By Blake Jackson
Care farms are a growing trend in the United States, offering people a chance to connect with nature and animals while also receiving mental health support.
One family that has benefited from care farms is the Zilbersteins. Seven years ago, they lost their youngest child, Gideon, in a boating accident. His brothers, Oren and Zeve, were there when it happened.
The Zilbersteins tried traditional therapy, but it didn't work for them. Then they found Selah Carefarm in Sedona, Arizona.
"At the care farm, I'm able to just be with my thoughts and kind of walk around and pet animals and help out," Oren said. "And I think that's a much better way of processing things for me."
Care farms are not officially considered a form of healthcare, but studies have shown that they can support mental wellness, especially in rural communities where there is a shortage of mental health providers.
However, there are still some challenges to expanding care farms in the United States. One challenge is that the concept is still emerging, and there is no one definition of what a care farm is. This makes it difficult for government funders to know what to support.
Another challenge is that there is a lack of resources to help create care farms. The Netherlands, for example, has a national organization that supports care farms, but there is no such organization in the United States.
Despite these challenges, there is a growing movement to expand care farms in the United States. The Care Farming Network, a national network of care farms, is working to address some of the issues that are holding care farms back.
The network plans to unveil a mentorship program next year to support new care farmers. It also hopes to develop a certification program to ensure that care farms are meeting certain standards.
Advocates for care farms believe that they have the potential to play a significant role in addressing the mental health crisis in rural America.
Photo Credit: gettyimages-hirurg
Categories: Kentucky, Business