Seed Peace connects local farmers with mental health, medical care
Founded in memory of Pulaski native Casey Piscura, the nonprofit has expanded services across Floyd, Giles, Montgomery, and Pulaski counties.
Farmers in Pulaski, Montgomery, Giles, and Floyd counties have a new resource for finding services that help them take care of their minds and bodies. The new-to-the-region nonprofit aims to connect farmers with mental health professionals, primary and specialty care centers, and alternative care practices.
Founded in honor of Casey Piscura, Seed Peace – Casey’s Fund Supporting Farmers has already rolled out in four counties in Colorado, where Casey had integral roles in multiple farming operations in the Roaring Fork Valley. Before his move west, Casey grew up in Pulaski County and earned his degree in Crop and Environmental Science at Virginia Tech.
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Casey himself was the original founder of Seed Peace, which started as a nonprofit designed to “feed communities, educate aspiring farmers, and promote a fair living for those in agriculture.” One article from Aspen Daily News states Casey’s friends referred to him as “a level-headed Renaissance man, constantly chasing the utopia of regenerative farming with a passion for resiliency in high-elevation vegetables.”
Casey died by suicide at age 39 in February 2025. Noting his work with Wild Mountain Seeds, which he also founded, Casey’s obituary states his “innovative seed breeding produced climate-resilient, delicious crops, and his influence in the sustainable food movement reached far beyond Colorado, drawing interns from around the world.”
Pulaski native Casey Piscura, a dedicated and inspirational regenerative farmer who spent his last years in Colorado. Photos Courtesy of the Piscura Family
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In the wake of Casey’s passing, Robert “Bob” Piscura, Casey’s father, became the president of Seed Peace — Casey’s Fund Supporting Farmers.
Bob said that rolling out Seed Peace operations in Southwest Virginia has proven to be more difficult than launching in the Pitkin, Garfield, Eagle, and Delta counties of Colorado. “He was like a farming celebrity [in Colorado],” Bob explained. “[Casey was] so well known that people approached us offering help, donations, and to become community partners, like doctors, dentists, eye doctors, yoga studios, and massage therapists.”
Still, he said, Casey knew that Colorado and Virginia farmers face similar struggles because of his friends who work in agriculture locally, which inspired Bob to bring Seed Peace home. He noted that both the Colorado and Virginia cooperative extensions have been “super supportive” of the nonprofit’s mission.
“...Maybe (Casey) would still be alive if he had Seed Peace,” Bob said. “Seed Peace and our community partners are showing farmers that they are important and that their work is appreciated.”
In addition to helping connect farmers with doctors and other health care professionals through the FarmStrong Health and Wellness Program, Casey’s Fund awards cash grants to help farmers deal with unforeseen circumstances, such as crop failure relief, equipment repair, veterinary preventative care, and more.
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So far in Southwest Virginia, Bob said, one grant has been made to help a farmer in Montgomery County, and two agriculture-informed therapists have partnered with Seed Peace. Additional partners include Wythe Eye Associates, The Whole You (Radford), and Direct Primary Care of Blacksburg.
According to a 2021 National Rural Health Association policy brief, farmers are more than three times as likely to die by suicide than non-farmers due to increased financial pressures, social pressures, and reduced access to health care in rural areas.
Bob said that there is only one eligibility requirement for farmers who ask for mental health help — that they live in the nonprofit’s service area. “They get referred to our therapists as soon as possible,” he said. “...We make it easy and affordable to get the help they need when they need it.”
Learn more about applying to become a full member of Seed Peace and find more information about benefits available at www.seedpeace.org. With questions, call (540) 616-6780 or email seedpeace.org@gmail.com.
If you or someone you love is considering suicide, call or text 988 to learn about resources. If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, call 911.
