News

'WE'RE HOME': Veterans Healing Farm finds ideal property

By Bill Moss, Published: September 24, 2024

The Veterans Healing Farm's search for a new home ended “by the grace of God” at a brick ranch on a 10-acre piece of land in Mills River, says Al Yeck, the nonprofit’s executive director.

“We looked at between 35 and 40 properties since January,” he said. “I walked into that one late in the afternoon on a Monday and I said, ‘We’re home.’ The board was out Wednesday and we made an offer Wednesday night.”

“It’s a 3-bedroom, 2-bath, which becomes two offices and a third room for a visiting therapist,” said Yeck, who is retired from the U.S. Marine Corps and the State Department. “The large living room becomes the veterans lounge and a large dining room becomes our main indoor training room. I could see all of that.”

Yet, as fitting as the inside was, it was the outdoors that spoke an deniable spirit.

“Behind the house, that’s where the property opens up and there was just that peace,” he said. “I wasn’t looking for it but it was there. Looking at that 2-acre spring-fed pond, and hearing the birds — I just knew this is our new home.”

The nonprofit bought the property for $750,000.

“I have to say they did come down on their ask price and when we came back after due diligence they did lower the price a little bit more,” Yeck said.

The 10-acre farm “has been pasture all these years,” home to horses, goats and chickens. It will be perfect for the Healing Farm’s large produce garden, its herb garden, beehives and equine therapy program.

“People want to see the property so we’ll do a groundbreaking,” he said. “Meanwhile, our first program is certified peer support therapy training.”

And one more thing, almost as good as the songbirds and the spring-fed pond? “Real bathrooms!” Yeck exults, a step up from the portable versions at the original Healing Farm.

The house and land at 138 Kimzey Road “will allow us to run our workshops, agritherapy and community events year-round (something we were not able to do at our previous location),” Yeck said in a news release. “This would not have been possible without all the support and prayers from the people of WNC and throughout the world. We had donations sent from across the country as well as U.S. military personnel living overseas.”

The Veterans Healing Farm was informed last January that the landowner was retiring and that the nonprofit would have to leave their home off U.S. 64 West by Aug. 15.

A 501c3 nonprofit founded in 2013 to enhance the mental, emotional and physical well-being of military veterans and their families, the Veterans Healing Farm operates on donations and grants. For more information or to donate, contact the farm at 828-595-6111 or veteranshealingfarm@gmail.com.