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Archi’s Acres
EMPOWERING VETERANS While Growing Family Farms
by Gloria Taylor Brown
is from Thomas Jeffer- son, who saw, “America as a quilt—and each square of the quilt is a small family farm, each producing a living and a home.” Colin and his wife, Karen, have been working to make this quote a reality for returning veterans at Archi’s Acres, their small family farm in Valley Center.
O Colin has served three tours of
duty in Iraq and is a decorated combat Marine. He understands the struggles of returning veterans to reintegrate into society, and his own reintegration has been greatly assisted by the work Karen has put into co-developing the Veterans Sustainable Agriculture Training pro- gram (VSAT). Five years ago, the Archipleys
purchased a small, 2.67-acre avocado ranch in the picturesque Valley Center area of San Diego County, with a view of the rolling hills. The property had been neglected and the avocado trees
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ne of Colin Archipley’s favorite quotes
Our goal is to augment and accelerate the organic agricultural revolution across America, in partnership with our military veterans
needed tending. After Colin left for his third tour in Iraq, Karen moved in and began irrigating the farm. The couple
was stunned when they received their first water bill, which
was more than $800. With no hope of producing an income for several years, they knew they could not sustain a farm where the water bill exceeded more than half the monthly mortgage. Even though he was on the other side of the world, Colin began to research and develop a plan for finding the necessary water onsite to maintain the farm. Meanwhile, Karen joined the “long arm of Colin” research efforts for setting up a well and prepared for his return, so they could delve into methods of water conservation and investigate al- ternative crop programs, such as a small greenhouse to produce basil, lettuce, kale, chard and other leafy green crops. Working together, the two created a model system of soil-less hydroponic, organic farming that can be duplicated
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in any location, even an inner city park- ing lot or abandoned building. When Colin returned from combat for the last time, Karen realized that she needed to somehow help him continue to serve his country while being in the presence of fellow veterans. Her solu- tion was to suggest the concept of the VSAT program, and together, she and Colin formulated the idea of training returning veterans how to create their own farms. Now offering the program in partnership with Mira Costa College, the Archipleys are able to train up to 30 individuals at a time during a six-week, Full Impact Ag Business Introduction. Colin teaches the course and Karen assists with marketing and recruiting. She also oversees a one-year follow-up program to assist graduates in develop- ing their farms through valuable con- nections or finding employment with existing farmers across the country. The Archipleys have partnered
with Whole Foods Market, which has stepped up to offer its Local Producer Loan Program through the company’s Buy Local initiative, via Whole Planet Loans. In September 2011, the VSAT program will be eligible for G.I. Bill education funding. Previous funds have come from scholarship donations from other nonprofits and private donations. Today, Archi’s Acres is a sustain-
able, hydroponic, organic farm, with two greenhouses and three open-air growing areas; it produces continuous crops of basil, lettuce, chard, kale and heirloom tomatoes in a state-of-the- art, soil-less facility. Selling to Whole
Karen Archipley
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