Healing in the Heartland: How Two Air Force Veterans Created a Haven for Military Survivors
In the quiet lakes country of Minnesota, nestled among maple trees and freshwater shorelines, Holbrook Farms has quietly become a sanctuary for surviving military spouses and family members. But this isn’t a story about statistics or scale. It’s about connection. And at the heart of it are two Air Force veterans, Matt and Micaela Brancato, whose personal losses and shared service experiences led them to build a place where healing happens without prescription.
Matt and Micaela met at the Air Force Academy, each drawn to service but, as they admit, unlikely candidates for a military career. Their paths converged not just professionally, but personally, culminating in a marriage rooted in shared purpose. But in 2011, that purpose took on a deeper meaning. Within two months, Matt lost his roommate, Dave, in Afghanistan, and their close friend Sarah lost her husband, Eric, in a training accident. The grief they experienced was palpable, collective, and clarifying.
“We went to back-to-back funerals,” Micaela recalls. “And I just remember thinking—this is what they told us at the Academy. That not everyone makes it to the 20-year reunion.”
Rather than sit in that grief, they asked a question that would eventually become Holbrook’s mission: What actually helps? Sitting beside a lake in Minnesota, Sarah gave the answer that changed everything: nature, community, and the freedom to laugh, to cry, or simply to be.
Holbrook Farms was born from that answer. A property that once felt too big for just the two of them became the foundation for something much larger. Designed intentionally with spaces for quiet reflection, intimate conversation, and organic connection, the retreat invites guests to take what they need—and leave behind what they don’t.
“We knew we weren’t grief counselors,” Matt says. “But we knew how to create an environment where people who understand each other can come together. That’s powerful in itself.”
Over the past 12 seasons, nearly 200 widows and sisters of the fallen have walked through Holbrook’s doors. And while that number may seem modest, the impact is anything but. Guests arrive as strangers and leave as lifelong friends. Some return as volunteers. Others form year-round support systems. And many say it was the first time they truly felt understood.
Micaela explains it simply: “We’re not interested in mass numbers. We’re interested in deep, meaningful relationships. We want people to feel like they’re part of the Holbrook family.”
The retreat model is flexible by design. There are paddleboards and yoga mats, art classes and fire pits, but no mandatory sessions or pressure to perform. Holbrook is not therapy, but it is profoundly therapeutic. Guests are introduced to holistic wellness approaches and can access additional grief support through scholarships after the retreat.
In 2025, Holbrook is entering a new phase of growth. With the hiring of an Executive Director and a dedicated Retreat Coordinator, the organization is expanding its in-person and virtual offerings. Online yoga classes, regional alumni meetups, and an increased focus on year-round wellness are all on the horizon.
“We want the retreat to be the beginning of the journey, not the whole journey,” Micaela says.
Local support has been a key part of the mission’s success. From neighbors to small businesses, the broader community has embraced Holbrook, making it a truly collaborative effort. Even guests without military ties have found healing on the property.
Through ongoing fundraising efforts, guests attend retreats at Holbrook Farms at no cost to them. In the words of one attendee, “Thank you for giving me a new family, and my smile and laughter back. It feels amazing to be treasured for a few days. I feel like I can go back to life renewed.”
From a lakeside idea to a national ripple effect, Holbrook Farms proves that healing doesn’t always come from clinical interventions. Sometimes, it comes from a paddleboard, a shared meal, and a quiet understanding that you are not alone.