How the Soldiers to Agriculture Program helped build Blackman & Sons Lawns and Landscapes
At Blackman & Sons Lawns and Landscapes, our business is built on service, discipline, and a commitment to making our community better one property at a time.
What many people may not know is that the foundation for this business was strengthened through the Soldiers to Agriculture Program (STAG) in Cumberland County, North Carolina. That program played a major role in helping me transition from military service into agriculture, horticulture, turf management, and small business ownership.
Today, I am proud to own and operate a veteran-owned lawn care and landscaping company in Fayetteville, NC, serving homeowners and commercial clients throughout Cumberland County, Ft. Bragg, Vander, Hope Mills, Eastover, and surrounding communities.
What Is the Soldiers to Agriculture Program?
The Soldiers to Agriculture Program is a valuable educational program that helps soldiers, veterans, and transitioning service members gain practical knowledge and hands-on exposure in areas such as agriculture, landscaping, horticulture, and land management.
For many veterans, the transition into civilian life can be challenging. Programs like STAG create a path forward by connecting military work ethic and leadership with real-world career skills that can be used to build a future in agriculture, green industry careers, and entrepreneurship.
For me, it was more than a class. It was part of the bridge that helped me move from service in uniform to service in the community.
How STAG Helped Me Build Blackman & Sons
The knowledge and confidence I gained through the Soldiers to Agriculture Program helped shape the direction of my life and business. It reinforced the idea that the same values developed in the military—consistency, accountability, attention to detail, and pride in your work—can be applied directly to building a successful company.
That journey helped lead to the creation of Blackman & Sons Lawns and Landscapes, a family-owned business focused on dependable, professional lawn care and landscaping services in the Fayetteville area.
As our company has grown, those values have remained at the center of everything we do. We believe in showing up, doing the job right, treating people fairly, and contributing something positive to the local community.
Why Local Lawn Care Knowledge Matters in Fayetteville and Cumberland County
Professional lawn care in Fayetteville, NC is not one-size-fits-all. Turf and landscape success in Cumberland County depends on understanding local conditions, including:
- sandy soils common in the Sandhills region
- turf types such as bermuda, centipede, and zoysia
- seasonal weed pressure
- soil pH and lime needs
- proper fertilization timing
- drainage, compaction, and organic matter management
At Blackman & Sons Lawns and Landscapes, we focus on lawn care and landscape services that are tailored to the conditions we actually see here in Southeastern North Carolina. That local knowledge matters, and it helps us deliver better long-term results for our customers.
Supporting a Program That Changes Lives
I strongly encourage any soldier, veteran, or transitioning service member with an interest in agriculture, landscaping, horticulture, farming, or land-based business to take a serious look at the Soldiers to Agriculture Program.
This program can open doors. It can provide direction. And in my case, it helped lay the groundwork for a business that now allows me to serve local families, maintain properties across our area, and be a productive, contributing member of the community.
I am grateful for what the program gave me, and I am proud to support it.
Now Accepting Registrations
The next STAG – Soldiers to Agriculture Program cohort is now accepting registrations.
Program Dates: April 20 – May 22, 2026 Phone: 910-321-6860 Email: Corey_Deibel@ncsu.edu More Information: https://cumberland.ces.ncsu.edu/soldiers-to-agriculture/
If you know someone at Ft. Bragg, in Fayetteville, or anywhere in Cumberland County who is preparing for transition and looking for a meaningful next step, this is a program worth sharing.
Work With a Veteran-Owned Lawn Care Company in Fayetteville, NC
If you are looking for a dependable veteran-owned lawn care company in Fayetteville, NC, Blackman & Sons Lawns and Landscapes is here to help.
We provide services such as:
- lawn care and turf treatments
- fertilization and weed control
- pre-emergent and post-emergent programs
- soil improvement and pH correction
- landscape bed maintenance
- shrub and plant installation
- property cleanups and landscape enhancements
We are proud to serve our neighbors across Fayetteville, Cumberland County, Vander, Hope Mills, Eastover, and the surrounding area.
Contact Blackman & Sons Lawns and Landscapes
Website: https://blackmanandsons.com Email: connect@blackmanandsons.com Sales: 910-236-6317
At Blackman & Sons, we believe lawn care and landscaping are about more than appearance. They are about stewardship, pride, and investing in the places where people live, work, worship, and raise their families.
The mission may look different today, but the heart behind it is still the same: serve well, work hard, and make your community better.