There is a growing trend (no pun intended) that has veterans picking up trowels and hoes to plant seeds and at the same time benefit therapeutically.

Agrotherapy helps veterans not only overcome difficulties like post-traumatic stress syndrome but also gain skills to help support themselves and their families. According to the national Veteran Farming Coalition, veterans' farm programs are established in 48 states and those numbers continue to climb throughout western Washington in particular.

One such initiative is the Green Alliance for Veterans Education (GAVE), which has a mission to promote education, career development and small business opportunities for military veterans. Though GAVE focuses on all sort of opportunities for veterans, there are incentives for those interested in finding careers within green technology or other related fields.  

Granted, according to GAVE board member Jeff Reyes, green can be helping someone get into school and learn to work on hybrid cars or studying water purification - it is not just about farming. However, sometimes farming is still the answer, like at Clallam County's Robin Hill Veterans Farm, an amazing GAVE project. At the farm veterans can connect with nature and even give back to their communities by donating the foods grown to food banks and other organizations.

"Not all of the veterans have green thumbs, but it is great to get them and their families out there and watch them leave their small groups and start sharing stories with each other," said Reyes.

GAVE has also partnered with Washington State University Extension to help them learn about farming and gardening. Last year, a handful of veterans and their families took WSU Extension's Cultivating Success course on sustainable ranching and farming as part of the veteran gardens project at Robin Hill.

"In agrotherapy you are taught to plant something and watch it grow rather than eradicate threats and destroy things, like in the military," said Reyes, a Marine Corps veteran himself. "It helps you get that sense of pride back when you help something grow and see what you can do."

Veterans who want a garden but don't have the space for one can contact the North West Veteran Resource Center at 360.797.1791 for the garden application for a plot at the Robin Hill Veterans Farm where the 2014 gardening season is just kicking off.

Veterans interested in either starting or growing their farm business while taking a nuts and bolts approach to learning how to run a successful farm are ideal Cultivating Success candidates. For more information, visit www.cultivatingsuccess.org.

Reyes, who ended his time in service due to an injury, spent time in school first and then was left trying to figure out how he could "save the world." He was connected to fellow veterans through an organization and it led to an unlikely first meeting during which he planted a tree and became employed with the Veterans Conservation Corps. That eventually developed into GAVE (vetsgave.org).

The VCC, which was created by the Washington Department of Veteran Affairs to provide veterans with volunteer opportunities on projects that help protect and restore the state's rivers, streams, lakes and open lands.

"We can assist the veteran in their transition and work through the differences in the conservation and military communities respectively," said Jeremy Grisham, a program specialist with the VCC. "We help make sure that when they are working in this field they know what they're doing and we are always in contact with them to offer support."
To get involved with the VCC, call 800.562.2308.