Introduction

On a hot August afternoon, former Military Medic Sergeant (Retired) Jessica Miller arranges bouquets in an air conditioned building on her rural Nova Scotia flower and vegetable farm. The air is fresh and fragrant as she cuts the stems, explaining how she had grown and arranged the flowers for a swanky Annapolis Valley wedding the night before.

Miller steps out into the summer heat, smiling as she strolls, running her hands along rows of sunflowers, cosmos and brown-eyed susans. It’s easy to see her pride in the beautiful oasis she and her husband, Sergeant (Retired) Steve Murgatroyd have built after their retirement from the military.

Miller spies a budding head of broccoli, planted by a high ranking retired Canadian Armed Forces member earlier in the summer. The Veteran (whose name she can’t disclose) suffered severe trauma during her service. She is one of the many women Veterans who comes to Miller’s farm to heal, connect and grow produce to support other Veterans.

She wasn’t sure this broccoli would grow, but Miller encouraged her to “just put it in the ground.”

“Look at that! She’s going to be thrilled,” Miller said.

An idea blossoms

The idea for the Veteran Farm Project started to bud when Miller and Murgatroyd, both injured in service and medically released, retired to Nova Scotia in 2018.

Even though they are both from Ontario, they knew they wanted to stay in Nova Scotia because it has the best prosthetic care in the country. Murgatroyd, a Soldier On coach also passionate about helping fellow Veterans, is an above-knee amputee.

“We both knew there was going to be this new future for us,” Miller said. “Transitioning isn't about changing careers. It's about regaining your life.”

They bought an overgrown plot of land with “waist-high weeds and decrepit buildings” thirty minutes outside Halifax.

“We fell in love with it,” Miller said. “I'm a very strong believer in when something feels right and the farm felt right.”

The first year they grew vegetables and shared with a local Veteran couple struggling to afford food.

“And at the end of that season, as I was winding down, (I thought) if I can do this for one family, surely there must be other families who need support.”

She approached the Nova Scotia Legion with a proposal and the Veteran Farm Project was born.

They’ve evolved and expanded each season and now have a large community of serving and retired Veterans as well as civilians helping on the 26-acre farm.

In 2023, the Veteran Farm Project supported 50 families from May until Thanksgiving. They also established a donation only market stand on Saturdays at the farm.

Helping Veterans

They deliver their “We Care” food packages to Legion Command who then delivers them in the community. They don’t know the names of the people they are helping, just how many people are in the family so they know how much to put in the packages. They donate fresh produce to the Halifax and Shearwater based pantries which helps reduce the stigma around food insecurity. Framing it as a “pantry” rather than a food bank is subtle but important—it reinforces dignity and mutual support rather than charity.

They also host free workshops for Veterans and civilians to inform them about the life of a modern-day Veteran and give them the opportunity to get their hands dirty.

It’s an incredible example of how Veteran-led initiatives can provide meaningful transition support. It’s a space where Veterans can heal, connect, and find purpose outside of military life.

Miller’s approach, combining therapeutic horticulture, peer support, and a low-pressure environment, seems to address many of the struggles Veterans face, like loss of structure and community after they leave the CAF.

A challenging transition

Miller did her basic training for four high school credits. “My parents thought that it was a fleeting moment,” she says with an amused smirk. As a result, she enjoyed a challenging 22-year military career, serving as a medic in both the Army and Navy. Her mother was a nurse who instilled this passion for medicine in her.

She spent the first half of her career in the Army, deploying to Afghanistan in 2003 then moved to the Navy where she served on HMCS Toronto, Halifax and Preserver.

Her transition to civilian life was “chaotic, confusing and there was very little help,” she said. “There was never a time to take a breath. I went from working full time as a senior leader right up to the day I turned my kit in and I was done.”

“It took me quite a while to even recognize that I was no longer in the forces. I gave everything to the military.

“I joined at 17. I left when I was nearly 40, so I didn't experience the civilian world. What we experience in the forces is so different than anywhere else you could possibly work. You’ve spent a few decades in an organization that is tight-knit, rules-oriented … you're told where to go, how to go, how to dress … you lose the ability to have free thought,” she explained.

“When you're left to your own devices, things can start spiraling out of control quickly.”

Evolving and growing

Today, she feels satisfaction when she hears women Veterans laughing in the fields of her farm. “I still get overwhelmed when I hear groups of women in the field howling at something.”

The farm continues to evolve and grow, integrating remembrance, healing, and community support. “Our mission and our values have evolved over the years, but our main mission has always been a safe, nurturing space for women Veterans. When I purchased the farm, I didn’t realize that I was producing a place of safety for myself,” she said.

Despite some extreme weather setbacks, Jessica and Steve’s attitude is “adapt and overcome” which seems fitting as they continue to provide their fellow Veterans with a safe place to land after transition.

With courage, integrity and loyalty, Jessica Miller is leaving her mark. She is one of our Canadian Armed Forces Veterans. Discover more stories.