PROJECT VICTORY GARDENS

Vision

​A thriving community where veterans heal, grow, and rediscover purpose through the grounding power of agriculture.

 

Mission

Project Victory Gardens is dedicated to cultivating resiliency, healing, and renewed purpose among our Nation's veterans through agritherapy, animal therapy, and agricultural education. By connecting veterans with meaningful agricultural opportunities, we foster community, restore confidence, and reignite the drive and sense of mission that defined their military service.

 

Our Story​

With one-third of American farmers over the age of 60, there is a critical shortage of individuals entering the agriculture industry. At the same time, we have record numbers of veteran unemployment, PTSD, suicide, and other challenges that naturally follow almost two decades of sustained war.​

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Established by Matthew and Kara Rutter, Project Victory Gardens is a veteran-led non-profit* organization in Townville, South Carolina. Matt and Kara served a cumulative 45 years in the U.S. Army, culminating at Command Sergeant Major and Sergeant Major, respectively. Matt and Kara are both qualified Master Resiliency Training instructors who use their resiliency skills every day. While some of those resiliency skills are built through formal programs, it often comes in the mundane tasks around the farm: feeding chickens, milking goats, or pulling weeds in the garden. Project Victory Gardens is set on seventy four beautiful acres along Lake Hartwell. There are miles of trails across the property that are great for mountain biking, four-wheeling, or just communing with Nature!

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The Rutters are active members of the military and veteran community, as well as the Upstate community. Both serve as Palmetto Pathfinders with the SC Department of Veterans' Affairs. Matt was the Founding President of the Farmer Veteran Coalition of South Carolina. After a combined 20 moves and decades spent overseas and in combat zones, they never take for granted a morning when they wake up on their farm.

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*Project Victory Gardens is a registered Charity in the State of South Carolina. They have been granted IRS 501(c)3 status.