Veterans from all branches of service and backgrounds discover gardening and cooking for a variety of reasons. Many miss the structured, purposeful nature of military life. Others do it for mindfulness, relaxation, and physical exercise it provides. Everyone, veterans and civilians alike, benefits from a deeper sense of connection to the earth and an awareness of the foods we’re putting in our body.

Growing your own produce and learning new ways to use it to feed yourself and your family are meaningful, goal-oriented activities that require dedication and care—perhaps one reason so many who served are drawn to this rewarding duo of hobbies. Whether you’re still on orders, just separated, or long-retired, Richwood Gardens is here to help you figure it all out.

Many veterans face isolation after their service, struggling to find their place in civilian life. Community gardens and veteran-focused agricultural programs offer a powerful way to reconnect—bringing together those with shared experiences while fostering the same sense of independence and self-reliance we knew in uniform.

There has never been a better time than now to start learning how to grow your own food and develop the confidence you need to elevate your cooking at home to take back control of your health and finances. With grocery prices soaring, packaging shrinking, and many brands cutting corners on ingredients to boost profits, the value of self-sufficiency has never been clearer. Restaurant checks have gone parabolic in recent years, even as service quality continues to decline.

You can grow many of the ingredients needed to create dishes at home that not only rival but often surpass restaurant-quality meals. It’s possible for anyone—regardless of age, experience, or past struggles—to cultivate delicious, homegrown food you’ll be excited to eat and proud to serve. Plus, you’ll save a fortune while improving your health and well-being by embracing more whole foods in your diet.

You answered the call to serve—now you deserve to live well. With a thriving chef’s pantry just outside your window, you’ll eat better and healthier every day. And when you have the knowledge to confidently take care of your little piece of earth, your garden is far less likely to become an overgrown, weedy mess.

Together, we’ll discover the force multiplier that is the paired crafts of gardening and cooking, congratulate one another on our successes, grow from our mistakes, and probably share some laughs along the way. Let’s grow and eat better in 2025.

All the best,

Marc Fencil
Richwood Gardens