Growing Together and Farm Ops Veteran Retreat Offered November 14th – 16th

Cornell Small Farms Program’s Growing Together project, in collaboration with the Farm Ops project, is hosting a 3-day wellness retreat for farmer veterans in the Central NY region November 14th – 16th. This retreat is especially for veterans who are farmers, growers, and gardeners, but veterans who are working as educators and service providers are also welcome.

    The retreat will offer guided conversations in small groups, movement, breathing, meditation, journaling/sketching, hands-on activities, outdoor walks, rest/quiet time, sound healing, and more.

    Light on the Hill Retreat Center is perched high in the hills of Van Etten in Central/Upstate New York. The Center provides a space where seekers can find peace and solace away from their everyday pursuits. It’s located on 236 acres of woods, streams, gorges, and walking paths, and offers panoramic views as distant as Pennsylvania. Inner Light Lodge is a spacious and light-filled dwelling surrounded by nature and glorious views. Participants may request single or double occupancy rooms with access to shared bathrooms with showers. Private cottages are also available.

    The retreat program is grounded in a set of principles and practices drawn from the Center for Courage & Renewal approach, which helps us actively and intentionally choose to nurture ways of being with ourselves and one another.

    Thanks to grant funding, this retreat is available to veterans at no cost. However, there is an application process which will be released in late August. Space is limited to 27. If accepted, your registration includes lodging and meals. Travel is the responsibility of the participant.

To express early interest, please contact Rich Mattingly at rm2283@cornell.edu or Violet Stone at vws7@cornell.edu or 607-339-5014.

FACILITATION TEAM

Our team of facilitators work collaboratively so that each can bring their unique style, skills and gifts to the experience. They include:

Violet Stone (she/her) leads a wide range of retreats and workshops for the agricultural community drawing on themes of connection, wellness, purpose, integrity and courage. She sees this work as contributing to a more inclusive ‘culture’ of agriculture. In this highly technological age of automation and artificial intelligence, we have much to gain from the act of offering one another genuine listening, open-hearted attention, and wonder. Violet has led programs for the Cornell Small Farms Program since 2007 and has also served as the New York Northeast SARE Professional Development Coordinator since 2009.

Rich Mattingly (he/him) is a Marine Corps veteran, photographer, and farmer with a passion for healing through connection to land and community. He found an early sense of belonging in the natural world, a thread that has carried through his life and work. His service as a combat correspondent sparked a deep respect for farmers working in challenging environments, and planted the seeds for a future rooted in regenerative agriculture. After leaving the military, Rich built a career in visual storytelling before founding a small farm in Dryden, NY focused on food justice and mutual aid. He is honored to support fellow veterans in cultivating resilience, purpose, and belonging through the work of Farm Ops.

Damon Brangman (he/him), a farmer/educator and musician founded Roots Rising Farm to offer hands on garden education through school and community gardens. He has been on a personal healing journey since being diagnosed with Crohn’s disease. His passion for sound healing arises from wanting to assist others on their own healing journey. The earth is healing itself, and we play an important role in allowing the process to heal us, if we can only stop for a moment and listen.