Man turns 9 acres of land into a place where his fellow veterans can heal

At the Veterans Healing Farm, former service members have the opportunity to grow plants and flowers while cultivating friendships.

John Mahshie told People he felt "alone and isolated" after leaving the Air Force in 2008, yet "sucked it up and pressed on." He knew other veterans were struggling with their own issues but might not know how to reach out for help, and in 2013 he decided to plant fruit trees, berry bushes, herbs, and flowers on nine acres of land he owned in Hendersonville, North Carolina. With that, the Veterans Healing Farm was born.

Mahshie "wanted to create a community for fellow veterans who needed a sense of belonging," he said. "I had this vision of growing a 'healing farm' because it's just as important to feed the body as it is to feed the spirit." Assisting others has always lifted his spirits, and he thought "if community work helped me before, it would help me now, and would help others."

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Veterans come to the farm to help Mahshie and his wife, Nicole, keep it running. There are bunkhouses on the property for vets to stay in, and Mahshie said they not only learn new skills, but also "that they can trust people and they are valued." Over the last six years, the farm has donated more than 35,000 pounds of produce and flowers to veterans, and "the acts of growing and harvesting help them form friendships with people who share the same mission," Mahshie told People. "It's so gratifying to see these relationships form."