Coming Home to Self: A Retreat for Veterans who Tend the Land November 14th – 16th

The Growing Together project of the Cornell Small Farms Program, in collaboration with Farm Ops, is hosting a 3-day wellness retreat for farmer veterans in Central New York, November 14-16. This retreat is especially for veterans who are farmers, growers, and gardeners, but veterans working as educators or service providers are also welcome.

The retreat will include guided small-group conversations, movement, breathing, meditation, journaling and sketching, hands-on activities, outdoor walks, rest and quiet time, sound healing, and more. Practitioners of the healing arts will also be on hand Saturday evening to offer free, short sessions that encourage rest and renewal.

Light on the Hill Retreat Center, located in Van Etten, NY, provides a peaceful space for reflection and renewal on 236 acres of woods, streams, gorges, and walking paths. Inner Light Lodge offers spacious, light-filled accommodations with panoramic views extending to Pennsylvania. Participants may request single or double occupancy rooms with shared bathrooms, or opt for a private cottage.

The retreat program is grounded in a set of principles and practices drawn from the Center for Courage & Renewal approach, which helps us actively and intentionally choose to nurture ways of being with ourselves and one another.

Thanks to grant funding, this retreat is offered at no cost to veterans. Space is limited to 27 participants. Lodging and meals are included; travel is the responsibility of participants. Attendees will be notified of their acceptance the week of October 20. We request that all participants attend a 1-hour virtual retreat orientation. Several sessions to choose from will be offered prior to the retreat.

FACILITATION TEAM

Our team of facilitators work collaboratively so that each can bring their unique style, skills and gifts to the experience. They include:

Violet Stone (she/her) leads a wide range of retreats and workshops for the agricultural community drawing on themes of connection, wellness, purpose, integrity and courage. She sees this work as contributing to a more inclusive ‘culture’ of agriculture. In this highly technological age of automation and artificial intelligence, we have much to gain from the act of offering one another genuine listening, open-hearted attention, and wonder. Violet has led programs for the Cornell Small Farms Program since 2007 and has also served as the New York Northeast SARE Professional Development Coordinator since 2009.

Rich Mattingly (he/him) is a Marine Corps veteran, photographer, and farmer with a passion for healing through connection to land and community. He found an early sense of belonging in the natural world, a thread that has carried through his life and work. His overseas service sparked a deep respect for farmers working in challenging environments, and planted the seeds for a future rooted in regenerative agriculture. After leaving the military, Rich built a career in visual storytelling before founding a small farm in Dryden, NY focused on food justice and mutual aid. He is honored to support fellow veterans in cultivating resilience, purpose, and belonging through the work of Farm Ops.

Damon Brangman (he/him), a farmer/educator and musician founded Roots Rising Farm to offer hands on garden education through school and community gardens. He has been on a personal healing journey since being diagnosed with Crohn’s disease. His passion for sound healing arises from wanting to assist others on their own healing journey. The earth is healing itself, and we play an important role in allowing the process to heal us, if we can only stop for a moment and listen.