HENDERSONVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — Al Yeck has faith — faith that the Veterans Healing Farm soon will find a new space to call home.
“People ask me how we’re going to make this work. It will happen. I don’t know how, but it will happen. I know it will, somehow, some way,” said Yeck, the farm’s executive director, pausing during a tour of the lush green land in Henderson County.
The farm is a place where veterans and their families can find healing and camaraderie through agritherapy — a combination of physical and emotional therapy through hands-on work — along with a variety of other activities, workshops and live events.
Director of Operations Megan Landreth said they found out in January the landowner was retiring and was not going to renew the farm’s lease. They have until August to find new property and have everything moved.
The farm — which includes beekeeping, medicinal herbs, fruit trees and bushes and quiet space down by the creek — is set up on almost 9 acres.
“There’s a camaraderie being out here,” Yeck said. “We’re all coming from a shared culture. The people that need healing understand the best place to get that is with other veterans. They don’t need a referral. We don’t need a diagnosis. We just want veterans to come. They can do anything they want or just come and be.”
Along with the workshops, classes and farming activities, addiction recovery specialists, chaplains and counselors from the VA are often on hand for those who need those services.
“Everyone’s experiences with trauma is different. Their healing process is going to be different,” Yeck said.
He said the classes and workshops are therapeutic.
“We offer so many because we want everybody to keep trying, find something that works for them,” Yeck said.
Many people and groups pitch ideas for workshops for the veterans.
“But there’s got to be proven science behind it, or we don’t incorporate that into our therapy,” Yeck said.
Last year, the farm had 40-plus workshops with more than 500 participants, Landreth said. They expect to double that this year.
The farm has outdoor classroom space that holds about 20-25 people. But holding classes and workshops is difficult in the winter months. So, some are held at nearby coffee shops.
“What we found was they miss that time, that camaraderie,” Yeck said.
The need
There’s a big rock at the edge of the trees and creek on the current property. Yeck called it a philosophical place.
“There’s peace. You can hear birds, the creek and sometimes you can hear laughter. And that’s what we want.”
Landreth and Yeck also hope to find space for the farm to grow.
Along with 68 medicinal plants, the fruit trees and bushes and flowers, there are also two bat boxes the Girl Scouts put up at the farm. It’s a busy place.
“We’re expanding at the seams here,” Landreth said. “We want 10-plus acres, the sweet spot would be 12-15 acres.”
They want enough land to put buildings for workshops, classrooms and offices. They’ll probably farm about 4 acres.
“More workshops, more ways for people to do things, try new things, things that are more helpful,” Landreth said.
The challenge has been finding affordable property that is flat enough to put buildings and use as a farm.
“We’ve looked at probably 30 properties,” Landreth said. “We have teams of people who have reached out and are helping us look.”
But the farm still needs funding.
“We’ve already raised about $600,000. An anonymous donor offered a $50,000 match, and we’re about to that. The match goes until June 1,” Landreth said. “We would like $5 million. We have to buy land, build on the land and we’d like to create an endowment for the farm to go on for years.”
The plan is to use about $1 million for the land and about $1 million to get set up.
“If we could create an endowment, that would be amazing to be in that position for the farm,” Landreth said.
They said they’d like to stay in Henderson County because of the support they have received from county leaders and numerous organizations, businesses and residents.
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