HENDERSONVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — The Veterans Healing Farm is beginning to suspend some of its programs — a sign of things to come if the nonprofit doesn’t get help finding a new home.
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.
The nonprofit learned in January the landowner was retiring and not going to renew the farm’s lease. It has until August to find a new space and have everything moved.
But that’s been easier said than done.
“We have multiple agents, but they all use the same real estate system. Otherwise, we get leads almost every day from individuals and check as many out personally as we can. Thus far, no luck. Many heavily wooded, others on mountains, others priced in millions,” farm executive director Al Yeck said. “We have expanded our search to include Buncombe County. Given the number of veterans there, plus the tens of thousands of veterans that go to the Charles George VA Medical Center, it makes sense.”
VETERANS HEALING FARM IN TIME CRUNCH TO FIND NEW HOME
Effective Aug. 15, the farm will be suspending its agritherapy programs (including beekeeping, medicinal herb, produce, flower and tomato gardens), the nonprofit said in its newsletter. It will also be suspending its events and programs, including the concert series and the U.S. Army band Country Roads that had been scheduled for Veterans Day.
The Matthew Bolar Memorial Garden, which is owned by another family, said the farm can continue at that spot until everything is harvested and distributed, the newsletter said.
Historic Johnson Farm and the Henderson County Beekeepers Association are fostering the bee hives, and a local business has offered warehouse space for the farm’s vehicles and other equipment. The county is allowing the farm to use the renovated VFW building for some of its workshops.
In the meantime, the farm will continue searching for land and funding to rebuild.
“The county showed us one property that was theirs, but it was a cornfield in a flood plain, just would not work for us,” Yeck said.
He said he had reached out to state and federal lawmakers, but that hasn’t panned out either.
“Congressman (Chuck) Edwards hasn’t gotten back to us. Nothing at all from state representatives,” Yeck said.
Edwards could not be reached for comment Monday.
“I’m not able to discuss his plans related to that,” a person who answered the phone in Edwards’ office said.
Calls and emails to state Sen. Timothy Moffitt and U.S. Sens. Ted Budd and Thom Tillis were not answered Monday.
State Rep. Jake Johnson issued the following statement:
“To my knowledge there has not been a formal request for funding submitted to us, but we are happy to work with them in the 2025 long session. We have been to the farm multiple times and have seen first hand the difference they are making. Also, with the changing of districts, this was originally in my district, then I think was out in the most recent map, and is now back in under the current map. We look forward to working with them going forward!”
State Rep. Jennifer Balkcom’s office issued the following statement:
“Representative Balkcom is gathering information on efforts to help the Veterans Healing Farm so that you have a clear picture of the efforts of various elected officials in the area.”
ON THE CLOCK: VETERANS HEALING FARM NEEDS HELP FOR A NEW HOME
“We are still looking for those people who are very financially stable to invest in veterans and people to champion the farm,” Yeck said, mentioning the farm would love it if country music star and Asheville native Luke Combs or rising country music star and U.S. Navy veteran Zach Bryan got involved.
“I feel like we’re in the Dr. Seuss story, ‘Horton Hears a Who!’ We are in that spec of dust and shouting, ‘We are here! We are here!'” Yeck said. “Somebody will hear us. They have to.”