Orting Veterans Farm
Contact Us
Kim Pham
VCC Program Manager
To learn more about other opportunities to connect to lands, waters, and communities in Washington State, visit https://www.dva.wa.gov/vcc.
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Statistics
2024
Orting Veterans Farm
9 farm plots leased to veteran agriculture producers
3 veterans are farm volunteers from the transitional housing program on the Orting soldiers home campus
1 veteran intern enrolled from the transitional housing program
Hosted 3 gatherings for 2024 and 6 beekeeping workshops
Shared an estimated 2,500 pounds of fresh produce from our demonstration garden with the Orting and Puyallup food banks as well as employees.
Veterans in Agriculture Pilot Program
299 trainings and outreach provided
1,062 hours of trainings and outreach provided
55 veterans enrolled in the VA Farms Program
1,603 veterans reached by the program
2,991 community members reached by the program
Celebrating the Legacy of the Orting Veterans Farm
As we bid farewell to the Orting Veterans Farm, which will cease 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.
Veteran Empowerment
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Hosted 16 Veteran farm interns, providing hands-on agricultural training.
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Licensed farm plots for 26 beginning Veteran farmers, fostering self-sufficiency.
Sustainability Initiatives
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Diverted over 105,000 pounds of food waste through a composting program.
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Maintained orchards and demonstration gardens to promote sustainable practices.
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Collaborated on solar energy feasibility studies to explore renewable energy options.
Agricultural Workshops
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Provided training in beekeeping, organic farming, sustainable irrigation, composting, companion planting, orchard pruning, and fruit tree grafting.
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Hosted women Veteran farmer learning circles in collaboration with American Farmland Trust’s Women for the Land program.
Holistic Veteran Well-Being
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Organized Veterans Peer Support sessions to strengthen camaraderie.
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Led workshops focused on mental health and well-being.
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Promoted suicide prevention and awareness efforts.
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Conducted military/Veterans cultural competency training to enhance understanding.
Community Support & Engagement
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12,740 pounds of fresh produce donated to the Orting Senior Center and Orting Food Bank.
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Hosted an annual free farmers market for Veterans and their families.
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Organized seasonal farm potlucks to foster community connections.
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Offered wreath-building workshops to celebrate tradition and creativity.
Innovative Partnerships & Acknowledgments
This work would not have been possible without the invaluable contributions of dedicated partners:
Pollinators: The apiary honeybees that pollinated the farm and WA Soldiers Home campus.
Agriculture & Conservation Organizations: American Farmland Trust, Cascadia Renewables, Enterprise for Equity, Garden-Raised Bounty (GRuB), Gardow Consulting LLC, King-Pierce Farm Bureau, L’Arche Farm and Gardens, Land Recovery Inc., Mother Earth Farm, NW Fruit Society, Pierce Conservation District, Pierce County Ag Committee, Puget Sound Wildcare, WA Farmland Trust, WSU Cultivating Success, WSU Research Facility, Puyallup.
Community & Education Partners: Jennings Equipment, Rainier Antique Tractor Club, Sumner Lawn and Saw, Chad Higgins (Oregon State University – Agrivoltaics), Susan Stewart (Volunteer and Native Plant Expert), Veterans Affairs Office of Rural Health – Veterans in Agriculture Program.
Local Volunteers & Supporters: Gavin Ripka (neighbor and volunteer beekeeper), Leslie Louviere and the Girl Scout Troops of Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Kenny Scholz (Snowshoe Evergreen).
Agency Partners Community Support: WA Dept of Commerce Solar Plus Storage for Resilient Communities, WA Dept of Corrections crews from Cedar Creek Men’s Prison, WDVA Transitional Housing Program staff and residents, WDVA WA Veterans Home staff and residents.
Long-Term Impact
Completed Washington State’s Soldiers’ Home: A Road Map to the Future, outlining a 100-year sustainability plan for the campus.
None of this would have been possible without Carrie Little, whose unwavering dedication, vision, and heart made the farm a thriving sanctuary. Her leadership cultivated not only crops but also a community rooted in service and growth. Her legacy will live on in every seed planted and every lesson shared. Carrie, we extend our deepest gratitude for the difference you’ve made.
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.
We hope to secure grant funding to bring the farm back to continue Serving Those Who Served and supporting the community. To learn more about other opportunities to connect to lands, waters, and communities in Washington State, visit https://www.dva.wa.gov/vcc.
With gratitude and appreciation,
The Orting Veterans Farm Team, Veterans Conservation Corps and your WDVA
