Celebrating the Legacy of the Orting Veterans Farm 

Celebrating the Legacy of the Orting Veterans Farm 

As we bid farewell to the Orting Veterans Farm, which ceased 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 

Sustainability Initiatives 

Agricultural Workshops 

• Provided training in beekeeping, organic farming, sustainable irrigation, composting, companion planting, orchard pruning, and fruit tree grafting. 

Holistic Veteran Well-Being 

Community Support & Engagement 

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