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"May your heart be light and your spirit be free. May peace, joy, and simple pleasures find you this spring and always."

The Veterans Healing Farm’s Women Warriors’ Leadership Luncheon is the largest gathering of female veterans and community leaders in Western North Carolina. Seats are limited and fill up quickly—secure yours today by registering now!

Veterans Day 5k - Registration Now Open!

November 8, 2026 | Mills River Park | Mills River, NC

Join us for meaningful way to celebrate Veterans Day with our Veterans Day 5K, presented by Best Buy Metals, on Sunday, November 8, at Mills River Park.

This event is more than a run—it’s a chance to come together as a community to honor our veterans and support the life-changing work of the Veterans Healing Farm.

VR Headsets Now Available at the Farm

Virtual reality (VR) headsets are increasingly being used as therapeutic tools to support veterans dealing with both physical pain and mental health challenges. By immersing users in controlled, interactive digital environments, VR creates a powerful sense of presence that can shift attention, regulate emotional responses, and even retrain how the brain processes pain and trauma.

For pain management, VR works largely through distraction and sensory engagement. Veterans experiencing chronic pain—whether from combat injuries, surgeries, or long-term conditions—can be transported into calming or engaging virtual worlds, such as peaceful landscapes or interactive games. This immersion reduces the brain’s focus on pain signals, often lowering perceived pain levels without medication. 

In terms of mental health, VR has shown particular promise in treating conditions like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and depression. One common approach is exposure therapy, where veterans are gradually reintroduced to trauma-related scenarios in a safe, controlled virtual setting. This allows them to process traumatic memories with the guidance of a therapist, helping reduce avoidance behaviors and emotional distress over time. VR can also simulate social environments to help veterans rebuild confidence and social skills, especially for those struggling with isolation.

While VR is not a replacement for conventional care, it serves as a powerful complement to existing treatments. As technology advances and becomes more affordable, its role in veteran healthcare is expected to grow, offering innovative ways to address complex physical and psychological challenges with empathy, precision, and engagement.

Making Herbal Extracts with and without alcohol

Tinctures are a simple, powerful way to preserve the herbal medicines growing on the farm and in your own garden. In this hands-on class, we’ll harvest fresh plants from the fields and transform them into tinctures step by step. You’ll learn both alcohol-based and non-alcohol extraction methods, compare their uses, and explore when each approach is most appropriate. Everyone will go home with their own handcrafted formulas to begin or expand a home apothecary.

When: Friday, May 1, 2026

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

Time: 1pm - 4pm

All participants need to register through the regpack system and pay the $1 system charge. **CANCELLATIONS MUST BE DONE WITHIN THE 72 HOUR WINDOW OR YOU WILL BE CHARGED A NO-SHOW FEE** 

Guitar 101 with Mike

[REGISTRATION FULL - WAITLIST ONLY]

Guitar isn’t just music—it’s therapy. For many veterans, playing helps reduce stress, rebuild focus, and create a sense of connection. One chord at a time, it can turn noise into healing. 🎸

Come learn guitar with Mike! Guitar lessons for beginners focus on building a solid foundation through the fundamentals of music and technique We will be doing Guitar 101 Lessons every Friday for 6-weeks starting May 1st ending June 5th from 6p-7p. If you don't have a guitar we will provide you with one!

When: Friday, May 1, 2026 (six consecutive Fridays)

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

Time: 6pm - 7pm

All participants need to register through the regpack system and pay the $1 system charge.**CANCELLATIONS MUST BE DONE WITHIN THE 72 HOUR WINDOW OR YOU WILL BE CHARGED A NO-SHOW FEE** 

Half Day Trout Wade with Southern Appalachian Anglers

[REGISTRATION FULL - WAITLIST ONLY]

Half Day Trout Wade: 5 anglers at Southern Appalachian Anglers LLC - Asheville Fly Fishing Guide Service, no previous experience necessary. Please provide me with your shoe size for your waders. Location and more information will be available closer to the date. A meetup location and time will be given via email.

When: Saturday, May 2, 2026

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

Time: 7am - 11am

All participants need to register through the regpack system and pay the $1 system charge.**CANCELLATIONS MUST BE DONE WITHIN THE 72 HOUR WINDOW OR YOU WILL BE CHARGED A NO-SHOW FEE**

Candle Making

Candle making can be especially meaningful and beneficial for veterans, combining creativity, relaxation, and even community-building.

This candle making workshops offers hands-on, creative experiences where participants learn to craft their own scented candles. Guided by instructors, attendees select fragrances, blend soy or wax, and pour candles into vessels while learning safety techniques.

When: Saturday, May 2, 2026

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

Time: 10am - 12pm

All participants need to register through the regpack system and pay the $1 system charge. **CANCELLATIONS MUST BE DONE WITHIN THE 72 HOUR WINDOW OR YOU WILL BE CHARGED A NO-SHOW FEE**

Pottery Session 4 (six-weeks)

[Clay & Camaraderie is a six-week pottery workshop designed for active-duty military members, veterans, their families, and VHF volunteers. This program offers structured creative expression, mindfulness-based tactile activity, and community-building. Sessions will be held weekly with additional open lab hours culminating in a participant-led exhibition.

Explore both the fluidity of the pottery wheel with the expressive versatility of hand-building. This class focuses on projects that fuse techniques, challenge your creativity, and build functional, sculptural, and decorative forms. You’ll work on guided projects designed to explore the interaction between thrown and hand-built elements. You’ll learn to see clay as a medium with infinite expression!

When: Saturday, May 2, 2026 (six consecutive Saturdays)

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

Time: 12pm - 2:pm

All participants need to register through the regpack system and pay the $1 system charge. **CANCELLATIONS MUST BE DONE WITHIN THE 72 HOUR WINDOW OR YOU WILL BE CHARGED A NO-SHOW FEE**

Meal Prep Workshop with Sam

Simple & Nourishing Meal Prep: prioritizing your health through affordable, seasonal, and local ingredients.

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 6, 2026

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

Time: 10am - 12pm

All participants need to register through the regpack system and pay the $1 system charge. **CANCELLATIONS MUST BE DONE WITHIN THE 72 HOUR WINDOW OR YOU WILL BE CHARGED A NO-SHOW FEE**

Drum Circle

Drum circles offer veterans more than rhythm—they build connection, reduce stress, and create a powerful outlet for expression. No words needed, just the beat bringing people together. 🥁

Experience how drumming can build community, enhancing well-being and bring joy! No experience needed, just an open mind and wiliness to have fun! Drums will be provided for the workshop!

When: Saturday, May 9, 2026

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

Time: 1030am - 1130am

All participants need to register through the regpack system and pay the $1 system charge. **CANCELLATIONS MUST BE DONE WITHIN THE 72 HOUR WINDOW OR YOU WILL BE CHARGED A NO-SHOW FEE**

Plant Swap with Maddie

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. 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 15, 2026

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

Time: 4pm - 6pm

All participants need to register through the regpack system and pay the $1 system charge. **CANCELLATIONS MUST BE DONE WITHIN THE 72 HOUR WINDOW OR YOU WILL BE CHARGED A NO-SHOW FEE**

Kombucha and Ginger Beer Making

This workshop focuses on brewing both, covering the entire process from selecting ingredients to fermenting and bottling. Participants learn to create a ginger bug (yeast culture), maintain a SCOBY (symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast), and manage both first and second fermentations for maximum carbonation.

When: Saturday, May 16, 2026

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

Time: 12pm -2pm

All participants need to register through the regpack system and pay the $1 system charge. **CANCELLATIONS MUST BE DONE WITHIN THE 72 HOUR WINDOW OR YOU WILL BE CHARGED A NO-SHOW FEE**

Falconry at the Farm

[REGISTRATION FULL - WAITLIST ONLY]

Falconry in Western North Carolina is an up close and personal “hands on” experience with a bird of prey. Guests will accompany a licensed falconer and learn about the ancient sport of falconry.

Those who wish to, will have the opportunity to handle the raptor and experience the exhilaration of having this magnificent bird perch on their gloved fist.

It will be a truly unforgettable experience as the hawk flies from tree to tree culminating with it flying to your fist.

• History and art of falconry

• Different birds of prey used in falconry

• Getting to know and handling your bird

• Equipment used in falconry

• Flying your raptor to the fist/glove

When: Friday, May 22, 2026

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

Time: 2pm - 4pm

All participants need to register through the regpack system and pay the $1 system charge. **CANCELLATIONS MUST BE DONE WITHIN THE 72 HOUR WINDOW OR YOU WILL BE CHARGED A NO-SHOW FEE**

Blacksmith Workshop with Jasper Herr

[REGISTRATION FULL - WAITLIST ONLY]

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

You will be making a Knife with the help of blacksmith extrordanaire Jasper Herr!

When: Saturday, May 23, 2026

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

Time: 9am - 5pm

All participants need to register through the regpack system and pay the $1 system charge. **CANCELLATIONS MUST BE DONE WITHIN THE 72 HOUR WINDOW OR YOU WILL BE CHARGED A NO-SHOW FEE**

Guitar 101 Lessons with Rich

[REGISTRATION FULL - WAITLIST ONLY]

Guitar isn’t just music—it’s therapy. For many veterans, playing helps reduce stress, rebuild focus, and create a sense of connection. One chord at a time, it can turn noise into healing. 🎸

Guitar lessons for beginners focus on building a solid foundation through the fundamentals of music and technique We will be doing Guitar 101 Lessons every Wednesday for 6-weeks starting May 27th ending July 8th from 10-11a. If you don't have a guitar we will provide you with one!

When: Wednesday, May 27, 2026 (six consecutive weeks)

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

Time: 10am - 11am

All participants need to register through the regpack system and pay the $1 system charge. **CANCELLATIONS MUST BE DONE WITHIN THE 72 HOUR WINDOW OR YOU WILL BE CHARGED A NO-SHOW FEE**

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

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 3, 2026

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

Time: 10am - noon

All participants need to register through the regpack system and pay the $1 system charge. **CANCELLATIONS MUST BE DONE WITHIN THE 72 HOUR WINDOW OR YOU WILL BE CHARGED A NO-SHOW FEE**

Neurofeedback

Neurofeedback, also known as EEG (electroencephalogram) biofeedback, is a therapeutic intervention that provides immediate feedback from a computer-based program that assesses a client’s brainwave activity. The program uses auditory or visual signals to help patients recognize their thought patterns and try to modify them. Through this process, clients can learn to regulate and improve their brain function and hopefully alleviate symptoms of various neurological disorders and mental health conditions.

Neurofeedback is a non-invasive, evidence-based therapy supported by the VA for veterans to treat PTSD, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), chronic pain, and sleep issues. It uses EEG biofeedback to train brainwave regulation, with studies showing improvements in anxiety, depression, and memory. 

When: Thursdays, beginning June 4 for 12 weeks, ending August 27

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

Time: Time slots will be 1pm,130pm, 2pm, 230pm, 3pm. Time slots must be scheduled.

All participants need to register through the regpack system and pay the $1 system charge. **CANCELLATIONS MUST BE DONE WITHIN THE 72 HOUR WINDOW OR YOU WILL BE CHARGED A NO-SHOW FEE**

Kayak Paddling Trip with Headwater Outfitters

Meet at the farm and take the van to Headwater Outfitters for a self-guided kayak paddling trip! (If you choose to drive separate please let us know)

Three-hour paddling trip on a lively, yet gentle current with fast-moving shoals and sharp river bends along the way, all part of a natural river environment. Trip will be 10a-1p not including travel time.

When: Friday, June 5, 2026

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

Time: 830am - 2pm

All participants need to register through the regpack system and pay the $1 system charge. **CANCELLATIONS MUST BE DONE WITHIN THE 72 HOUR WINDOW OR YOU WILL BE CHARGED A NO-SHOW FEE**

Beginner Spinning: Learning to spin on a top whirl drop spindle with Jamie Sparks*

Your life is filled with textiles made from various spun threads and yarn. Come deepen those connections with the fibers that are deeply woven into many aspects of our lives by trying your hand at one of the earliest ways to handspin yarn using a drop spindle. Join us for a fun, educational and meditative day of learning the top whirl dropspindle, and maybe some other styles as welll. We will prepare, card and spin raw wool fleece to create yarn on a drop spindle. You may have time to try different types of fibers and even different types of spindles. You will get to take home your first handspun yarn, as well as a drop spindle to continue exploring this new skill.  

*Jamie Sparks is a multidisciplinary artist and educator with over 30 years of experience teaching learners of all ages. She has spent more than two decades working with natural fibers, specializing in spinning and felting, and has taught throughout the southeastern U.S., including the John C. Campbell Folk School, Tryon Arts and Crafts School, assisting at Penland School of Crafts and numerous arts councils. Her fiber arts instruction emphasizes the transformation of raw fleece into finished pieces, combining traditional techniques with an accessible, hands-on approach. Jamie holds an Associates in Metalsmithing from Haywood Community College, where she developed her skills in metalwork and design. Prior to her work in the arts, she focused life as a herbal educator and plant biologist with a focus on the relationship between humans and plants—a passion that continues to influence her creative practice.

When: Saturday, June 6, 2026

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

Time: 11am - 2pm

All participants need to register through the regpack system and pay the $1 system charge. **CANCELLATIONS MUST BE DONE WITHIN THE 72 HOUR WINDOW OR YOU WILL BE CHARGED A NO-SHOW FEE**

Acupuncture

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. The clinic provides 6,000+ affordable patient treatments each year and 500+ free treatments through non-profit partnerships and community events.

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, and so much more!

When: Friday, June 12, 2026

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

Time: 9am - 1pm

All participants need to register through the Regpack system and pay the $1 system charge. **Cancellation within the 72 hour window of the workshop will result in a no-show fee charge.**

Herb Infused Oils and Salves with Rebecca Vann

In this hands-on class, we’ll craft rich herbal oil infusions using dried plants and explore how to draw out their beneficial qualities. You’ll then learn how to transform these infused oils into versatile salves, perfect for lip balms and a variety of skin-care needs. Each participant will take home a small amount of either infused oil or finished salve to continue working with at home.

When: Friday, June 12, 2026

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

Time: 1pm - 4pm

All participants need to register through the Regpack system and pay the $1 system charge. **Cancellation within the 72 hour window of the workshop will result in a no-show fee charge.**

Garden Friends and Foes with Maddie

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, June 19, 2026

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

Time: 1pm - 4pm

All participants need to register through the Regpack system and pay the $1 system charge. **Cancellation within the 72 hour window of the workshop will result in a no-show fee charge.**

Set-up Your Own Meshtec Emergency Communications System

(If you had this during Helene, you would have been able to communicate with friends and loved ones. Used by U.S. Special Forces)

Meshtec (or Meshtastic) emergency communication systems, specifically referring to decentralized, low-power mesh networks, provide off-grid, peer-to-peer connectivity for critical communication without relying on cell towers or the internet.

Key Aspects of Mesh Emergency Systems:

• Decentralized Communication: Instead of relying on a central hub, each device (node) acts as a relay, passing messages from node to node to reach recipients, notes.
• Off-Grid Capability: These systems operate without cellular towers or internet infrastructure, making them ideal for disaster situations.
• Hardware and Operation: Meshtastic uses small, affordable radio devices that typically connect to a smartphone via Bluetooth. The phone is used for the user interface (typing/viewing), but the radio handles the transmission.

Who should attend: Those interested in being able to communicate with loved ones and friends during an emergency/comms-down environment. Hiking, camping, and off-roading where coverage is non-existent.

What you will learn: Non-standard, commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) communications workshop, focused on building a resilient, self-healing mesh network, using Meshtastic LoRa (Long Range) radio technology devices.

Why attend: To enable members of our Veteran community to be more resilient in the face of emergencies and natural disasters, and to continue to foster a sense of community in the same.

Meshtastic is already heavily in use in Western North Carolina; there is a Meshtastic repeater node on top of Mount Mitchell. It's a great opportunity to build resiliency in our own community, and continue building resiliency to the greater WNC area as well! Each node/device that a user has also functions as a repeater, so the more devices throughout an area, the more robust the self-healing mesh network!

You will leave with the equipment and knowledge to start your own emergency network.

When: Saturday, June 13, 2026

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

Time: Noon - 3pm

All participants need to register through the Regpack system and pay the $1 system charge. **Cancellation within the 72 hour window of the workshop will result in a no-show fee charge.**

Composting 101

Learn various methods of composting including hot and cold composting, vermicomposting, black soldier fly larvae and more. We will create a hot compost pile on site and discuss the do’s and don’ts of composting.

When: Friday, June 26, 2026

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

Time: 930am - 1230pm

All participants need to register through the Regpack system and pay the $1 system charge. **Cancellation within the 72 hour window of the workshop will result in a no-show fee charge.**

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.

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 27, 2026

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

Time: 10am - 4pm

All participants need to register through the Regpack system and pay the $1 system charge. **Cancellation within the 72 hour window of the workshop will result in a no-show fee charge.**

Last Patrol connects veteran volunteers to veterans in hospice. We cooperate with medical providers of hospice care to connect volunteers to the patients so that their last patrol isn’t alone. It’s hard to overestimate the importance of friendship during end-of-life care. Last Patrol brings new friendships when friendship matters most. For more information about Veterans Last Patrol, please click here.

Currently, they do not have a program running in WNC. If you are interested in being part of this wonderful program, please contact us below.

Admin Updates



First Time Registering? We have started using our new registration system, which among other benefits, creates a waitlist for full classes. You’ll need to create an account before signing up.

Cost: Each workshop is $1 (system processing fee). If you haven't paid this fee, you are not registered.

No-Show Policy: If you do not cancel at least 72 hours before the workshop, a $20 no-show fee will apply. This policy ensures that those on the waitlist have time to adjust their plans. Thank you for helping us make workshops more accessible and efficient for everyone!

The Veterans Healing Farm is a VA Telehealth Outpost

The Veterans Healing Farm's telehealth station features a private appointment room with high-speed, 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. Read the latest article on VA Telehealth.

For more information on how you can use this service, please email veteranshealingfarm@gmail.com or call 828-595-6111.