Oct 14, 2021
AmeriCorps VISTA employee Graham Bellairs, left, and Columbia Center for Urban Agriculture employee Carrie Hargrove wash radishes Tuesday at the Veterans Urban Farm in Columbia.“I worked here last spring with a team of nine other people,” Bellairs said. “My girlfriend, who works at another location, and I liked the area so much we said ‘hey, can we stick around and do some more work with y’all?’”
Editor’s Note: It’s great to see community initiatives like this to feed and support populations. Such farms are not only creating more paths for sustainable agriculture, they’re also supporting underserved communities in developing their farming operations, gaining access to fresh produce, and creating and preserving quality jobs. Agritecture is committed to creating such a future - take a look at our past impact-focused projects with cities, non-profits, and equity-driven entrepreneurs.
CONTENT SOURCED FROM COLUMBIA MISSOURIAN
Written By: Lily Dozier
The Veterans Urban Farm in Columbia aims to help veterans make connections within their community, gain experience that could help them with future employment and give back to the community through produce donations.
It provides an alternative to working in a clinical setting at the Truman Veterans’ Hospital for veterans in a transitional work program. Transition program workers are able to stick around for six months, but they can leave sooner if they find permanent employment elsewhere.
The grant program is in its second of three years, but manager and veteran Dustin Cook said once it is complete, Veterans Affairs is going to look at data to determine whether the program could become permanent or even be implemented in other areas.
Bundles of radishes sit on the wash table waiting to be rinsed Tuesday at the Veterans Urban Farm in Columbia. Tuesday was the first day harvesting radishes this fall.
Riley Elgin, who works at the farm as part of the transitional program, said he was “by no means a green thumb” but that he has learned a lot at the job.
He picked the farm because “working in the hospital sounded kind of horrible.”
By working at the farm, Elgin is able to enjoy fresh air and hand out free produce to other veterans every Thursday morning.
“Being able to give back in a meaningful way is always a plus,” he said.
Columbia Center for Urban Agriculture employee Carrie Hargrove said she believes “everybody has the ability to eat healthier” and being able to give those options to veterans has been wonderful.
Hargrove said a lot of veterans are gardeners themselves, so even if they do not take produce, it provides a community where they can talk about how their garden is doing each week.
And for the veterans who work at the farm, Hargrove said “just being outside has a lot of benefits” because it is different from the clinical setting of a hospital and can serve as recreational therapy.
