Retired army captain with PTSD teaches farming, beekeeping to help vets deal with the disorder

Army Captain (Ret.) James McCormick
(Charleston Gazette photo by Kenny Kemp)

James McCormick, 46, a retired Army captain, realized one day that working in his garden was a comfort that helped him get past his haunting memories of wars with Iraq. He wondered if others like him could benefit from farming, so he began teaching veterans from local shelters the art of agriculture. "He envisioned a special program where veterans could lease land from the government for farming," Sandy Wells writes for The Charleston Gazette.

With the help of state Agriculture Commissioner Walt Helmick, McCormick's brainchild became the West Virginia Veterans and Warriors to Agriculture Project. The Congressional Medal of Honor Society gave McCormick a service award in 2012; only three are given each year. "As a contract worker for the state Department of Agriculture, he works diligently to introduce displaced veterans to the rewarding business of farming and beekeeping," Wells writes.

McCormick said his father fought in Vietnam and struggled with post-traumatic stress disorder. At age 17 in 1985, he joined the Army National Guard and was a part of the military for many years. In 2006, he began gardening to help him deal with his PTSD. Although he tried to volunteer to go to Afghanistan in 2008, he failed to meet the medical standards and was asked to retire. He retired as a captain and opened the farm in 2009.

"We locate funds through nonprofit corporations. If veterans don't have property, the state has thousands of acres," McCormick said. "We can give them a special veteran lease opportunity to raise crops or animals. And we have probably 42 veterans who are beekeepers all over the state." He said that by next year, more than 100 veterans will be raising crops to sell. "Our logo will start showing up on honey and produce. Anybody who goes to buy it will know it is raised by one of our veterans," he said. (Read more)