On a weekly basis Campbell County horticulture department provides horticulture therapy activities at the Fort Thomas VA medical facility for veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and recently began working with veterans in the domiciliary care program. Men and women in these programs are in this program for rehabilitation, recovery, health maintenance, improved quality of life, and community integration in addition to specific treatment of medical condition, mental illnesses, addictive disorders, and homelessness (https://www.va.gov/homeless/dchv.asp). The past 11 years that Campbell County Extension has been involved, horticulture therapy has been a great resource and asset to the VA programs. Studies have shown that horticulture therapy or growing and eating food together provides several ways to increase mood, improve nutritional status, reduce loneness and reduce the physical health impacts of mental illnesses such as PTSD (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8456374/ ).

Extension collaborates with the Fort Thomas VA dietitian specialist to provide programs such as: vegetable gardening, cut flower garden, herb garden, horticulture art therapy, and basic cooking skills and kitchen safety. Space is provided on the VA campus and fully funded by Campbell County extension with 10 raised garden beds for the veterans to grow, care, and harvest crops. Alongside the veterans, extension horticulture staff provides guidance on planting. Veterans engage in physical activities as they garden, engage in social activities all while learning new skills and gaining knowledge. For some, gardening brings back memories from childhood with family members and they reflex on those times and share stories. Being outside, listening to birds, watching flowers growing, and caring for living things has been tremendously beneficial for the men and women at the For Thomas Facility. One participate shared her appreciation for this program, “ I can state unequivocally that the healing power of my PTSD treatment, to include horticulture therapy, has truly changed the trajectory of my life and enabled me to be a better person for a better tomorrow, where my future self with thank me”.

When crops are ready to harvest, veterans harvest vegetables and have hands on programs on processing and cooking with those crops. Tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers are some of their favorite crops and one of their favorite recipes to follow is fresh salsa. Veterans also grow a small cut flower garden which they also harvest flower and arrange bouquets for personal enjoyment or they have may gift fresh bouquet of zinnias, lilies, and sunflowers to another fellow veteran. Extension publications, KY proud and SNAP-ed resources are shared.

Extension will continue to collaborate with the VA to partner on horticulture programs. Each year, On average, Extension engages with 115 veterans with these horticulture therapy programs.