Homegrown by Heroes
Today Classic City Gourmet Mushrooms was officially welcomed by the Farmer Veteran Coalition into the Homegrown by Heroes program. Homegrown by Heroes is the official farmer veteran branding program for America. It certifies ranchers, farmers, and fishermen of all military eras to sell their products as veteran owned and produced using the Homegrown by Hero label.
As a soldier, I volunteered to serve my nation. As a veteran, I choose to continue serving my community by growing food. Let me tell you a little about my service. Members of my family have been serving in the military as far back as we have records. My father served in Vietnam, my grandfather in World War II, all the way back to the Michigan-Ohio border war of 1835. Did you know that was a thing? I do, cause my grandpa told me all about it. Growing up a military brat, I swore I would never join the military, but life is funny and I enlisted in the Army as a Military Police out of high school. After a few years of very tough duty on the beaches of Waikiki (insert sarcasm), I was given the opportunity to apply for the United States Military Academy at West Point. I was accepted and amongst many wonderful experiences, I met my amazing husband, Bruce. We graduated into an Army at war and took turns deploying to Iraq. I was wounded during my second tour. After Bruce came home from his second tour we made the decision that we were both going to get out of the Army and try our hand at being civilians.
Gardening and spending time in nature have always been important to my mental and physical health. Growing up I helped my mother plant and tend her flowerbeds, and during the summers I stayed with my grandparents hoeing beans, picking veggies, and getting fussed at for playing in the cornfield. It was only natural for me to plant gardens whenever and wherever I had a patch of earth to work. In the garden, I am at peace. The act of planting a seed (or in my case inoculating my mushrooms) is an inherent act of hope. I am grateful for my time in the military and I am grateful to be able to spend time growing delicious things. I am grateful that CCGM is a part of the Homegrown by Heroes program and I hope that we are able to help other veterans to cultivate their own gardens and find peace through meaningful work.
Bruce and I sitting on his Bradley in Baghdad in 2003. He drove from East Baghdad to where I was staying on West Baghdad so we could see each other for a few hours. How romantic.
Homegrown by Heroes label
