At Nourishing Hearts Wellness Care Farm, the serene rural environment provides the perfect setting for families to put their screens down, and reconnect in a natural environment. As a small social work based therapeutic farm, owner Julie Casey opened her business in Rodney, Ontario to help people improve their health and well-being under the aegis of caring for animals and nature.
With a menagerie of animals, the farm provides a supportive, understanding, and adaptive environment for people of all ages and abilities to be able to learn, heal, and grow. Cultivating food security and fostering wildlife conservation, while promoting and nourishing community health, has been Julie’s mission for her farm from day one.
When Julie found this picturesque countryside property in Rodney 2 years ago she knew this was the ideal location to start her next journey. Not only is this location fitting for her as a long-time resident of Elgin County, but it also enables her to attend to the vast needs of those living in Elgin-St. Thomas, Chatham-Kent, London-Middlesex, and Sarnia-Lambton.
With a large demographic to serve, Julie offers an extensive array of services to foster resiliency, empower personal uniqueness’ and to strengthen a sense of belonging for the people she supports. Whether it be social work counselling, animal-assisted therapy, wellness events, or simply nature-based activities, Julie’s precatory is for all to feel welcome at her family farm.
Nourishing Hearts Wellness Care Farm follows a green care model for community health, which provides a continuum of services offered in the same green space to meet diverse needs. Not only does Julie open her farm for therapeutic services but she also welcomes the community for farm visits, market gardening, children and youth programs, corporate wellness events, self-care glamping retreats and community days. By offering these services in one location, Julie hopes to reduce the stigma of mental health and disabilities while building relationships with the community at large. The farm now offers Friends of the Farm memberships for individuals and families to participate in the farm activities and to encourage families and friends to freely explore the farm together where they can create shared memories, deepen connections, and nurture a sense of belonging while tending to their self-care needs.
Julie is especially mindful of the financial needs and barriers experienced by families. “By participating in our events and having a wonderful time yourself, you’re also helping to support children, youth, and adults with mental health challenges or disabilities.” As a social enterprise, her main focus is on the clinical services, the hosting of wellness events, farm stays, and the selling of vegetables helps to fund affordable rates for families.
Julie is attentive to the unique needs of children, youth, and adults living with conditions including those on the Autism and Fetal Alcohol Spectrum, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity, Developmental Disabilities, Dementia, and diverse Mental Health concerns that include trauma, depression and anxiety. It is Julie’s hope that Nourishing Hearts Wellness Care Farm can provide a safe place for people to receive support in a way that feels comfortable to them and to participate in a way that is meaningful.
Follow Nourishing Hearts Wellness Care Farm on Facebook and Instagram to keep up with all of the latest events happening at the Farm. From their Spring Fling event with Barnyard Yoga on May 25th, the Friends of the Farm memberships, to the Caring Kids Adventure Club, Nourishing Hearts is “a place where your spirit can explore and your heart can be nourished”. Contact Julie Casey at julie.ac.casey@gmail.com or call (519) 859-1574 for more information.