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“Every day begins with an act of courage and hope: getting out of bed.”

– Mason Cooley

It is always an honor for the Veterans Healing Farm to serve breakfast to the Veterans and guardians on the outgoing Blue Ridge Honor Flight!

Acrylic Pouring



Learn the basics of acrylic pouring techniques to create abstract art in 2D and 3D.

Projects - Small decorative bowl, glass bottles, and canvas board.

When: Friday, May 9, 2025

Where: Veterans Healing Farm, 138 Kimzey Road, Mills River, NC

Time: 1230pm - 230pm

Growing Organic Roses

with Pam Greenwald of Angel Gardens

Pam will be presenting a program on just how easy it is to grow all roses organically. Her philosophy is contagious as she brings new ideas to the table that make sense and fits perfectly with our need to protect our roses, ourselves and the environment. She will inspire you with her passion for the extraordinary design of the Divine Intelligence of Nature. 

Pam will be touching on planting and maintaining a rose garden as well as showing us some propagation techniques. Pam will also be sharing some special Rose Lore with all of the attendees which will leave you excited to grow roses! 

Participants will be able to take home a beautiful rose to gift your mother or significant other. 

Pam will also explain her non-profit Rose Garden Angels, which uses horticulture therapy to help Veterans suffering from PTSD.

Pamela Greenewald is owner of Angel Gardens, a mail order rose nursery which grows over 2000 varieties of roses on their Own Roots in Alachua, Florida since 2006. It is one of only 4 commercial rose nurseries in the entire world that grow roses Organically. As an avid collector of all classes of rose, Pam specializes in the Antique, Old and Rare varieties that are in danger of disappearing. 

When: Saturday, May 10, 2025

Where: Veterans Healing Farm, 138 Kimzey Road, Mills River, NC

Time: 10am - 4pm

Self-Portrait from Nature

In this fun art workshops, everyone will draw themselves on paper, then we will go on a nature walk to gather materials for them to decorate their portraits. The stuff they gather will resemble certain things about them, and then the floor will be open for them to share at the end. 

When: Thursday, May 15, 2025

Where: Veterans Healing Farm, 138 Kimzey Road, Mills River, NC

Time: 11am - 1230pm

Survival Skills

with the Piked Antler Survival School

In this fun and skill based class, you get to learn real world survival skills from a professional Survival Instructor. You will learn different styles of fire, water purification, medical, navigation and more. 

This 3-hour workshop is really about spending time for yourself in a healthy way. You'll get to apply the skills you've learned and have a friendly survival skills competition at the end of class.

When: Friday, May 16, 2025

Where: Veterans Healing Farm, 138 Kimzey Road, Mills River, NC

Time: 10am - 1pm

Permaculture Design

In this course we will learn about the basics of permaculture design including designing a sustainable and self-sufficient property or homesteads. We will talk about designing your property to work with nature!

Key concepts include garden design and maximizing yield, soil, water harvesting/storage, solar aspect, animal systems, energy systems, compost making, and much more!.

When: Saturday, May 17, 2025

Where: Veterans Healing Farm, 138 Kimzey Road, Mills River, NC

Time: 930am - noon

Simple and Nutritional Meal Prep: prioritizing your health through affordable, seasonal, and local ingredients

with Sam Raph

Learn simple and cost-effective meal preparation to nourish your body, and support your local community—all while saving time in the kitchen and reducing food waste! Join holistic chef, Sam Raph, for a demonstrative workshop where she'll cook and guide you through making a week’s worth of meals + snacks with a focus on nourishing, seasonal, and locally-sourced ingredients. 

For beginner or seasoned cooks—you'll be provided with grocery lists, easy recipes, and knowledge that make healthy eating both affordable and achievable. Sam will walk you through how to plan meals around what's in season, and also provide adaptations for creating satisfying dishes that fit your lifestyle, food preferences, and budget. 

By the end of the class, you'll have had the opportunity to sample/taste all of the dishes and ask questions—leaving with newfound confidence in the kitchen, and the knowledge to continue prepping nourishing meals on your own!

When: Wednesday, May 21, 2025

Where: Veterans Healing Farm, 138 Kimzey Road, Mills River, NC

Time: 11am - 1pm

Mixed Media Collage Frame

Explore basic collage techniques to create a unique photo frame.



Project - 5x7 wooden picture frame

When: Friday, May 23, 2025

Where: Veterans Healing Farm, 138 Kimzey Road, Mills River, NC

Time: 1230pm - 230pm

Plant Swap and Tool Library Gathering

Join us for a fun garden gathering! Do you have extra plants or cuttings from your garden? Bring them out to share the wealth with fellow garden lovers. You can also bring out old tools that need some repair and love. We will discuss all garden topics from new plants, to tools, to tool storage, and any other fun topics as we enter an exciting new farming season here at the farm.

When: Friday, May 23, 2025

Where: Veterans Healing Farm, 138 Kimzey Road, Mills River, NC

Time: 5pm - 7pm

Barn Quilt Painting

A barn quilts is a piece of wood or other material painted to look like a large quilt block for indoor or outdoor use. Join the fun of creating your very own 12 x 12 inch patriotic barn quilt to take home with you just in time for Memorial Day and 4^th of July! Choose from one of two designs.

The intent of this class is to provide all the knowledge and skills you will need so that you can then paint the size and pattern of your choice in the future.

You will learn about:

a.)   The history of barn quilts;

b.)   Barn Quilt Trails in WNC;

c.)   Barn Quilt design and layout;

d.)   Materials required;

e.)   Board preparation;

f.)    Taping and Painting Techniques;

g.)   Protecting Your Barn Quilt;

h.)   Hanging and Displaying Your Barn Quilt.

You will go home with a painted 12 x 12 barn quilt that can be hung on a light pole, mailbox, garden flag pole, quilt ladder or on a wall. You will need to apply sealer at home after the paint cures if you plan on displaying the barn quilt outside. All materials will be provided. No painting experience necessary. 

When: Saturday, May 24 2025

Where: Veterans Healing Farm, 138 Kimzey Road, Mills River, NC

Time:1pm - 430pm

Pollinators and Pests: The Good, the Bad, and the Bugly

Let's talk about how to recognize pollinators and good pests in your garden! Sometimes the most quiet creatures in the garden, these good guys and gals fight the good fight in your fields. We'll go over different plants and practices to bring more beneficial insects, and reduce the problematic insects as much as possible. You'll leave this class with the ability to intervene in problematic pest infestations in an organic manner. Learn how to identify problematic pests like squash bugs, Mexican bean beetles, squash vine borer, flea beetles, etc. And more excitingly, learn how to identify the good beneficial insects such as parasitic wasps, lady bugs, green lacewings, praying mantids, etc.

When: Friday, May 30, 2025

Where: Veterans Healing Farm, 138 Kimzey Road, Mills River, NC

Time: 1pm - 4pm

Introduction to Beekeeping

A basic introduction to beekeeping; Bee Biology, Obtaining Bees, Equipment & Tools, Bee Health, Safety, Honey Harvesting, Resources, Volunteering at the VHF, and MORE!

• 0900 - 1200 Instruction
• 1200 - 1300 Lunch*
• 1300 - 1500 Hands-on Apiary Session

*Lunch provided.

When: Saturday, May 31, 2025

Where: Veterans Healing Farm, 138 Kimzey Road, Mills River, NC

Time: 9am - 3pm

Making Flower Essences for Emotional Support with Rebecca Vann

Flower essences are specialized botanical preparations, made from the flowers of various plants, that offer significant healing on the emotional, mental, and spiritual levels.

The vitality of the flowers in bloom are a subtle, yet powerful preparation to help support your nervous system, which impacts every other system of your body. Additionally, flower essences are extremely safe to take as they do not interact with any other medicines. In this class we will craft flower essences from the flowers in bloom on the farm.

Each participant will learn how to use flower essences and leave with several flower essences to begin their own collection at home.

When: Friday, June 6, 2025

Where: Veterans Healing Farm, 138 Kimzey Road, Mills River, NC

Time: 1pm - 4pm

Oysters in the Straw

Growing mushrooms can be intimidating, but there is no better companion to learn with than the Oyster Mushroom. Hardy, fast-growing, delicious and prolific, oyster mushrooms are aggressive decomposers of cellulose and excellent recyclers of paper, fabric and wastewood. Get ready for a big day of spawn preparation, different methods of pasteurization, inoculation practices, monitoring of colonization and methods to induce fruiting.

When: Saturday, June 7, 2025

Where: Veterans Healing Farm, 138 Kimzey Road, Mills River, NC

Time: 10am - 1pm

The Art of the Dandelion

In this fun we'll be picking dandelions to use in making paint, to paint dandelions!

When: Friday, June 13, 2025

Where: Veterans Healing Farm, 138 Kimzey Road, Mills River, NC

Time: 11am - 1230pm

Blacksmithing - Make Your Own Bottle Opener

with Jasper Herr

Come work with Jasper making a personal handmade bottle opener. This is your chance to try your hand at blacksmithing!

The class is designed to have you participating in almost every step of the process and I make sure you end up with a high-quality product.

Our blacksmithing classes are very popular, and class sizes are small. If you've attended one before, please allow another person to sign-up.

When: Wednesday, June 18, 2025

Where: Veterans Healing Farm, 138 Kimzey Road, Mills River, NC

Time: 9am - 5pm

Primitive Medicine and Edible Plants 

with Piked Antler Project

This is hands down one of our most popular classes. Learning about edible and medicinal plants is empowering! Join us as we delve into the fascinating world of wild plants, discovering their edible, medicinal, and bushcraft uses. Perfect for outdoor enthusiasts, this class offers hands-on experiences and valuable knowledge that will enhance your connection to the natural world. From identifying edible plants to harnessing the medicinal properties of nature's remedies, you'll gain valuable insights and practical skills that will enrich your outdoor adventures. Sign up today and unlock the secrets of the wilderness! 

When: Friday, June 20, 2025

Where: Veterans Healing Farm, 138 Kimzey Road, Mills River, NC

Time: 10am - 2pm

Full Day Wellness Retreat at VHF!

Isn't it time for a little self-care? We have a full day lined up: Tai Chi, sound therapy, yoga, meditation, acupuncture, massage, and even a cold plunge and sauna! Lunch is included in this day of healing!

• 9am. Tai Chi
• 930am -11am. One of the 3 options - Acupuncture, massage, or cold plunge/sauna
• 11am. Sound Therapy
• 1130am - noon. Try one of the 3 options -Acupuncture, massage, or cold plunge/sauna
• Noon. Lunch provided.
• 1pm. Yoga
• 130pm - 3pm. Try one of the 2 options - Massage or Acupuncture
• 3pm. Finish the day out with guided meditation!

Please bring clothes to try the cold plunge and sauna.

Yoga mats are needed if you do not have one. We will provide one for you.

Bring water and wear comfortable clothes to try all of these wonderful activities!

When: Saturday, June 21, 2025

Where: Veterans Healing Farm, 138 Kimzey Road, Mills River, NC

Time: 9am - 330pm

Simple and Nutritional Meal Prep: prioritizing your health through affordable, seasonal, and local ingredients

with Sam Raph

Learn simple and cost-effective meal preparation to nourish your body, and support your local community—all while saving time in the kitchen and reducing food waste! Join holistic chef, Sam Raph, for a demonstrative workshop where she'll cook and guide you through making a week’s worth of meals + snacks with a focus on nourishing, seasonal, and locally-sourced ingredients. 

For beginner or seasoned cooks—you'll be provided with grocery lists, easy recipes, and knowledge that make healthy eating both affordable and achievable. Sam will walk you through how to plan meals around what's in season, and also provide adaptations for creating satisfying dishes that fit your lifestyle, food preferences, and budget. 

By the end of the class, you'll have had the opportunity to sample/taste all of the dishes and ask questions—leaving with newfound confidence in the kitchen, and the knowledge to continue prepping nourishing meals on your own!

When: Wednesday, June 25, 2025

Where: Veterans Healing Farm, 138 Kimzey Road, Mills River, NC

Time: 11am - 1pm

Weeds and Mulch

with Maddie McCann

Weed is a nuanced word. Over time, we have been led to think weeds are the worst possible enemy in the garden and landscape. In this class we will deepen our understanding of what weeds actually are and what they mean about your environment. Once we talk about different types of "weeds" we will then learn how to reduce weeds the natural way using supplies you have at home. We may even change our own minds about what is a weed and what is not. Stop spending your season fighting with stubborn weeds and actually enjoy your garden this season!

When: Friday, June 27, 2025

Where: Veterans Healing Farm, 138 Kimzey Road, Mills River, NC

Time: 5pm - 7pm

Equine Therapy

with Heart of Horse Sense

Join us for a day retreat focused on mental health and healing through the unique bond between veterans and horses. Hosted by Veteran Healing Farm in collaboration with Heart of Horse Sense, this special event offers a full day dedicated to learning, wellness, and self-discovery through equine connections. Lunch is provided.

Our interactions with horses can mirror the relationships in our lives, including the critical relationship we hold with ourselves. By engaging in this retreat, veterans will have the opportunity to explore these connections deeply. Our trauma-informed approach encourages participants to observe and reflect on horse behavior, gaining valuable insights into personal challenges and strengths.

When: Saturday, June 28, 2025

Where: Veterans Healing Farm, 138 Kimzey Road, Mills River, NC

Time: 10am - 4pm

Veterans Healing Farm Seeks Sponsors, Exhibitors for 2025 Women Warriors’ Keynote Luncheon

Apr 22, 2025 04:40PM ● By WNC Business

Army Lieutenant Colonel Lisa Jaster is a soldier, an engineer, a wife and mother, and a trailblazer. One of only three women to graduate from the first integrated United States Army Ranger program — one of the most difficult combat training courses in the world — Lisa was the first female Army Reserve officer to become Ranger qualified. Lisa endured the training, which takes a minimum of 61 days and includes up to 20 hours of training per day alongside a strict diet, for a grueling six months. She graduated at age 37, while the average trainee age is 23.

Unbroken Spirit

2025 Programs are now open!

The Veterans Healing Farm is partnering with Unbroken Spirit to empower you with training, support, and resources to unlock your full potential. Discover how their 3 Phase Transformative Program can help you become your best-self. This Veterans program is completely free.

2025 Programs are open now and space is limited. Apply Today! In-person dates are: 

• May 20-25, 2025
• July 21-27. 2025, Adaptive Sports 
• Sep 16-21, 2025

Check out the videos from our Spring Wilderness Experience team and Summer Adaptive Team. The team came as strangers and left as lifelong friends. For more information or questions, please email info@unbrokenspirit.org.

VOLUNTEER DAYS ARE STARTING SOON.

GARDEN VOLUNTEERS ARE WELCOME WEDNESDAYS AND FRIDAYS, 9AM - NOON.

MEDICINAL HERB VOLUNTEERS ARE WELCOME FRIDAYS, 10AM - 2PM.

PLEASE KEEP AN EYE ON OUR WEBSITE'S CALENDAR FOR SATURDAY VOLUNTEER DAYS AND TIMES.

Volunteering at the Farm

There is no required commitment of time, or duties. Come and go as you please, and participate in what you would like to help with (or come and just hang out). Current teams include:

Vegetable Garden Volunteers

The soil needs worked, the weeds need picked, the starts need started, the produce needs picked, washed, and prepared for distribution. Volunteers will learn about the various aspects of organic farming. No prior farming experience necessary.

Grounds Maintenance Volunteers

Grounds maintenance focuses on the overall health of the land. This includes tree and bush trimming, cutting grass, clearing land, pond health, and various landscape projects. No prior experience necessary.

Flower Squad Volunteers

We grow a variety of flowers which are then made into bouquets and distributed at the Charles George VA Medical Center. You will plant, harvest and maintain our beautiful flower gardens. We’ll also have a flower design class for the team. No prior experience necessary.

Medicinal Herb Squad Volunteers

The Medicinal Herb Squad is led by our Plant Medicine Director, Rebecca Vann. Volunteers here will learn to grow the most popular and locally appropriate medicinal herbs, e.g., echinacea, valerian, skullcap, lemon balm, ginseng, goldenseal, black cohosh, chamomile, elderberry, and 50+ others. The Squad then harvests the herbs and helps make them into tinctures, teas, balms, and salves used by our Veterans – and volunteers! Rebecca also teaches workshops throughout the summer, at no charge to our members. No prior experience necessary.

Bee Squad Volunteers

The volunteer beekeepers raise and care for our honeybees. They construct and clean hives, induct wild swarms, splitting colonies, mite treatment, collect honey, and ensure the overall health of the hive. No prior bee experience necessary.

Back Office Volunteers

There is always plenty of work that doesn’t involve physical labor. We need volunteers to help with the back-end operations of the farm. This is accomplished through our volunteer committees for marketing, social media, events, membership, website development, fundraising, and community outreach. If you have any of these skills, new members are welcome and needed.

Make sure you find the opportunity that suits you best. For more information, please email veteranshealingfarm@gmail.com, subject line - Volunteering.