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Butler , PA — The Butler VA Health Care System is hosting four, free gardening workshops for Veterans this July. VETERANS AFFAIRS FARMING AND RECOVERY MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES (VA FARMS) WHAT:

 The Butler VA Health Care System is hosting four, free gardening workshops for Veterans this July. The workshops will be hands-on and educational. All supplies will be provided for each

workshop, and Veterans will be able to take home what they work on. WHO: All Veterans VETERANS MUST REGISTER FOR EACH WORKSHOP BEFORE ATTENDING. PLEASE CALL 878-271-6484 TO REGISTER FOR

THESE SPACE LIMITED, FIRST-COME, FIRST-SERVED WORKSHOPS. WHEN: Week 1: July 11 – Basic Botany Week 2: July 18 – Soil Health & Fertilizer Management Week 3: July 25 – Plant Propagation

Week 4: August 1 – Vegetable Garden All workshops will be 10am – 12pm WHERE: Abie Abraham VA Health Care Center (Outside); 353 North Duffy Road; Butler, PA 16001 BACKGROUND: In Spring 2018,

Congress directed the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Office of Rural Health (ORH) to create a pilot program to provide Veterans with agricultural vocation training as well as

behavioral health care services and treatments from licensed providers.  In response, the Veterans Affairs Farming and Recovery Mental Health Services (VA FARMS) pilot program was created.

The Butler VA Health Care System was one of ten VHA sites awarded funding to implement their proposed pilot programs. This funding provided Veterans the opportunity to attend the

Pennsylvania State University Extension Master Gardener Program. The Veterans who attended the Master Gardener Program will be providing these free educational workshops to local Veterans.

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