---
title: "Project GROW: How gardening helped a Veteran heal"
description: "An Air Force Veteran turned to gardening through Atlanta VA’s Whole Health program to manage PTSD, finding community, purpose and a way to give back."
author: "Nikki Verbeck"
section: veteran-news
published: 2026-10-02T19:00:04.793485+00:00
canonical: https://valorandventures.media/article/75c6afd9-5883-4b29-a884-f69466bbda4a
publisher: "Valor & Ventures Media"
source: "VA News"
source_url: https://news.va.gov/149902/project-grow-gardening-helped-veteran-heal/
access: free
---

# Project GROW: How gardening helped a Veteran heal

*An Air Force Veteran turned to gardening through Atlanta VA’s Whole Health program to manage PTSD, finding community, purpose and a way to give back.*

## Executive Summary

An Air Force veteran has successfully utilized a specialized agrarian wellness initiative to navigate the complex challenges associated with post-traumatic stress. According to a report by Nikki Verbeck for the official news publication of the Department of Veterans Affairs, this rehabilitation milestone was reached through the comprehensive care services offered by the regional veterans healthcare administration based in Georgia. By taking part in hands-on agricultural work, the former service member has been able to address psychological trauma while establishing a renewed path toward healing and personal recovery. The therapeutic program, known as Project GROW, highlights an ongoing evolution toward integrative medicine within federal military healthcare networks. Rather than relying exclusively on traditional clinical methodologies, the Atlanta-based veterans medical division has embraced environmental and agricultural therapies to support former service members. The initiative encourages participants to actively cultivate green spaces, offering them structured physical routines and a calming connection to the natural world. The outlet reports that this active engagement provides individuals with reliable, constructive mechanisms for managing emotional distress and building mental endurance. In addition to serving as a personal therapeutic outlet, the agricultural initiative has fostered social reintegration and civic contribution. The report notes that the participating veteran found a deep sense of shared identity and personal drive through the gardening program. Working alongside fellow former service members helped mitigate the psychological isolation that frequently accompanies the transition back to civilian life. Furthermore, the initiative enabled the veteran to give back to the surrounding neighborhood, turning the physical output of agricultural labor into a positive resource for the local public. For the executives, founders, and military veterans who comprise the Valor & Ventures community, this developmental model illustrates the profound impact of alternative rehabilitation strategies on personal and professional resilience. Non-traditional wellness frameworks prove that recovering from profound stress and restoring focus often depend on active, purpose-driven endeavors that rebuild peer-to-peer structures. Civic-minded leaders and veteran advocates can view these collaborative agricultural models not only as vital support networks for former service members but also as inspiring blueprints for community engagement and sustainable social entrepreneurship.

## Article

An Air Force Veteran turned to gardening through Atlanta VA’s Whole Health program to manage PTSD, finding community, purpose and a way to give back.
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Nikki Verbeck · VA News

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Originally published by VA News: https://news.va.gov/149902/project-grow-gardening-helped-veteran-heal/