Will County farm provides fresh food to veterans facing food insecurity [Video]

WILL COUNTY, Ill. – A 60-acre working farm in Manhattan, Illinois, operates as a nonprofit with a single mission: to provide our nation’s veterans with the freshest food available, completely free of charge.

“Everything we produce on the farm is donated to veterans in need locally in the community as well as now into eight states,” said Michelle Keller, Director of Community Development for Farm2Veteran.

With one in nine veterans experiencing food insecurity, Farm2Veteran supplies both meat and eggs to veterans living in food deserts or those who may struggle to reach markets due to mobility or other challenges.

“These veterans are getting it directly from our farm, our farm managers driving to their housing, and providing these eggs, and they have the best nutrition available so that they can face whatever it is they need to face,” said Sarah Zurales, Senior Director of Development.

One of the farmers, who also serves as a delivery driver, is Michael …