Category: Farm Life

By Annie Boyle, LPC

Imagine waking up to the sound of roosters crowing, the smell of fresh hay and grass, and the sight of open fields and trees stretching to the horizon. This is daily life at Hopewell, where clinical care and communal living blend into a therapeutic model that is both structured and restorative.

Morning Meds and Community Breakfast

The day begins early, with residents rising around 7:00 a.m. Morning medication is taken under the supervision of staff, followed by a communal breakfast in the main dining room. Meals often include eggs gathered from the farm’s hens or vegetables from the garden. Beyond nourishment, breakfast doubles as a chance for residents to review the schedule and plan their days.

Chores as Therapeutic Interventions

After breakfast, residents head to morning work crews. On the farm, chores are more than tasks—they are therapeutic interventions. Residents might feed goats and horses, collect eggs, tend to the garden, or help maintain shared spaces. For individuals coping with intense symptoms, the rhythm of farm work offers grounding. Caring for animals fosters responsibility and connection, while repetitive tasks like weeding or sweeping reduce anxiety and open space for mindfulness. By late morning, the community gathers for a community meeting, checking in as a group before lunch. Lunch is then shared by staff and residents. Meals are crafted to provide both nourishment and practice for social skills, gently supported by staff who model communication and encourage connection.

Structure Therapeutic Programming

Midday brings structured group programming. In group settings, residents can utilize the support of the community to engage in development of useful skills and understanding. Some sessions are led by licensed clinicians and focus on evidence-based practices such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). Other groups focus on practical skills. A life skills workshop might cover budgeting or cooking, while expressive arts sessions invite residents to paint, write, or engage in music under the guidance of art and music therapists. Movement is also woven into the program: yoga, nature walks in the woods, or equine-assisted therapy with horses that mirror human emotions and require patience, calm presence, and consistency.

Individual Therapy and Psychiatric Appointments

Between groups, residents attend individual therapy and psychiatric appointments. In sessions, residents are supported in identifying and engaging restorative practices that benefit their overall recovery journey. This might look like creating an exposure hierarchy and being supported in utilizing it on the farm, engaging in EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), zooming in on interpersonal effectiveness, or being given a space to grieve and experience their emotions without judgement. Because the program is high acuity, psychiatrists are closely involved in resident care, adjusting medications as needed and collaborating as a treatment team. This level of oversight provides a safety net that outpatient settings cannot always offer.

Building Self-Connection

Throughout the day, residents also have opportunities for reflection. Some journal under a shady tree, others rest in their rooms, fish in the pond, or hike in the woods. Staff encourage quiet moments as an essential part of the therapeutic process, recognizing that recovery is not only about activity but also about tolerating stillness and building self-connection.

Communal Dinner and Leisure Time

Dinner is another shared meal, with residents and staff reflecting together on the day. Sometimes there are short outings—to the library, a store, or a nearby park—before the farm settles for the night.

As the sun sets, leisure time begins. Residents might play board games, watch movies, or simply enjoy the calm of the countryside. While staff remain vigilant given the high acuity of the program, the atmosphere remains a hybrid of a therapeutic community and a working farm, where healing is interwoven with the rhythms of daily life. Before bed, medications are distributed and by 10:00 p.m., the farm is quiet, with only the sounds of crickets and animals carrying through the night air.

Structure, Connection and Nature

High acuity care requires intensive support, but here that support is softened by sunlight, fresh air, and community. For individuals in crisis, the combination of structure, connection, and nature offers something rare: the chance to heal in an environment that feels alive, hopeful, and grounded. The farm does not replace therapy—it enhances it, reminding each resident that growth is possible and that, like the nature and animals around them, healing unfolds with patience, care, and time.

By Kala Mansfield, LPC, ATR-P, Clinician and Art Therapist

Explore the healing power of a therapeutic farm and how nature-based environments can improve mood, reduce stress, and support mental wellbeing.

Introduction

Therapeutic working farms are unique residential settings where individuals facing mental health challenges engage in meaningful, structured work in a natural, supportive environment. These farms combine the healing power of nature with community living and purposeful activity to promote emotional and psychological well-being. As more people seek holistic approaches to mental health care, therapeutic farms like Hopewell are gaining recognition for their profoundly positive impact. At Hopewell, residents can participate in daily farm activities such as caring for animals and maintaining a garden that helps feed the residential community year-round, all while receiving therapeutic support. Being part of a working farm offers powerful mental health benefits through immersion in nature, taking on structured responsibilities, and forming a connection with animals.

The Healing Power of Nature

Hopewell’s setting is nothing short of restorative. Spread across 325 acres of rolling pastures, woodlands, and gardens, the farm provides daily exposure to fresh air, wide-open green spaces, and the rhythmic sounds of nature. These elements are more than just scenic; they are a foundational aspect of the healing eco-therapy model. The concept of eco-therapy and nature-based healing is more than just a love for nature; it is supported by scientific evidence. Research has shown that spending time in nature reduces symptoms of anxiety and depression, lowers cortisol levels (the body’s stress hormone), and improves mood. Immersion in natural surroundings helps calm the nervous system, regulate emotions, and build psychological resilience over time. And the Hopewell residents certainly are more than just immersed; they are living it. Each day brings moments of connection with the outdoors, whether through working in the garden, feeding animals every morning, or simply walking through wooded trails. This constant interaction with nature ensures that every moment of the program is rooted in therapeutic progress.

Performing Meaningful Work

Another way that the working farm model provides constant therapeutic moments is that the animals do not go home on the weekends. While traditional therapy groups are generally limited to weekdays, residents are given the opportunity to participate in the farm work crew every morning and afternoon, seven days a week. Some even assist staff in evening animal checks or utilize individual farm visits as part of their personal support plan.

For some individuals, this kind of structure is vital for mental health recovery. Those grappling with depression, anxiety, or PTSD benefit strongly from a predictable routine that fosters a sense of stability and direction. Having daily responsibilities within that routine helps residents stay grounded, motivated, and engaged. These daily farm responsibilities are therapeutically referred to as purposeful work. Feeding a chicken or harvesting a tomato may seem simple, but these acts contribute to the greater whole of the community. Purposeful work builds self-efficacy, a belief in one’s ability to make a difference, which is crucial in overcoming the feelings of helplessness that frequently accompany mental illness and experiences of trauma.

Animal Healers

While there are many types of purposeful work one could engage in, such as cleaning community spaces or assisting in the kitchen, animal care in particular holds powerful healing potential, as interacting with animals has been shown to reduce anxiety, lower blood pressure, and improve mood. Feeding and caring for the animals can create a sense of normalcy and provide practice in caring for other living beings, which in turn supports improved self-care. Residents can also develop bonds with the animals who offer an unconditional presence of trust. Equine Assisted Learning (one of the weekly groups) provides the opportunity to work with, learn from, and care for the horses in a more in-depth manner, allowing residents to understand non-verbal cues from the animals. Learning to read the horses’ non-verbal cues can support learning non-verbal cues from humans, which aids in improving social interactions and relationships. At Hopewell, the animals are not just part of the farm; they are part of the community, providing companionship, responsibility, and a sense of connection.

Closing

At Hopewell, the integration of natural beauty, meaningful work, and animal companions offers more than treatment; it provides transformation. The therapeutic benefits of a working farm environment are clear: nature nurtures emotional balance, structure provides purpose and routine, and the animals offer connection and support. For individuals seeking a holistic and empowering path to mental wellness, therapeutic farming communities like Hopewell offer an alternative model of hope and healing.

By Jennifer Miller, Food Service Manager and Wellness Educator

Sometimes healing begins at the table.

The Farm to Table movement has grown from a culinary trend into a broader lifestyle choice embracing health and sustainability. The physical benefits of eating fresh, locally sourced and homegrown foods are well known, but fewer people are aware of the amazing impact that it can have on mental health.

Fresh fruits and vegetables and whole foods contain higher levels of the essential vitamins and minerals that are vital for brain functioning. Vitamins and antioxidants are abundant in the rainbow of fresh garden produce and are directly linked to improved mood, reduced anxiety and lower the risk of depression. Garden fresh fruits and vegetables are picked and eaten at their peak of ripeness when they are the most nutrient dense. Store-bought produce is picked early so that it will last longer while in transport or storage, meaning it has not had a chance to fully develop its rich potential.

Our busy schedules often lead to poor choices when it comes to mealtimes and the food we eat. The supermarkets are loaded with processed and prepackaged convenience foods that are very enticing to a hectic lifestyle. Unfortunately, these foods offer very little nourishment to the mind and body. People suffering from depression, anxiety and other mental illnesses are even more likely to choose these foods rather than fresh fruits, vegetables and meat. This may be due to lack of access to fresh foods, or just the motivation to prepare food from scratch. Often people do not understand the power that whole fresh foods have to nourish and heal the mind and body.

Farm to Table at Hopewell

The farm and garden at Hopewell offer an amazing opportunity for clients to learn about and raise the food that they eat each day. Many of the clients come in with very poor diets and little knowledge of what a nourishing meal looks like. Here they have an opportunity to help with planting vegetables and getting their hands into the earth. They see the plants grow, producing the fruits of their hard work. They care for the animals, feeding and watering them, and collecting fresh eggs. There is a sense of pride when they help harvest and prepare the produce. A craving for the simple, yet delicious flavor develops. Clients learn skills to grow their own garden or seek locally sourced foods and the value of a nutritious meal.

Making conscious choices about food empowers individuals to take control of their health and well-being. Cooking meals from scratch using fresh ingredients can create a sense of accomplishment and purpose. For many, this simple act of choosing what to eat and how to prepare it becomes a powerful form of self-care. In a world where mental health struggles are increasingly common, the solutions don’t always have to be high-tech or clinical. Farm to Table isn’t just a way to eat, it’s a healer, and a path to greater mental clarity and good health.

There is often a pleasant aroma that emerges from Hopewell’s art studio each morning – from the scent of freshly poured candles, drying herbs from the garden, or the blending of essential oils. Residents and staff work together on projects for Hopewell’s Farm & Craft Market in art crew, one of several work crews residents may participate in during their stay at Hopewell.

Hopewell is a farm-based residential treatment program for adults with severe mental illnesses and meaningful work is one of its program’s key components. Participation in daily work crews promotes personal responsibility, a structured routine, and an opportunity to contribute to the community. Residents learn to recognize and develop their unique sets of strengths and skills which can foster positive self-esteem and a sense of purpose.

Art crew in particular incorporates the therapeutic benefits of art and craft making. Hopewell’s art therapist Clare Conway, LPC, ATR-P, and art/garden Crew Leader Cindy Wagner developed a line of products that promote mindfulness and creativity. Over the past several years, the types of projects selected for our art crew wares have been intentionally chosen based on their therapeutic value – projects that are group oriented, environmentally friendly, skill-focused, and have a practical purpose.

Candle making, for example, is a group effort, with recipes and precise steps to follow. One resident is tasked with melting wax while others prepare scented oils. Another cleans the jars and sets the wicks in place before the wax is poured. Then comes packaging – residents cooperate to box the candles and label them. Participating in the process from start to finish, while senses and connections to other group members are activated, makes for a positive start to the day.

Residents are given the opportunity to travel with the products to showcase and sell them at community art and craft shows throughout the year. They witness first-hand how their work impacts others and develop social skills and work experience in the process. In this way, residents connect with the ‘why’ of creativity, and how it pertains to their personal healing journey, the benefit of our community, and the wider world.

A portion of the proceeds from the market are donated to outside mental health organizations and services selected by the residents. The purpose of this is to strengthen our commitment to community as a healing force, and by paying it forward the work we do will go directly to help others who need the support. We believe we can extend the therapeutic value of our work by actively fostering such connections with the wider community.

Hopewell’s products can be found at the Hopewell Farm & Craft Market (open by appointment), at upcoming art and craft markets in the area (see below), and at www.hopewellcommunity.org/support-us/store.

WEST WOODS WEDNESDAYS

July 14, August 11, and September 8, 4:00-7:00 pm

The West Woods, 9465 Kinsman Road, Novelty, Ohio

FARM ARTISAN MARKET

August 8, 10:00am-5:00pm

Big Creek Park, 9160 Robinson Road, Chardon, Ohio

HOMESPUN MARKET DAYS

October 2 and 3, 1:00-5:00pm

Swine Creek Reservation, 16004 Hayes Road, Middlefield, Ohio

Northeast Ohio Amish country, where Hopewell is located, is well-known for its maple syrup. Hopewell’s woods teem with maple trees and the property has its own sugar house, built in 2014 with philanthropic support. Though sugaring is labor-intensive, it is one of our residents’ favorite winter farm activities.

In mid- to late winter, maple trees are tapped to capture sap, a clear fluid that carries nutrients and minerals into the branches when new buds are forming. Sap is drawn into the roots in the evening and the warmer morning allows it to ascend. It detours into spouts (taps) protruding from the tree trunks and is collected in clear plastic bags.

Staff and residents remove the bags and empty the sap into a 200-gallon container an average of nine times during the sugaring season. At the sugar house, excess water is boiled out over a large stove. It takes 55 gallons of sap to make one gallon of syrup.

Celebrate our 25th anniversary at home by indulging in maple treats. Syrup will be available at pop-up shops this spring and summer at local farmers markets.

MAPLE SALMON

1/4 cup maple syrup

2 Tbs soy sauce

1 minced garlic clove

1/4 tsp salt

pinch of pepper

1lb. salmon

In a small bowl, mix together the first 5 ingredients. Place salmon in a shallow glass baking dish and coat with the maple syrup mixture. Cover the dish and marinate salmon in the refrigerator for 30 minutes, turning once. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes or until easily flaked with a fork.

Thank you Jennifer Miller, Hopewell’s Food Service Manager and Wellness Expert.