From the WDVA website:
“As we bid farewell to the Orting Veterans Farm, which ceased operations on July 1 due to completion of funding from a VA Rural Farms Grant, we reflect on the immense impact it has had on the community, the land, and the many Veterans who found purpose and healing through its soil. This farm was more than just acres of land, it was a space for growth, resilience, and connection.
Over the years, the Orting Veterans Farm accomplished incredible milestones, becoming a model of sustainability, education, and service.
- Hosted 16 Veteran farm interns, providing hands-on agricultural training.
- Licensed farm plots for 26 beginning Veteran farmers, fostering self-sufficiency.
- Diverted over 105,000 pounds of food waste through a composting program.
- Maintained orchards and demonstration gardens to promote sustainable practices.
- Collaborated on solar energy feasibility studies to explore renewable energy options.
- Provided training in beekeeping, organic farming, sustainable irrigation, composting, companion planting, orchard pruning, and fruit tree grafting.
- Hosted women Veteran farmer learning circles in collaboration with American Farmland Trust’s Women for the Land program.
- Organized Veterans Peer Support sessions to strengthen camaraderie.
- Led workshops focused on mental health and well-being.
- Promoted suicide prevention and awareness efforts.
- Conducted military/Veterans cultural competency training to enhance understanding.
- 12,740 pounds of fresh produce donated to the Orting Senior Center and Orting Food Bank.
- Hosted an annual free farmers market for Veterans and their families.
- Organized seasonal farm potlucks to foster community connections.
- Offered wreath-building workshops to celebrate tradition and creativity.
- Completed Washington State’s Soldiers’ Home: A Road Map to the Future, outlining a 100-year sustainability plan for the campus.
Though the farm is sunsetting, we remain hopeful for the future. Its impact will continue in the lives it touched and the lessons it imparted.”
Learn more about the Orting Veterans Farm and other programs for veteran resilience at WDVA’s website.
