For the third consecutive year, the High Desert Grange helps gather wreaths at the Northern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery for goats and sheep.
The success of the national Wreaths Across America program sheds light on how much our country values those veterans who gave the ultimate sacrifice to keep our nation safe.
The Northern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Fernley participates every December by laying wreaths at the sites of every veteran laid to rest in and on their grounds. Jan. 29 marked the third year that the High Desert Grange has partnered with the Nevada Veterans Coalition (NVC) through coalition volunteer Roger Elliott of Fallon to recycle those wreaths.
NVC volunteers, Grangers, and goat and sheep producers from Fallon, Fernley, Silver Springs and Lovelock met at the cemetery at 9 a.m. in trucks and trailers to pick up the wreaths and clean up the cemetery. Wreaths are candy to goats and sheep, and these treats were repurposed to give these livestock a delightful change in diet, thus saving the cemetery thousands of dollars in waste disposal transportation and landfill fees.
As a result, the cemetery will reallocate those funds to pay for cemetery flags, honor guard uniforms, and more.
Recycling wreaths at the NNVMC has become immensely popular. This year, the entire event took only 90 minutes. Be on the lookout next January for the date and time of the next recycling effort.
For information about this program or the High Desert Grange, email highdesertgrange22@gmail.com or call 775-427-8210.