After 8 years in US Marine Corps, including Iraq deployment, he fell in love with farming in Arkansas. Credits military training for success

After spending eight years serving in the US Marine Corps, including a deployment to Iraq, Travis Appel found an unexpected second career in agriculture. His transition from military service to farming began after he returned to school and encountered someone who introduced him to farm life. What started with strawberries and pumpkins gradually expanded into a diverse Arkansas farm. Today, Appel also hopes to create opportunities for fellow veterans returning from overseas.

From the Marine Corps to an Arkansas farm

Travis Appel served as a sergeant in the United States Marine Corps for eight years. His military career included a deployment to Iraq and a Marine Expeditionary Unit assignment with the Navy. Speaking in an interview for USDA NRCS Arkansas, Appel explained that his first four years in the Marines were spent in artillery before he moved into reconnaissance for the second half of his service.

After leaving the military, Appel returned to education at the University of Arkansas. That decision eventually introduced him to the agricultural world.

An internship changed his career path

While studying at the University of Arkansas, Appel met a man who worked at the university farm. He later completed an internship at that man's personal farm. The experience gave Appel an entirely new direction. He said he gradually “fell in love with growing things” and enjoyed seeing a tangible reward for the hard work he put in. For someone coming from a military background, farming offered a different kind of challenge, but one where persistence and effort could directly shape the outcome.

His first crops were strawberries and pumpkins.

From strawberries and pumpkins to a diverse farm

Appel's farming operation did not remain limited to its original crops. Over the years, he learned to grow strawberries through the winter and gradually expanded what he produced. He said the farm eventually moved into tomatoes, peppers, zucchini, squash, okra, watermelon and cantaloupe.

Rather than trying to build everything at once, Appel described the process as progressively adding a few things every year based partly on what customers wanted. That approach allowed the farm to evolve while keeping it connected to the needs of the local community.

How military experience helped him farm

Appel's journey also highlights how skills developed during military service can translate into an entirely different career. Eight years in the Marine Corps involved discipline, physical endurance, teamwork and adapting to demanding circumstances. Those qualities can be valuable when working in agriculture, where crops require consistent attention and farmers must deal with changing conditions.

For Appel, however, farming became more than simply another occupation. His internship gave him an opportunity to discover a passion that he had not previously considered. The satisfaction of growing things and being rewarded for hard work became a major part of what drew him further into agriculture.

Farming opportunity for military veterans

Appel's experience has also shaped how he views agriculture as a potential path for other military veterans. In his interview with USDA NRCS Arkansas, he explained that they want to ensure veterans have something to come back to after returning from overseas. For Appel, farming can offer veterans an opportunity to build a new life after military service while working toward something tangible.

He said they believe it is a good idea for veterans to have farming opportunities and want to help assist them in finding those possibilities.