to brief Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on the project last fall.
They hope the program will continue improving military lands, create career opportunities for veterans, and strengthen rural communities.
Veterans, military installations, and others interested in the program can learn more at BootsToRoots.org.
