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“You wake up every morning to fight the same demons that left you so tired the night before, and that, my love, is bravery.” – Unknown

Double ribbon cutting for our grand reopening with the Hendersonville Chamber of Commerce and the Charles George VA Medical Center.

The Veterans Healing Farm Establishes a Telehealth Outpost with the Western North Carolina VA Health Care System

The Veterans Healing Farm is pleased to announce that it has been selected to be a VA Health Care Telehealth Outpost. This initiative to enhance the well-being of local veterans is in partnership between the Western North Carolina VA Health Care System and the Veterans Healing Farm. This collaboration aims to significantly improve veterans' access to VA virtual care services in the region.

The newly established telehealth station features a private appointment room with reliable internet access and technology to facilitate seamless connections between veterans and their VA providers. This station makes it easier for veterans to receive the care they need without any barriers by minimizing travel time and alleviating internet connectivity issues.

For more information or to schedule with the VHF, please email veteranshealingfarm@gmail.com or call 828-595-6111. 

Day Hike in Pisgah Forest

If you’re interested in learning to recreate safely and sustainably, and make the most of all the wonderful natural resources we have at our fingertips, then please join us on the introductory day hike into Pisgah National Forest. Harrison will be your guide providing interpretive information and recreational knowledge, all while getting to know our fellow veteran community in the beauty of the great outdoors. This is an easy/moderate hike so appropriate for all ages and families. A gear list will be sent out to all participants in advance of the hike.

This hike will be the start of the Veterans Healing Farm's outdoor programs, including future classes in backpacking basics for spring and summer 2025.

About your guide

Harrison is a Marine Corps Veteran serving as a CH-46E/VH-3D crew chief from 2004-2010. He has a degree in Exercise Science from Kennesaw State University, and is a certified Wilderness First Responder. Harrison has over 10 years of experience as an outdoor educator, guide, and facilitator working in programs ranging from backpacking, climbing, mountain biking, kayaking, stand-up paddleboard, and wilderness survival.

When: Saturday, March 8, 2025

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

Time: 9am - 5pm

Acupuncture Therapy

Acupuncture has been part of the VA Whole Health System since 2018. It is recognized by the World Health Organization for its benefits for anxiety, depression, musculoskeletal pain, neurological pain, insomnia, stress, migraines, and so much more! This program is in partnership with the Daoist Traditions Acupuncture Clinic.

The Daoist Traditions Acupuncture Clinic is located in Asheville NC. Their clinical interns are in the final phase of a rigorous four-year academic program and treat patients under the direct supervision of clinical faculty who are NC licensed acupuncturists. Interns complete 900 hours of clinical training to develop their skills as practitioners.

When: Friday, March 21, 2025 or Friday, April 10, 2025

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

Time: 9am - 1pm

Seed Starting 101 & Seed Swap

with Maddie McCann

Learn how to start different types of seeds in varying environments. From small scale to large scale. Learn how to use what you have at your home to start your dream garden.

When: Friday, March 21, 2025

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

Time: 5pm - 7pm

Crushing Stress by Creating Joy

with Christa Laughter

Crushing Stress by Creating Joy focuses on science, scripture, psychology and holistic wellness. The workshop provides an opportunity for the instructor to define stress and joy through sharing her story. Participants will fill out a self-assessment wheel followed by discussions for strategies to implement joy in daily life and crush stress. Assessment and workbook provided.

Christa Laughter, a proud North Carolina native, holds a BA in Business Administration and a Master of Arts in Teaching and is a Certified Christian Life Coach. She was a collegiate athlete, excelling in volleyball and basketball, before serving in the United States Army, stationed at Fort Bragg with multiple overseas deployments. After her military service, Christa transitioned to the defense contracting field, where she has spent over 15 years as an intelligence professional across various military bases. Having faced challenges throughout her life, Christa has developed a deep understanding of perseverance and the power of finding joy. She is passionate about guiding others to discover their own "Joy Shift," a life-changing practice that has transformed her relationships and every aspect of her life.

When: Saturday, March 22, 2025

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

Time: 10am - noon

Bring Your Garden to the Sun - how to grow just about anything in containers or straw bales with Craig LeHoullier

Rarely does perfect sun exposure, soil and convenient location all come together in one's yard. Craig will describe how use of containers or straw bales will allow you to have a garden in your less-than-perfect-for-a-garden yard. Going well beyond his favorite crop, tomatoes, Craig will describe how to succeed with pretty much any type of vegetable or fruit you wish to grow yourself. If all goes well, Craig will have some seedlings to take home, and answer all of your questions - as well as have his books available to purchase as signed copies

When: Saturday, March 29, 2025

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

Time: 10am - noon

Spring Medicine Making Series: Herbal Extractions 

With Rebecca Vann

In this hands on class we will learn methods of extracting and preserving herbal medicine using both alcohol and non alcohol menstruum.

Tinctures offer an easy to use and highly bioavailable method to preserve the herbal medicines growing on the farm and in your gardens for longer term storage. Herbal tincturing is a great tool to add to your toolbox of managing your own family's health. Participants will learn different methods of tincturing herbs, craft their own tinctures, and take home formulas to add to their apothecary.

When: Friday, April 4, 2025

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

Time: 1pm - 4pm

Sourdough Baking

with Patrina Van Sky

Come learn the easiest sourdough bread baking ever!

You will learn about the care and feeding of a sourdough starter, how to make a wonderful loaf of bread from start to finish and take home dough to bake at home!

Every participant also takes home their very own sourdough starter! Please bring a mixing bowl (4qt or larger) and your favorite mixing spoon, and a lidded container for your dough - minimum 12 cups (McCormick storage containers can be found at the Dollar Tree store).

When: Friday, April 11, 2025

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

Time: 1pm - 4pm

Equine Therapy

with Heart of Horse Sense (this session is open to all first responders)

Equine Therapy / Animal-assisted Therapy is effective in treating people, including combat veterans and first responders, with PTSD, depression, anxiety, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and other issues.

Heart of Horse Sense is a long-time friend of the VHF and provides quality, professional trauma-informed equine-assisted services for Veterans, First Responders, At-Risk Youth & their families. This is an opportunity you shouldn't let pass.

When: Saturday, April 12, 2025

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

Time: 10am - 4pm

Garden Fertility

with Maddie McCann 

Optimize the fertility in your garden soils with organic practices and resources.

Looking to cultivate gardens that are more productive, eco-friendly, and healthier while saving time and money? The key lies in the soil – specifically, vibrant, living soil. Discover how to revitalize your soil and create naturally thriving gardens. In this class, you'll learn to identify healthy soil, nurture the soil food web, and enhance soil fertility using natural methods accessible to all gardeners.

When: Saturday, April 18, 2025

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

Time: 1pm - 3pm

All About Bluebirds

with Joe Sanders

For many years, the bluebird population had been seriously declining due to, among other things, non-native species moving into the bluebird habitat. The recent upsurge in the bluebird population can largely be attributed to a movement of volunteer citizens establishing and maintaining bluebird nest boxes and trails. The bluebird needs the direct intervention of people for its survival. Join Joe as he presents a video of an active nest box, a slide show on the threats to the bluebird’s survival and how and why it is so important to monitor the nest box. Wear sturdy shoes and appropriate clothing for a short walk around the Veterans Healing Farm for a demonstration on how to monitor some of the active bluebird nest boxes on the campus.

Joe Sanders is a Navy veteran and has been working with bluebird restoration for over 30 years, He is currently a County Representative for the North Carolina Bluebird Society and has taught classes to numerous community garden groups and currently monitors nest boxes during the nesting season.

When: Tuesday, April 22, 2025

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

Time: Noon - 3pm

Mixed-Media Collage

with All Together Art

With the guidance of award-winning instructors, step into collage techniques to create a beautiful and unique work of art. No experience necessary. You'll leave having created a beautiful 9x12 canvas board collage.

When: Saturday, April 26, 2025

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

Time: 1230pm - 2:30pm

St. Patrick's Day Game Night at the Farm

Come out and join us for a fun game night at the farm!

When: Saturday, March 15, 2025

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

Time: 5pm - 7pm

Play Ball! Asheville Tourists vs. Greenville Drive

The Veterans Healing Farm has tickets to the game and would love for you to come along to cheer on our home team! We can also provide transportation in our 'Salutin' Van - just let us know.

When: Saturday, April 12, 2025

Where: McCormick Field, 30 Buchanan Pl, Asheville, NC

Time: Game starts at 6:05pm

The 2025 Women Warrior Keynote Luncheon 

SAVE THE DATE - SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 6, 2025

The Keynote Speaker for this luncheon is a true American Hero and will share her inspirational story. More to come.

The 2025 Women Warrior Keynote Luncheon celebrates women who have served, those who are still serving, and people who fight for the rights of, care for, and otherwise support women veterans and service members across the nation.

The Women Warrior Luncheon is a women veteran's outreach designed to:

• Connect women to their identity as veterans
• Change the public perception of what veterans look like
• Connect women veterans to benefits and resources
• Connect women veterans to community

Think of the potential when you gather with women and community stakeholders, including:

• Women Veterans
• Active-Duty Service Women
• Women Reservists
• National Guardswomen
• Women Veterans Organizers
• Women in Corporate Leadership
• Women Veterans Advocates
• Veterans Service Organizations
• Private & Gov't Resource Groups

When: Saturday, September 6, 2025

Where: Blue Ridge Conference Center, Technology Education and Development Center (WEST), E Campus Dr, Flat Rock, NC 28731

Time: 11am - 2pm

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.

Tomato Squad Volunteers

Volunteers will have the opportunity to grow and learn about a wide variety of heirloom tomatoes. No 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.

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.