At Gould Farm, wellness plays a central role in supporting the recovery of our guests. Our REACH programming, which focuses on wellness activities, takes place on Tuesdays and Thursdays and is just one part of our broader effort to help guests on their unique paths to recovery.
REACH stands for:
Recover using a holistic approach to well-being and happiness
Eat better and exercise regularly
Appreciate the land, its bounty, and its healing qualities
Care for ourselves and one another to foster healthy relationships
Heal our bodies to support healthy minds and productive work
The REACH program is designed to incorporate structured group time into the program week to increase knowledge and opportunities to implement behavior changes in support of recovery.
Wellness strategies and supports are integrated into our overall program design. From daily work activities like chopping wood, clearing trails, mucking barns and harvesting crops, to structured individual and group wellness activities like yoga and meditation, to the abundance of fresh food served in our dining room that is grown on the farm. Wellness is central to the Gould Farm program and community.
To help us further some of our wellness programming, we are thrilled to welcome two Commonwealth Corps service members to the community, Zoe Garderet and Cassidy Walker. They will be with us for the 2024-25 year as Wellness Coordinators.
The Commonwealth Corps, a state initiative under the Massachusetts Service Alliance, that places individuals in service roles to address pressing community needs, selected Gould Farm as a host site. Zoe and Cassidy, as our first-ever Commonwealth Corps service members, will help expand our wellness offerings, particularly in the REACH program, and will play a key role in enhancing our overall wellness programming. Their work will include organizing activities, supporting guests' mental and physical health, and helping integrate wellness practices across the Farm community.
We're excited to see the positive impact they will make as part of our team and happy to introduce them to you below!
Cassidy Walker, Commonwealth Corps Wellness Coordinator
Cassidy Walker, 21, joins Gould Farm as one of the first Commonwealth Corps Wellness Coordinators, bringing a passion for psychology, media analysis, and community care to her role. A 2024 graduate of Hampshire College, she earned a Bachelor of Arts with a concentration in psychology and media analysis, with a particular focus on extremism in internet subcultures.
Cassidy found her way to Gould Farm through a unique combination of academic interests and personal experiences and after being contacted through Handshake, her college job board, by a member of our staff, she researched Gould Farm and was intrigued by our holistic approach to mental health care, which stood in contrast to the more isolated, clinical settings she had previously encountered.
Before coming to Gould Farm, Cassidy spent the summer of 2024 working in the UMass library archives on an Esperanto collection, a language and culture she feels deeply connected to. Although the archival work was fulfilling, Cassidy knew she wanted something more hands-on. She also has experience as a companion for a woman with autism, where she developed the skills to provide calm, consistent support for someone facing daily challenges. This experience, combined with her interest in counter-extremism and counter-terrorism work, has shaped her understanding of empathy as a tool for addressing both mental health challenges and societal issues.
Cassidy believes that isolation is a key factor in both mental health struggles and extreme behaviors and beliefs, and she is interested in exploring how community, trusted role models, and wellness can help individuals find their way back from those extreme places.
At Gould Farm, Cassidy is especially excited about the opportunity to work on wellness initiatives, with a focus on making healthy living fun and accessible. She is passionate about helping people develop life skills in ways that feel empowering rather than depriving, whether through creative cooking or playful approaches to fitness. Cassidy sees this service year as a chance to gain confidence in working with people facing intense challenges, and she’s eager to see how her experiences here might shape her future career in mental health or related fields.
Zoe Garderet, Commonwealth Corps Wellness Coordinator
Zoe Garderet, 22, joins Gould Farm as one of our first Commonwealth Corps Wellness Coordinators, bringing with her a passion for mental health care and community-based agriculture. A 2024 graduate of Tufts University with a Bachelors in psychology, Zoe focused on trauma and personality disorders during her studies, driven by a desire to bring empathy and understanding to the mental health field.
Her previous role as a Community Residence Counselor at McLean Hospital’s Gunderson Residence gave her valuable experience in supporting individuals with serious mental health challenges. While working closely with patients, she managed emotional crises, facilitated daily routines, and helped maintain the living environment. This experience was formative but also led her to seek more holistic, community-oriented approaches to healing.
In her work on Somerville’s urban farm, Zoe explored the therapeutic impact of nature and shared labor, coordinating a large harvest festival to bring the community together. This opportunity allowed her to blend her interests in mental health and conservation, reinforcing her belief that communal activities like farming can play a vital role in healing.
At Gould Farm, Zoe is eager to incorporate mindfulness and meditation practices into our existing REACH wellness program and to work directly with the community in a setting that merges her varied interests.
She views her time here as a chance to develop new skills and gain clarity about her career path, with an eye toward integrating mental health care and nature-based therapies in future roles.
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