On August 19th, in the heart of Oregon, a community event was born: Picnic at the Ranch. This initiative would not have been possible without collaborative community relationships between the Central Oregon Veterans Ranch, and fellow veteran-serving organizations like the Oregon Band of Brothers and Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 1643 out of Bend, Oregon. Guidance and funding from alliances with Together With Veterans (TWV) and the Disabled Veterans National Foundation (DVNF) turned this idea into action. The Disabled Veterans National Foundation is dedicated to improving the lives of disabled and at-risk veterans across the United States, and the grant funding they have provided to the peer-driven agri-therapy programs at the ranch delivers a measurable boost to our community engagement efforts with our rural veteran population.
Veterans healing veterans in the community starts with serving the whole person, which includes that veteran’s caregivers, family, and friends. What better way for the ranch to show appreciation for our veteran peers than by bringing together hundreds of veterans, along with their families, and friends of the ranch for an unforgettable day of food, music, games, and camaraderie. The Central Oregon Veterans Ranch, as a sanctuary and community hub, plays a pivotal role in reconnecting veterans of all eras of service to purpose and meaning in their lives. Nestled in the stunning Central Oregon landscape with views of the Three Sisters of the Cascades Range in the distance, the ranch offers veterans a tranquil environment to escape the hustle of daily life and reconnect with nature. The ranch supports veterans through various stages of non-clinical behavioral health challenges, and our agri-therapy initiative is at the forefront of these efforts.
Agri-therapy is a groundbreaking approach that harnesses the healing power of nature and agriculture to promote wellness and resilience. At the ranch, we provide veterans with a therapeutic and supportive environment where they can engage in activities like gardening, animal care, and regenerative farming practices. We use the framework of regenerative agriculture to engage in authentic peer-driven conversations, bridge gaps in community behavioral healthcare efforts, build support networks around social determinants of health, and find alternative pathways for processing our lived military experiences.
Picnic at the Ranch was an impactful rural event, contributing to broader veteran health and wellness awareness campaigns, while also promoting authentic connection and engagement among veterans. The success of such efforts extends the reach and impact of all participating veteran serving organizations and contributes to the sustainment of the Central Oregon Veterans Ranch’s innovative approach to finding purpose, healing wounds of war, assisting veterans as they reintegrate into our local community, and reminding every veteran that they are valued.
Visit us at https://www.covranch.org/