RFK Jr. wants to treat addiction by creating wellness farms. Does it work?

The vineyard at San Patrignano outside Coriano, Italy. The community is home to 850 people all working to recover from alcohol and drug addiction. U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has praised the San Patrignano model, and said he wants to build similar farm and work camps in the U.S., but the concept faces criticism from many medical experts. Elisabetta Zavoli/Getty hide caption toggle caption Elisabetta Zavoli/Getty During a combative Senate hearing last week, Sen. Angela Alsobrooks, a Democrat from Maryland, leaned forward and asked U.S. Health Secretary Robert Kennedy about his vision for a national system of "wellness farms." "You said every black kid can be reparented on a wellness farm, can you admit that you said that?" Alsobrooks said, describing the concept as "dangerous" and "irresponsible." Alsobrooks was referring to one of Kennedy's signature ideas to remake U.S. health and addiction care, by sending people to farm or work camps. Kennedy appeared startled by Alsobrooks' question and quickly pushed back. "I would have to see, hear the recording because I have no memory of saying anything like that," he testified, later adding, "If I said it, I apologize." In fact, while running for the White House in 2024, Kennedy did speak at length about "reparenting" American children on wellness farms, which he proposed building in rural communities across the U.S. …