EAST HARDWICK, Vt. (WCAX) - An army veteran is now the proud owner of a brand new tractor, and he didn’t have to spend a penny.

Rob Niles is a retired Vermont Army National Guard veteran.

He served 26 years, including deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan.

He now owns and operates Wild Woods Maple, an organic and bird-friendly maple sugaring operation in East Hardwick.

On Friday, he received a brand-new Kubota compact tractor as part of Kubota’s “geared to give” program, which honors military veterans pursuing careers in agriculture.

Kubota Tractor Corporation and the Farmer Veteran Coalition get together every year to award five farmer veterans with new equipment.

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