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SPECIAL GUEST INSTRUCTOR

CRAIG LEHOULLIER

The Veterans Healing Farm (VHF) is excited to announce that Craig LeHoullier, the NC Tomato Man will be teaching a series of tomato and gardening workshops at the Farm beginning March 29.

Craig is a popular lecturer across the country at major gardening events, and via Zoom from his home office, as well as a frequent guest on podcasts and radio shows. A chemist by training who received his PhD from Dartmouth College, his passion for heirloom tomatoes goes back almost four decades.

Through the years, Craig has been known as North Carolina Tomato Man. Some know him as the fellow who named Cherokee Purple in 1990. To others, he’s the author of the books Epic Tomatoes or Growing Vegetables in Straw Bales, the co-host of Tomatopalooza, a co-leader of the Dwarf Tomato Breeding Project, co-teacher alongside Joe Lamp’l, the “Joe Gardener” of PBS’s Emmy Award-winning Growing a Greener World and has celebrity followers like Carrie Underwood. 

Craig identifies as “the tomato nut with a website, a blog, a newsletter (on occasion), and a huge tomato and pepper and eggplant collection. Really, all I am is Craig LeHoullier - someone that heirloom tomatoes chose to help participate in their continued relevance.”

Craig will be teaching five tomato and gardening workshops as well as mentoring the tomato production volunteers in our greenhouse this year. 

Overview of the 2023 Veterans Healing Farm Gardening Programs by Craig LeHoullier (AKA NC Tomato Man) - Ask Him Anything!

Craig LeHoullier, author of Epic Tomatoes and Growing Vegetables in Strawbales, and a 40 year gardener with an expertise in heirloom tomatoes, moved to Hendersonville with his wife, Susan in January 2020 - then COVID hit, closing down his workshop agenda. Craig and Al met for coffee and the idea of providing workshops at the Veterans Healing Farm quickly took shape. At this event, Craig will tell some garden stories and provide some sneak peaks at four programs that will take place in the coming months. He will have plenty of time for questions, share some garden seeds, and his books will be available to flip through; signed copies will be available to purchase.

When: Saturday, March 25

Where: Historic Johnson Farm, Interpretive Center, 3346 Haywood Rd, Hendersonville, NC 28791

Time: 1:30pm - 3:30pm

Fee: $20 (FULLY REFUNDABLE at the workshop)

Growing Epic Tomatoes from Your Garden



Buckle in and let Craig take you on an in-depth, colorful tour of his wonderful world of tomatoes. Starting with some history, stories and enough information for you to decide what you want to grow in your own garden, Craig will then talk about how to make it all happen in this challenging climate - from seed-to-seed saving. Craig will share his experiences in his first three years of gardening in Hendersonville, and will be happy to answer your gardening questions. He will have seeds to share, and signed copies of his books available for purchase.

When: Saturday, April 8,

Where: Veterans Healing Farm

Time: 1pm - 3pm

Fee: $20 (FULLY REFUNDABLE at the workshop)

Bring Your Garden to the Sun -

How to grow just about anything

in Containers or Straw Bales

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.(Question - do we want to supply a straw bale each for those who attend? This may get complicated - your call, but between the bale and the materials to treat them with, it could be more complicated than we wish it to be)

When: Saturday, May 6

Where: Veterans Healing Farm

Time: 1pm - 3pm

Fee: $20 (FULLY REFUNDABLE at the workshop)

Crowd Breeding - Create your own tomato variety; the story of the Dwarf Tomato Breeding Project

Come to the Veterans Healing Farm so that Craig LeHoullier can tell you the story of

how he and over 1000 volunteers from the world over created well over 100 new

varieties of tomatoes. As a bonus, he will take the group to the greenhouse to

demonstrate how you can create your very own tomato variety by carrying out a cross

pollination. While there, we can take a tour of the various types of tomatoes that are

growing and look at the diversity of leaves, heights, and tomato shapes and sizes, as

well as do some possible diagnosis of any issues that show themselves.

When: Saturday, June 10

Where: Veterans Healing Farm (Greenhouse)

Time: 1pm - 3pm

Fee: $20 (FULLY REFUNDABLE at the workshop)

Music Therapy      

Music has been shown extensively to be a force for bringing peace, balance, and integration. In this program, the group of participants will engage with interactive musical activities which specifically target consequences of trauma and PTSD in order to establish emotional equilibrium and a sense of peace. Throughout the various sessions, participants will be equipped with tools which can be transitioned into life in order to help deal with difficult emotions, feelings of estrangement, depression, and anger. No prior musical experience is necessary. This program is ongoing yet will cycle in 6-week increments.



When: Begins April 5 for six consecutive Wednesdays. (April 5,12,19, 26, May 3,10)

Where: Veterans Healing Farm

Time: 4pm - 530pm

Fee: $20 (FULLY REFUNDABLE at the workshop)

Dream Tending for Trauma

Based on the explorations of Depth Psychology, Dream Tending is a practice which

acknowledges the underlying dreaming nature of being and the healing qualities inherent within imagination. Within this program, dreams and dream images will be safely explored from a living animated perspective in order to release and reintegrate fragmented parts of the self for healing, harmony, and reconnection. Individual participants are invited to bring forth dreams and dream images that will be safely shared in group. Through the 6 weeks of this program, dream images and practices will be developed in order to equip participants with strategies to carry the work forward. The program will conclude with an ancient mask making experience that helps to assimilate darker and powerful parts of the warrior self within an accepted and expressive container.

When: Begins April 5 for six consecutive Wednesdays. (April 5,12,19, 26, May 3,10)

Where: Veterans Healing Farm

Times: 10am - 1130am

Fee: $20 (FULLY REFUNDABLE at the workshop)

Ecotherapy and Ecopsychology for Reintegration

Connecting with nature facilitates an automatic reharmonization of body, mind, and emotions. Informed by a rich background of both modern and ancient indigenous ways of connecting with nature for healing and well-being, this program offers experiential strategies and exercises for connecting with nature, the soul of place, and the self as nature in order to release overwhelming emotions, find peace, and, ultimately, feel more healthily connected with both life and the world. This program is ongoing yet will cycle in 6-week increments.

When: Begins April 5 for six consecutive Wednesdays. (April 5,12,19, 26, May 3,10)

Where: Veterans Healing Farm

Time: 1:30pm - 3pm

Fee: $20 (FULLY REFUNDABLE at the workshop)

LENS Neurofeedback [First Responders are also eligible to register and participate]

The Low Energy Neurofeedback System (LENS) is an EEG based, direct neurofeedback system that stimulates the brain to reset itself and achieve optimal performance. Neuroscientists believe that the brain’s defenses against stressors and trauma can create a “neural gridlock.” LENS works around these blockages. Addressing the brain in its own electromagnetic language, LENS allows the brain to “reboot,” restoring optimal functioning.



Unlike traditional neurofeedback, in which you actively try to regulate brainwaves, LENS therapy is passive. As you relax in sessions, your brain does the work for you. And, this form of neurofeedback therapy is quick. For a fraction of a second, a tiny and imperceptible electromagnetic signal (1/300th of that omitted by a cell phone) is delivered. This signal causes a slight fluctuation in your brainwaves that allows the brain to reorganize and better regulate itself. In just a few sessions, clients often experience better focus, increased energy and improved mood. Anxiety and depression symptoms lift. Insomniacs sleep. Fear diminishes.



The average number of sessions to achieve optimal brain functioning is generally 10 sessions.

When: Begins April 18, every other Tuesday for 10 sessions. (April 18, May 2, May 16, May 30, June 13, June 27, July 11, July 25, August 8, August 22)

Where: Veterans Healing Farm

Time: 30-minute time slots between 10am – 4pm

Fee: $20 (FULLY REFUNDABLE at the workshop)

Equine Therapy with Heart of Horse Sense [First Responders are also eligible to register and participate]

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.

Horses are highly reactive and respond to human emotions - inviting calm and non-reactive communications which promotes emotional awareness, emotion regulation, self-control, and impulse modulation. Working with horses in a therapeutic setting offers instant and constant feedback to participants and is highly motivational – combining to make an exceptionally effective rehabilitation environment.

The Veterans Healing Farm will be closed to all other activities during these sessions.

When: Saturday June 17

Where: Veterans Healing Farm

Time: 10am – 4pm

Fee: $20 (FULLY REFUNDABLE at the workshop)

Canine Therapy with Warrior Canine Connection



Training a service dog for a fellow Veteran provides a valuable opportunity for a Warrior suffering from psychological injuries to reintegrate into civilian life. As part of their training, Warriors have the responsibility to teach the dogs that the world is a safe place. Through that process, they must convince themselves of the same. NOTE: The dogs that you will be working with are brought to the Farm by Warrior Canine Connection and return with them after each session. No outside dogs are allowed.

Warrior trainers are taught to praise and provide treats to their dogs when they experience a startling event, such as hearing a car backfire. Rather than turning inward to focus on their past trauma, the trainers must get outside of their own heads to focus on the dogs and their mission to help another Veteran. Additionally, dogs offer opportunities for Warrior trainers – who often isolate themselves from society – to experience positive interactions with members of the community. Their training requires emotionally numb Warriors to demonstrate positive emotion in order to successfully teach their dogs. Warriors participating in the program have reported that using these positive emotions to praise their dogs has significantly improved their family dynamics, as their children are able to experience and respond to this positive parenting strategy.

When: Four consecutive Thursdays, April 13, 20, 27 and May 4

Where: Veterans Healing Farm

Time: 1pm -3pm

Fee: $20 (FULLY REFUNDABLE at the workshop)

Other upcoming programs include

Floral Design, Meditation, Guided Kayaking, Guided Hunting and Fishing, Horseback Riding, Canning, Pickling and more!

Veterans Resource Fair

The Veterans Healing Farm is hosting our 2nd Annual Veterans Resource Fair on Saturday, May 27, 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. There is no fee to attend and is open to the public

This is the largest veteran event in WNC showcasing the services provided to our veterans from over 30 nonprofit organizations including: Blue Ridge Honor Flight, Boots on the Ground, Brothers and Sisters Like These, Catalyst Sports, Combat Vets Blue Ridge Sevens, Council on Aging, Eagle Rock Camp, Equinox Ranch, Heart of Horse Sense, Hendersonville Elks Lodge #1616, Hook Line and Heroes, PGA Hope, Mothers of Veteran Suicide, Pisgah Legal, Project Healing Waters, Veterans Healing Farm, Veterans Services of the Carolinas, VFW Hendersonville, Warrior Canine Connection…and more! Food trucks, live music, and the VHF Bagpiper Corps of One! Come out and support our Veterans.

The Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall

This Traveling Memorial stands as a reminder of the great sacrifices made during the Vietnam War. It was made for the purpose of helping heal and rekindle friendships and to allow people the opportunity to visit loved ones in their home town who otherwise may not be able to make the trip to Washington.

November 9 - 12 [This memorial will be accessible to the public 24 hours a day while at the Farm.]

Other upcoming events include

a Wellness Retreat, a Veterans' Craft Fair, and live music. Stay tuned!

The Veterans Healing Farm is happy to announce our new Medicinal Plant Director, Rebecca Vann!

Rebecca has worked in herbal education, natural products labs, and various versions of cultivation for the last two decades. Her studies have taken her along a path of herbal medicine that focused on Nutrition, Biodynamics, Ayurveda, Postpartum Ayurvedic Care, Clinical Herbalism, Flower Essences, community building, mentorship, and most recently distilling. "Rebecca brings a wealth of knowledge and in medicinal herbs and practices to the Farm - and great mojo too," said Al Yeck, Executive Director. Rebecca will be responsible for the medicinal herb garden, plant medicine workshops, processing and the Medicinal Herb Squad of volunteers.

Rebecca said "I am honored to have this opportunity to bring my skills and experience to serve the Veteran Healing Farm and its Medicinal Herb Squad. The work happening here is incredibly moving."

Interested in joining the Medicinal Herb Squad,

Bee Squad, Gardening Squad or Volunteering?

Send us a note here.

NO EXPERIENCE NECESSARY

Veterans Healing Farm Cool Stuff Shop