The Local Food Heroes Program empowers veterans through sustainable agriculture training, creating pathways for them to become agricultural leaders who strengthen food security in their communities while rediscovering purpose and connection to the land.
At Local Food Heroes, we start with the basics – teaching veterans how to grow food in simple backyard gardens. From there, we build their skills step by step toward running small-scale market gardens that can provide both personal food security and potential income. We transform unused state and municipal land into productive growing spaces where veterans work alongside community members, learning practical farming skills while rediscovering their sense of purpose. Our hands-on approach creates a supportive environment where veterans can heal through connection with the land while developing the confidence to become Local Food Heroes in their own neighborhoods.
We see a future where veteran-led gardens transform neighborhoods across New Jersey and eventually the nation, turning neglected public spaces and empty lots into thriving food hubs. We imagine veterans teaching neighbors how to grow their own food, building stronger communities around shared gardens, and creating local food systems that everyone can participate in. Through our work, veterans find new purpose, communities gain better access to fresh food, and unused public land becomes productive again—showing how growing food together can rebuild the connections we all need.
Local Food Heroes began in 2023 at Veterans Haven North in Glen Gardner, NJ, with a simple question: “What if gardens could be a tool to grow food, share hope, and feed those in need?”
What started as a transformation of an unused staff courtyard into a productive garden has shown us the potential for creating meaningful change through agricultural education. At our Veterans Haven North location, we provide basic gardening education and hands-on learning opportunities for veteran residents. Through structured gardening sessions, veterans learn fundamental growing practices while experiencing the therapeutic benefits of working with the land.
We aim to develop Veterans Haven North as our flagship Garden Education Center, creating a comprehensive agricultural training site where veterans can master hands-on farming skills, learn sustainable practices, explore agricultural careers, develop business expertise, and build connections with agricultural service providers.
A key component of our approach is identifying and transforming underutilized public land – from state facility grounds to municipal lots – into productive growing spaces. These overlooked areas become valuable community assets through our work, demonstrating how vacant spaces can be reimagined for food production and community building.
After veterans complete their training at our flagship center, they’ll return to their communities to establish new Garden Education Centers on similar underutilized lands. These veteran-led centers will serve as community hubs where families gather to learn growing practices, share resources, and gradually rebuild community connections through shared agricultural experiences. In this way, veterans become Local Food Heroes in their own neighborhoods, using their skills to strengthen food security while continuing their own healing journey.
We’re expanding our impact by transforming resident courtyards into edible medicinal gardens, developing a market garden demonstration site, exploring additional agricultural opportunities, building our specialty crop program, and creating stronger connections with local food pantries.
Through our outreach efforts, our “Local Food Heroes” work to rebuild resilient communities.
“. . . make it your ambition to live quietly, to mind your own business and to earn your living by your own efforts — just as we told you. Then your daily life will gain the respect of outsiders, and you will not be dependent on anyone.” —1 THESSALONIANS 4:11-12
Tye’s House Inc. is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. All donations are tax deductible. ©2025