more to us to give away in Missouri and Kansas . In Missouri , we are giving tents to veterans to grow cannabis medicine . In Kansas , they will grow nourishing food .
Our first Kansas Veteran , Keara Torkelson , was awarded the GrowGen 5 x 5-foot grow tent package in January . Keara served in the U . S . Army from 2006-2013 . She joined out of a sense of patriotism and a hope for a better future for herself . In 2009 , she was serving at Ft . Hood , Texas . She had just received deployment orders to Iraq , where she knew there was the potential of seeing violence and being shot . However , the violence came to her and the Ft . Hood community before she deployed . Keara was a victim of the Ft . Hood mass shooting in 2009 . Despite her injuries , Keara told me joining the Army was the best thing she ever did for herself . After her time in the service , she moved to Kansas . She is the mother of two , an inspiring speaker , and an incredible advocate for veterans ’ rights .
Keara Torkelsen , U . S . Army Veteran , receives her new grow tent package from Hemp For Victory , presented by Co-Founder Todd Scattini ( on left ) in front of the Liberty Memorial in Kansas City .
Keara will use her grow tent to grow micro-greens , leafy green vegetables , and possibly mushrooms to feed her young family nutritious , vitamin-dense foods . She told me that she will grow these foods with her children and looks forward to teaching them how to be sustainable and healthy . She said that she also looks forward to reaping the therapeutic benefits of growing plants indoors and hopes one day to have access to cannabis medicine .
Todd Scattini is a 27-year veteran LTC , U . S . Army ( Ret .). A West Point graduate , Scattini commanded troops at the platoon and company level , and served as a military diplomat and Defense Attaché in numerous countries . He deployed twice to Afghanistan , serving as a senior advisor to the coalition commander . He has been an activist pushing for medical cannabis access for veterans across the country , serving in board advisory positions at the Veterans Cannabis Project , Kansas Cannabis Coalition , and the Hemp For Victory Foundation . His company , Harvest 360 , is a full-service cannabis consulting firm specializing in helping clients become licensed operators . Todd . scattini @ harvest360 . co .