At first glance, a farm run by Christian organisation Salt Ministries in the remote New South Wales town of Sassafras appears like any other commercial operation.
But behind the rows of chestnut and walnut trees and a farm gate shop is something deeper changing the lives of the people who work at Salt Wellness Farm.
"Since coming out here to the farm, it has actually helped with the chaos that goes on in my head," said farm worker Shane Clark.
"It's just that peace and quiet that I don't get in town.
"I come out here, no matter how my week or weekend has been, and it just washes off."
The church is in the middle of its first harvest after purchasing the nut farm just 12 months ago.
CEO Peter Dover said the goal is to give people with mental health issues a chance to get out of town, learn new skills, and get their hands dirty.
"I think what what we've seen since the bushfires and COVID is that we've got a lot of people that are suffering from depression, a lot of people suffering from anxiety," he said.
"It's not a one size fits all.
"We look at the individual and we design a program to suit them, whatever their issues are."
Participants are driven out on a bus supplied by the church each week on a Wednesday.
They spend the day working the farm and during harvest help collect nuts.
Caseworker Sally Campbell works with Mr Clark and some of the other farm volunteers.
She said she had seen the farm program have a huge impact on her clients.
"I think they're [the programs] very important," she said.
"Just being out in this environment really helps with the healing journey."
Chestnuts used for more than roasting
Farm manager Brendon Gammage said while the farm does play a role in helping people with mental health issues, there is still a strong focus on ensuring the produce is good quality and plentiful.
He said he expects the 2,000 trees to yield around eight to 10 tonnes of chestnuts and walnuts this year.
They will be sold at the Sydney Market, as well as to local suppliers and at the farm gate.
"We process them on site and sort them by hand, then they are graded by size in our machines," Mr Gammage said.
"The price will range wholesale from $3 to $8 per kilogram."
Salt also invites the general public to come and pick their own nuts to take home.
They purchased a nut roaster, which is placed on an open fire each week so program participants can enjoy the fruits of their labour.
Severe weather impacts produce
When Salt purchased the 30-year-old farm 12 months ago it had been battered first by drought, then by fires and floods, all in the past five years.
This year is the first time the new owners have been able to produce close to a full crop, but it has not been without its challenges.
"We have phytophthora, which is a water based disease in some of our trees, and that's definitely because we've had so much rain," said farm manager Bec Horton-Gammage.
"We have a little bit of blight in our walnuts. That's an airborne disease, so it's a little bit hit and miss."
The long-term goal is for Salt Wellness Farm to be financially self-sufficient and fund the programs the church hopes to run on-site, though that will not happen this year.
There are also plans to build a residential rehabilitation centre and to expand the farm to include orchards and more animals.
You can watch the full story on Landline this Sunday from 12:30pm AEST on ABC iview and ABC TV.
