Growing Veterans updates & Indian Country Today top stories
Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, Laguna Pueblo, on the Road to Healing Tour ๐ ๐
Fall Newsletter
Our Hours Are Changing!
November marks the beginning of the off-season! Itโs been a great summer and weโre very proud of how the season went and everything we were able to accomplish! Because of the transition to the off season, our volunteer hours are changing as follows:
Lynden: Fridays 10am-2pm (coffee check-in and general volunteering)
Whidbey Island: Special volunteer days only. Email michael@growingveterans.org or text (509) 860-7681 to be added to the email list for any upcoming volunteer days.
For more info, and directions to our farm locations visit: www.growingveterans.org
Winter (Nov-Feb) Scheduled Activities
Coffee Check-ins every Friday at 10am (Lynden)
Veterans Day Hike 11am at Lake Padden on Nov 10
Revamp Lynden Barn
Frisbee Golf Course Install (Lynden)
Outdoor Lounge Building (Lynden)
Peer Support Training (Nov 30, Dec 1; 4-6)
Donโt Miss Out on Our Limited Edition Beer
GV has collaborated with Terramar Brewstillery in Bow, WA, and Aslan Brewing Co. in Bellingham, WA, to produce our two limited edition Fresh Hop IPAโs! We split our hops that are grown between Aslan and Terramar to produce our two unique brews. The Charlie Foxtrot IPA is a collaboration between GV and Aslan Brewing Co. and the No Hop Left Behind IPA is a collaboration between GV and Terramar Brewstillery. Itโs a match made in heaven (and the chickens approve)! There is a very limited supply, so grab yours today! To get your 6-pack of Charlie Foxtrot, stop by Aslan Brewing or your local supermarket! To get a pint of No Hop Left Behind stop by Terramar in Bow, WA! There is a very limited supply, so get yours while supplies last!
Join Our Upcoming Peer Support Trainings!
Peer Support Training is free to attend for everyone.
For more information, click here.
FIRE IN THE HOLE!
Growing Veterans is proud to announce the return of our famously delicious hot sauce โFire in the Hole!โ We partnered with El Fuego to procure this fiery nectar of the gods. Fire in the Hole is made with our organically grown jalapeno and serrano peppers, garlic, and honey straight from the hives on our farm. We give El Fuego the ingredients and they make the delicious hot sauce. It pairs well with eggs, pizza, stir-fry, or anything else you want to add a little spice to! Thereโs a limited supply, so be sure to purchase a bottle (or 6) the next time you stop by the farm.
Volunteer Spotlight
Barbi is retired from Haggen where she worked for 23 years, she is a master gardener, and is pursuing a degree in art history. She has been volunteering with GV for a little over two years now and I had the privilege to sit down and talk with her about her time hereโฆ
Bellingham Food Bank Gleaners Spotlight
Last month, Gleaners from the Bellingham Food Bank Gleaning Program came out to the farm to harvest the rest of our squash and peppers. It was a great time of getting our hands dirty and practicing our peer support skills. It was truly โDirt Therapyโ at its best. We harvested just over 1000 lbs of squash alone! This produce goes straight to families in our area that struggle with food insecurity.
Lynden Farm End of Season Report
โWow, itโs the end of the harvest season! Itโs been a bountiful year with plenty of fresh, organic produce!
Like previous years, Growing Veterans Lynden Farm has donated a wide variety of produce (tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, and summer/winter squash, etc.) to the Bellingham Food Bank. This year, we decided to expand our produce donations to fit the needs of other local non-profit organizations, such as the Lighthouse Mission, Lynden Project Hope, Ferndale Food Bank, and Miracle Food Network.
The Lighthouse Mission, a local homeless shelter, requested donations for their soup recipes to feed our homeless population. Smaller local food banks mentioned earlier shared with us that produce are the most needed and least donated. We donated a total ofย 1,997.60ย pounds of organic produce or approximatelyย 1,665ย meals this year! We could not have done this without the help of our truly amazing volunteers!
We look forward to doing it again this spring and expanding our growing capacity!โ
-Hoa Tran, VCC Intern
Greenbank Farm End of Season Report
โThis season out at Greenbank went pretty well despite the fairly sporadic and unpredictable weather. We were able to donate close to 700 pounds of produce or approximately 583 meals this year!
We grew a few different varieties such as lettuce and cold weather brassicas in the spring andย summer squash andย tomatoes/peppers in the summer. Soon, we will be harvesting our beets and carrots we planted in theย late summer for aย fall crop. One of our growing successes this season was getting a pretty decent haul of winter squash called "Winter Luxury" that we will be donating to Spin Cafe for their holiday dinners.
Over the season, we were able to partner with the Whidbey Island Grown Co-op to help deliver our produce to North Whidbey Help House every week. One of our largest infrastructure projects was getting our new shed delivered and built which will allow us to store our tools and supplies throughout the season.
Despite the challenges we've had this year, we were able to welcome new and returning volunteers each week to get their hands dirty and make connections with their local community and leave with some of the great produce!
-Garrett Michael, Greenbank Farm Manager
Coffee & Camaraderie
Are you feeling stressed, overwhelmed, or isolated? Needing a place to connect with others? Stop by our coffee check-ins every Friday at 10am for your weekly dose of support and caffeine! Coffee and pastries are provided by Woods Coffee every week!
Letter From the Director
โI often find myself pondering the question, โHow does a nonprofit measure its success?โ Is it the amount of grants they receive each year? Is it the amount of money they have raised? While both these factors are vital to the longevity of a nonprofit, Growing Veterans measures our success off community impact. And by this, we mean both the impact we have made in our community and the impact the community has made on Growing Veterans.
You must be wondering; how do we measure such community impact? As they say, the proof is in the pudding. From donating organic produce to food banks and homeless shelters across two counties and helping unhoused veterans find shelter and employment, to providing a space for those seeking a community of peer support, Growing Veterans is proud of all we have accomplished.
But none of this would be made possible without the lifeblood of our organization, our volunteers. Whether youโre on our esteemed Board of Directors, one of our super volunteers on our farms, or youโve kindly donated to our organization, YOU have made an enormous impact on Growing Veterans. From the bottom of our hearts, we thank you for your continued support of our beloved organization. Together, there is no obstacle we cannot overcome and no hill we cannot climb.
I leave you with this; will you join us next year to make our community impact even greater?โ
-Jered Bocek, Executive Director
See You At The Farm!
Growing Veterans Flag in store w/shirts, hats, more!
Growing Veterans, 6458 Martin Place, Lynden, WA, 98264, United States
Tourismย Stories from 2023
Canoe Journey 2023: โThis is a reawakeningโ
Byย Nika Bartoo-Smith, Underscore News + ICT
Organizers estimated 11,000 people gathered at Muckleshoot to share songs and dances for days after 120 canoe families landed at Alki Beach in Seattle ...ย continue reading
[Photo by Jarrette Werk / Underscore News & Report for America]
Glacier's recession elicits tourism concerns
By Becky Bohrer, Associated Press
Alaska's capital wonders what will happen as its magnificent glacier recedesย ...ย continue reading
[Photo by Matt Artz on Unsplash]
Cherokee museum unveils name change, new look
By Sandra Hale Schulman, Specal to ICTย
Rebrand of the 75-year-old museum will reflect more contemporary exhibits and community involvement ... continue reading
[Photo by Sandra Hale Schulman]
ICT Newscast with Aliyah Chavezย
Tribes embrace tourism
From Wednesday, June 28, the CEO of a tribal tourism association gives us an industry update. What does tribal self-determination mean for language revitalization? The Supreme Court disappoints the Navajo Nation and water rights activists ...ย continue reading
SUPPORT INDIGENOUS JOURNALISM
Santa Fe Indigenous Center wishes to thanks our Native Warriors & all Veteransย who have bravely served and those who are still serving our country today.
The SFIC office will be closed onย Friday, Nov. 10th in observance of Veteran's Day. We will reopen on Monday, Nov. 13th at 10am
Native Bidaske with Secretary Deb Haaland, Laguna Pueblo, on the Road to Healing Tour
Facebook Live Event
November 10, 2023,ย at 10 am MSTย
Please click the image below to access or HERE.
๐ฆ โฅ โ โฎ ๐ ๐บ ๐ฆ ๐ฆ โฐ๏ธ ๐ฆ โจ Hopi Deer ๐ฆ Dance Shungopovi