D.S. Farms Lewisburg welcomes disabled veterans
Article and Photo By Patty Blackburn
Daniel McCollum started a nonprofit in Lewisburg for disabled veterans to hunt on his property. McCollum has over 21 years of experience working with veterans and knows how to manage a group to promote teamwork and accomplish a desirable outcome.
McCollum is a disabled veteran and understands the importance of being out in the open, away from noise, pollution, or to just escape for several hours. This is the reason why D. S. Farms Lewisburg was established. As stated on the website, [dsfarmslewisburg.org] (http://dsfarmslewisburg.org), the mission is:
To offer a disabled veteran a unique opportunity to reconnect with nature, bond with fellow service members, and find peace and solace away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.
D. S. Farms Lewisburg is available to disabled veterans who want to hunt with a gun or a bow, or perhaps just to enjoy the landscape. To hunt, a license is required. The State of Tennessee authorizes issuance of hunting licenses with a one-time fee of $10, which is for a lifetime, for disabled veterans who are either 100% permanent and totally disabled, or who have a 30% disability due to war service. An application can be downloaded on the TWRA website. Once approved, a card will be mailed to the disabled veteran, and the card lasts a lifetime.
D. S. Farms Lewisburg also has a required application. This is to determine the purpose for going to the farm as well as for crowd control. Applications can be requested from the website [dsfarmslewisburg.org] (http://dsfarmslewisburg.org) or by emailing dsfarmslewisburg@gmail.com. There is no charge for disabled veterans to apply or to take advantage of being on the farm.
Employees at TSC and members of the Marshall County Veterans Outreach have offered their support by volunteering to help with cleaning the trails and assisting veterans when needed. Their involvement ensures that the farm remains a safe and welcoming environment. Additionally, the TWRA can have an officer available if requested when there is hunting on the farm, emphasizing the importance of safety.
For questions, you can email McCollum at: dsfarmslewisburg@gmail.com
