GROWING VETERANS

Growing Veterans is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit, veterans service organization (VSO). Growing Veterans was founded by a combat wounded USMC veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan, Christopher Brown, and a former mental health counselor turned farmer, Christina Wolf. Together, they agreed using the farm as the catalyst for human connection and veteran reintegration could have a powerful impact on the health and well being of not only vets returning home, but the world.
Our home base farm is in Lynden, WA. Situated in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, between the Cascade Mountain Range and the Puget Sound, our certified organic farm serves as the cornerstone for Growing Veterans. This is where our peer-support and community engagement ethos come to life. We invite folks from all over the community to come and join us, because it’s impossible for a veteran to fully come home without being an active member of their community again. Vet's are welcomed home, stereotypes are broken, and friendships are formed.We also have an outpost farm on Greenbank Whidbey Island, WA located just 20 minutes from NAS Whidbey.
We are a place you can find purpose and camraderie again. We serve as a professional stepping stone, giving vets an opportunity to build their resume and their individual skill sets. Opportunities for vets to get involved include employment, volunteerism, internships, and work-study. Activities with us do not have to be limited to peer-support, farm, or market - we have veterans helping out with organizational development, fundraising, business and community networking, and educational projects.
In addition to the informal Peer Support provided at the farm, Growing Veterans also offers a formal accredited Peer Support training program. Growing Veterans formal Peer Support training is a hands on learning experience, developed by veterans and mental health care professionals - for veterans, civilians, mental health providers, businesses, and organizations committed to the wellness of veterans. The three day training in-person workshop has been accredited by the Washington Mental Health Counselors Association (WMCHA) and is eligible for 20.5 CEU's. Our Peer Support training has been specifically designed for mental health providers, veterans, VSO employees or volunteers, and individuals with a personal experience of recovery from mental health, substance use, or trauma conditions and are now ready to use their own unique, life-altering experience in order to support others.Learning objectives include recognizing and understanding the symptoms, causes and cycles of PTSD and Transition Stress. Using nationally recognized best practices for Peer Support, participants learn to facilitate healthy conversations and outcomes, reduce peer isolation and develop tools to create a network of peer support.