The Veteran Garden Project of St. Augustine, Florida is a new grassroots community service project inspired and started by a local veteran family. This project aims to offer opportunities for veterans, families, and our supporting community to heal through nature by getting outdoors, connecting with community, learning sustainable living practices, and the skills to grow and harvest food while bringing awareness and finding solutions to local food scarcity and environmental challenges. We currently are 501(c)(3) approved!
It is our mission to support our healing veteran community through cultivating the earth and growing organic food to feed the community while encouraging and supporting stewardship of our precious earth and resources.
To support, connect, empower, and educate the veteran community and share our harvest with our volunteers and community. We seek to help others reinstate purpose, self-reliance, and hope to create camaraderie and growth opportunities within our veteran community.
Through an application process to qualified veterans, both active duty and retired, we afford scholarships for this garden project. For 2019 we have chosen 6 applicants and will install a 4x8 raised garden at their home. Our goal is to raise enough money over the next several years to provide a raised bed every week of the year. That would be 52 beds for veterans to cultivate food for themselves as well as the community. We also offer a wheelchair accessible bed option. By getting outdoors, close to their comfort zone, and re-engaging with the local community, veterans will have the opportunity to grow their relationships and also harvest healthy nutritious food at the same time. Each raised bed will come with tools, seeds, education and support to successfully and sustainably help the veteran grow their own food right at home with their families.
We are looking for caring hands who would like to volunteer their time and skills to build and install these garden kits. We will periodically return to our vets and help with harvesting, as well as, continue to cultivate the healing relationships that come from one vet supporting another. After these military families are comfortable with growing their own sustainable food, we will then ask them to join us to support the next family and pass down their experiences and knowledge.
Be on the lookout for build parties. Do you know someone who might benefit from a garden? If you or someone you know is interested in having your own home garden in 2020 download the application and email to veterangardenproject@yahoo.com.
Please note proof of veteran status is required by submitting your DD214.
