Ranch taking root to help High Desert veterans heal

A 19-acre farm between Redmond and Bend soon will become a haven of peace and healing for Central Oregon veterans young and old.

A new nonprofit called the Central Oregon Veterans Ranch is in the process of buying the farm off of 61st Street, and it’s expected to open by the end of the summer.

It’s a longtime dream of founder Alison Perry.

“I saw this really strong need for a sense of purpose and also connection with other veterans, and a way to continue to serve,” Perry said Tuesday.

The farm comes with a home, barn and greenhouses that will be used for the ranch. Perry said the home will be remodeled to fit the needs of five terminally ill veterans who will live out their last days on the ranch.

The other purpose of the ranch will be to farm the land and raise livestock in an effort to provide food for ranch residents and offer volunteer and farming experience for younger veterans. Perry said extra food produced on the ranch will be donated to the community.

There’s also plans for the farm to generate its own income by selling products made on the ranch.

But according to Perry, that’s just the surface — the real purpose of the ranch is to heal what can’t be seen.

“I would call it a sanctuary,” Perry said. “A place where veterans who’ve had trauma or who’ve served in war can come at different points in their life for healing or connections to other veterans.”

Perry also hopes veterans across generations will come together to help and understand one another.

“We know that veterans help veterans,” Perry said. “And so the veterans living in the home will benefit from veterans coming out and working on the property — coming in and visiting with them, hearing their stories.”

For Iraq War combat veteran Ray Harris, the program will fill a void that clinics and doctors cannot.

Even though the ranch is just getting started, Harris said he has a good feeling about the project. Visiting the property makes him feel better, even on the worst of days.

“Today it’s St. Paddy’s Day, and everybody’s going to be all festive, but for me, eight years ago today (several friends) were blown off the the face of the earth (in Iraq) — and that’s why I’m here,” Harris said.

Harris also plans to help the ranch get started and make a difference in the lives of others. He’ll help fellow veterans cultivate a new future.

“I’d like to think that personal interaction and getting real with each other is a great way to begin that holistic healing process,” Harris said. “War damages the narrative of a person’s life, and in order to heal that, sometimes the narrative needs to be restored.”

Army veteran Penny Dex came out from Portland Tuesday to view the property and offer support for the project. She’s helped found similar program in other cities and said the philosophy works.

“Veterans need a way to redeploy into their communities, and a really good way to do that is by giving them something they can create, instead of destroy,” Dex said. “Where they have projects with a start, finish and end.”

The ranch is trying to raise $50,000 to help with start up costs and the purchase of the land. To learn more or donate you can visit centraloregonveteransranch.org.