DESERT FORGE FOUNDATION
This organization has already been registered
Someone in your organization has already registered and setup an account. would you like to join their team?Profile owner : a***n@d*********e.o*g
Mission Statement
Restoring emotional, mental, and physical health to returning veterans through meaningful job training, employment, and the arts.
About This Cause
Currently more than one-million veterans across the USA are either unemployed or under-employed. In New Mexico alone, approximately 6,000 recently-returned veterans are in need of employment, and unfortunately many of these veterans are suffering both physical and psychological effects from their military service further deepening their financial situations. Additionally, thousands of non-veteran New Mexican community members are struggling economically as well. To answer this challenge within the veteran community, the Desert Forge Foundation (DFF), a Veteran-led organization, is providing extensive agricultural and business training to both Veterans and local residents, with a focus on growing healthy, affordable food through its Warrior Farmer Project. All training and education provided to our Warrior Farmers is structured incorporating Veteran-centered design. Veteran-centered design is a process that develops solutions to the unique problem set encountered by Veterans. This process is empathetic requiring a deep understanding of the motivations and needs of the Veteran. Veteran-centered design is experimental, flexible, responsive and innovative. It transcends methods and models currently in use. As the Project matures, a National Veteran’s Training Center will be created akin to the Community College of New Mexico system. STEAM-B (Science, technology, engineering, art, math, and business) will form the core of all classes. As part of the education that every student receives mandatory hands-on participation at farms and businesses administered by Desert Forge will be required. As stated earlier, project participants will include local community members and Veterans. A significant amount of revenue will be generated through sales of produce, value-added products and services from the Desert Forge farm sites providing much needed income to Warrior Farmers. Currently, the Warrior Farmer Project trains veterans and community residents while planting heirloom chiles, organic tomato plants, as well as other produce in urban neighborhoods. Additionally, DFF is providing assistance to our farming partners while our Warrior Farmers learn valuable farming and construction skills. Currently, New Mexicans spend approximately 5.0-billion dollars on food per year; just three percent of those food dollars stay in New Mexico. Desert Forge recognizes that capturing just a fraction of that money through local food production would provide much needed jobs to both veterans and other residents of New Mexico. The Warrior Farmer Project is three dimensional in nature, providing training and jobs to veterans as well as other members of the community; implementing food producing technologies that are culturally relevant, appropriate for the locale, economically viable and environmentally sustainable while growing food that is local, nutritious, and affordable. We are Desert Forge!