Former U.S. Army Major Jim Hartman Honored With 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 a successful business with honey products distributed in 27 states at more than 180 stores. The farm also offers agritourism experiences, welcoming RV travelers who want to learn more about beekeeping and honey production.

Today, Secret Garden Bees employs three full-time staff members, including two disabled veterans enrolled in Department of Veterans Affairs-certified apprenticeship programs. The farm partners with local, state and federal agencies to introduce veterans to careers in agriculture and provide hands-on training opportunities.

“We’re proud to recognize this distinguished veteran for his service to our nation and his continued commitment to agriculture and his community,” said AFBF President Zippy Duvall. “Veterans and active-duty service members embody the values of dedication, leadership and sacrifice. We’re honored to celebrate Mr. Hartman’s contributions and the important role that military families play in strengthening American agriculture.”

Hartman’s farm is federally certified as a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business, allowing access to programs that provide government surplus equipment for agricultural use. He regularly shares his knowledge with fellow veterans to help them take advantage of similar opportunities.

“I speak and lead webinars at every opportunity to show other veterans how to use little-known resources to help them with their agricultural business,” Hartman said. “I am convinced there is enough success to go around if we all work together and share knowledge.”

Beyond his own operation, Hartman has become a leader in agricultural education and workforce development. Secret Garden Bees serves as a training site for Cumberland County’s Boots to Agriculture program, which connects veterans with opportunities in North Carolina agriculture, and hosts both The Veteran’s Farm of North Carolina training program and the state’s Upward Bound high school agricultural training initiative.

Hartman was also among the first farmers to partner with the North Carolina Department of Commerce to develop agricultural work-based learning programs. His leadership has helped dozens of participants gain valuable training and employment experience in the agricultural sector.

Throughout his career, Hartman has advocated for policies that create new opportunities for farmers, beekeepers and veterans. Those efforts helped secure recognition of honey production in state agricultural programs, expand agricultural-use property tax eligibility for commercial apiaries and improve farmers’ access to workforce training resources that offset hiring and training costs.

Hartman’s contributions to agriculture and rural communities have earned statewide and national recognition. In 2024, he was named AFBF’s Ag Innovation Challenge People’s Choice Award winner and North Carolina Small Farmer of the Year.

Through his service, mentorship and entrepreneurial leadership, Hartman continues to create opportunities for fellow veterans and strengthen agriculture in North Carolina and beyond.