At Semper Fi Homestead in Las Vegas, ten veterans are taking part in a free eight-week course built around the routines and skills of homesteading. The program combines work with cows, chickens and turkeys with classes in gardening, egg harvesting, soap making, bread baking and microgreens, according to 8 News Now. For Air Force veteran Jay Cambridge, the course also offers a chance to reconnect with other veterans.
A Nonprofit Built Near Jones and Charleston
Semper Fi Homestead is a nonprofit founded by Scott and Jeanalin Rehm near Jones and Charleston boulevards in Las Vegas, according to KLAS 8 News Now. The outlet reports that the organization provides agricultural experiences, including some tailored to veterans. Scott Rehm, a disabled combat Marine Corps veteran and registered nurse, started the project as a way to continue serving his community after military service.
Scott Rehm described the homestead as a way to give back. Jeanalin Rehm said she sees the work as a faith-led calling.
Canning, Coops and Classroom-Style Life Skills
Participants learn by doing. Jeanalin Rehm teaches canning fruits and vegetables, including blueberries and carrots, according to 8 News Now. Greens and vegetables grown during the program are later sold at a local farmers market, giving participants a tangible result from their work.
Cambridge called the course “teaching me life skills.” He also said reconnecting with the veteran community has been important to him and to veterans’ mental health, according to the station’s report.
Beyond the Boot Camp
Semper Fi Homestead’s ambitions extend past the ten-person boot camp. The organization also offers classes to the general public and private homestead experiences, and it runs a licensed farm-fresh egg stand, the station notes. On its own site, the homestead says it sells, barters and donates farm-fresh eggs to the community, and that its animals include chickens, turkeys, cows, tortoises and therapy-trained dogs, according to Semper Fi Homestead.
Scott’s own service record is woven into the organization’s identity. He served eight years in the Marine Corps as an 0331 machine gunner, with deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. Scott also says he lives with PTSD, and that one of the homestead’s dogs is service-trained to support him specifically, per a report from Semper Fi Homestead.
Expansion Plans and a Broader Mission
Semper Fi Homestead says its programming aims to teach real-life skills and provide social opportunities, structure and therapy, a goal that aligns with research cited in the broader field: a review in the PMC journal identifies military veterans with PTSD and ongoing psychological concerns as a group that may benefit from horticultural therapy as a complementary approach. The homestead is seeking to raise $350,000 to purchase neighboring land, with plans to expand facilities and pasture space, and says it partners with licensed therapists to offer no- or low-cost cow-assisted sessions for combat-disabled veterans, families and community members in need, as noted by Semper Fi Homestead.
VA Mental-Health Care in Southern Nevada
Farm-based and peer programs are not the only resources available to veterans. According to VA Southern Nevada Health Care, same-day mental-health and psychiatric help is available to new and established patients at the North Las Vegas VA Medical Center weekdays from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. PT. The VA’s Behavioral Health Department also offers inpatient and outpatient services, including telehealth appointments, according to its mental-health care information.
Semper Fi Homestead is not the only organization pairing agriculture with veteran support. DV Farm, a separate nonprofit founded by former homeless veteran Michael Rivers, combines on-site housing, animal-assisted therapy and a structured work schedule to help homeless and addicted veterans reintegrate into civilian life, according to DV Farm. That program uses goats, chickens, ducks and horses, with veterans expected to help feed and care for the animals as part of their routine.
The Rehms told 8 News Now they hope to reach more people through the homestead. Its current offerings include an academy structure for the military community, farm-based activities and classes for the public; the organization is also seeking support to expand its space and programming.
