“The Intern”
A blog by Cassidy McGathey, SkillBridge Intern with ASD. On September 14, 2022 my request…
Patriot Garden Box Project
providing raised garden boxes plus Tools, training, support and community to military veterans
Each year, ASD’s Patriot Garden Box Project provides a select number of military veterans with two raised garden boxes, plus training, tools, supplies, and support – all for free. For 2025, we’ve expanded the program, increasing the number of veteran recipients from 20 to 50! That means we’ll be providing 100 raised garden boxes in total this year.
How it works:
- Complete your application by March 24, 2025.
- Your application will then be reviewed by our Veterans Support team.
- We will announce the recipient list on March 25.
- Recipients will be able to pick up their garden boxes and all other items on April 5 during our Patriot Garden Box Day, at our ASD Campus at 17444 Singingwood Lane, Bristol, VA.
Check out the info below for all the details and requirements. If you have questions, contact Michael Klarman via email: mklarman@asdevelop.org.
community, support, and
Self-sufficiency, cleverly packaged in a 4×12 garden box.
Program recipients will receive:
- two – 2’×4’x11.75” garden boxes
- automatic inclusion in our Grow Your Own program, which will provide assorted seeds, gardening gloves, and a gardening manual
- 8 bags of garden box soil (will fill both pre-made garden boxes)
- a multipurpose hand tool
- watering cans and harvesting baskets
- gardening hat
- an ASD “Supporting Veterans” t-shirt
- access to a monthly Veterans Coalition meeting – a networking community to provide support and share gardening advice and resources
Applicants must reside in the Patriot Garden Box Program service area, which includes: Lee, Scott, Wise, Dickenson, Russell, Washington, Buchanan, Tazewell, Smyth, Grayson, and Wythe counties in Virginia and Hancock, Hawkins, Greene, Washington, Unicoi, Sullivan, and Johnson Counties in Tennessee.
As part of the application process, ASD may assess and select the recipients of the raised beds based on need and location.
how can we best support you?
In 2020, Appalachian Sustainable Development received funding for the USDA Office of Partnership and Public Engagement that allows us to expand all of our programming to reach the Military Veteran community.
As part of our support for the Military Veteran community, ASD provides educational, networking, and financial growth opportunities in agriculture production to the brave men and women who have served our country and who aspire to create a viable farming career.
We want to know how to better serve you. Complete the needs assessment by clicking the button below.
*The Office of Partnerships and Public Engagement develops and maintains partnerships focused on solutions to challenges facing rural and underserved communities in the United States, and connects those communities to the education, tools, and resources available to them through U.S. Department of Agriculture programs and initiatives.
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Veteran’s Blogs
Donate to Support Veterans in Agriculture
Meet Trevor Hansard, United States Air Force Veteran. After retirement, he and his family moved to Abingdon, VA to pursue a career in agriculture production. He enrolled in Horticulture courses at Virginia Highlands Community College and has participated in several of ASD’s agriculture education programs. This year, with the assistance of ASD, we were able to hire a videographer to create a promotional video for Red Tail Grove, the Hansard families farm. With your support, we can help other military veterans transitioning to civilian life pursue a successful career in agriculture.
**This video was created with funding received in 2020 from the USDA Office of Partnerships and Public Engagement.
Contact the Veteran Outreach Coordinator
Michael Klarman
Veteran Outreach Coordinator
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