My interest in horticulture therapy began about five years ago, when I volunteered on a farm called Gould Farm in Monterey, Massachusetts.  Gould Farm is a therapeutic community for people with mental illnesses.  When I went to work at Gould Farm, I had never heard of agricultural activities being used as a form of therapy, but it sounded like a cool idea to me.  I had, however, worked on an educationl farm and seen what a calming and joyful impact farming can have on healthy children.

Gould Farm was extremely impressive.  Of course, it wasn't perfect, but it seemed to be at least largely successful in helping people through very tough times in their lives.  Over the course of the past five years, I've seen several other horticulture therapy operations.  Last year, I went to a greenhouse in New York City where people with developmental disabilities worked under the guidance of a therapist.  One man, who was autistic, could not speak at all, but he could sign so well that he could describe to me how a specific plant was going to grow.  It was clear that his work in the greenhouse meant the world to him.

This coming fall, I'm going to be interning at a farm near Ithaca, New York, whose founders were inspired by Gould Farm.  This farm is called Compos Mentis, which, translated from the Latin, means "togetherness of the mind."  It is towards this goal that members of the farm program strive.  

 The American Horticulture Therapy Association  has a fascinating website, which may interest you:

http://www.ahta.org/

I sometimes wonder why farming can have such healing effects.  Is it because we are somehow hardwired to love to be in nature and see the green?  Is it because being out in the fields can be so conducive to good conversation?  I hope to see more horticulture therapry programs spring up and grow in the coming years.   

Be first to comment this article

Only registered users can write comments.
Please login or register.