Horn Farm Center for Agricultural Education

Author Archive: Alexis Campbell

Horn Farm Happenings – April 18, 2025

Annual Plant Sale: Saturday, May 3rd

Horn Farm Center’s 13th Annual Plant Sale is coming up on Saturday, May 3rd, and you won’t want to miss it!

Whether you’re a backyard gardener or a habitat-hero, this one-day sale is packed with organically and mindfully-grown plant starts—perfect for your home or community garden.

But here’s the best part: Every plant you buy supports a bigger mission—land-based education, ecological restoration, and a food-secure community that lives more lightly on the earth.

Want to help out while you shop? We’re looking for a few awesome VOLUNTEERS, especially to help with parking. Just scroll down on the Plant Sale webpage to sign up for a shift—even a few hours makes a big difference for our small but mighty team!

AND don’t forget to stick around! We have a handful of small businesses who are helping to (bio-)diversify this year’s shopping experience:

The Horn Farm is grateful for our annual sponsors who help make events like the Plant Sale possible:

More about the Horn Farm Plant Sale

 

A Season of Joyful Learning

Spring learning has sprung at the Horn Farm Center! From formulating teas to planting trees, each weekend this season has brought an eclectic mix of classes and volunteer activities. It’s times like these when the mission of the Horn Farm Center really comes to life!

Some highlights from the last few weeks include:

  • Rapid reforestation education with our Miyawaki mini-forest program
  • Demystifying herbal medicine in an Herbal Tea Seminar with the Northern Appalachia School
  • Stitching together sustainable skills through a beginner class on hand sewing with the Teaching Museum for the Fiber Arts and Textiles
  • Turning over rocks and logs in search of salamanders in our youth-focused Critter Crawl class
  • Enjoying the season’s bountiful greens in our Early Spring Foraging Walk
  • Learning how to grow our own in our first gardening program of the season: Plant Propagation.
Volunteers have also continued to make an impact in our restoration and agroforestry spaces by tending trees, spreading leaf mulch, and sorting our winter willow harvest. We’re grateful for many hands from our Community Crew service learning program to groups from the Stone Independent School, York Country Day School, Lincoln Intermediate Unit 12, and York College (pictured above).

Much more is in store as we continue to foster land-based learning and sustainable skill-sharing. Check out our upcoming classes to see how you can join in!

Get Ready to Give Local: May 1-2, 2025

Mark your calendars for Give Local York! Starting at 9:00pm on May 1st until 9:00pm on May 2nd, you can make a big impact by supporting the Horn Farm Center during York County’s largest day of giving!

Your gift helps us grow more than just food—it fuels regenerative agriculture, land restoration, and hands-on education that empowers our community to live in harmony with nature.

Stay tuned for how you can help us sow the seeds of change—one gift, one garden, one tree, and one future at a time.

Learn More About Give Local York

Regenerative Grower Training

In a time when our world feels increasingly disconnected, there’s something deeply powerful about putting your hands in the soil and growing your own food. It’s not just for self-reliance, gardening can heal the land, nurture community, and help us reclaim our relationship with the earth.

Ready to reconnect? Applications are now open for our brand-new Regenerative Grower Training Program, a 22-week journey designed for anyone who wants to grow food in ways that are ecological, practical, and deeply rooted in place.

From May to October 2025, join us in the field every Tuesday and Friday—to learn low-tech, hands-on methods that restore both land and life. Whether you’re starting fresh or deepening your practice, this program will ground you in the principles of regenerative agriculture and offer a supportive community along the way.

Don’t wait—applications close at midnight on May 7th! Come grow with us, and be part of something truly regenerative!

Apply for the Regenerative Grower Training Program

2025 Annual Report: Rebuilding & Growing for a Regenerative Future

Last year, we hit a big milestone—20 years of the Horn Farm Center!

It was more than just a celebration—it was a moment to reflect, reconnect, and dream big about what’s next. We shared stories, got our hands dirty, and gathered as a community to honor where we’ve been and where we’re headed.

As we look ahead, we just want to say thank you—to everyone who’s supported our work, shown up, donated, partnered, and believed in our mission. We couldn’t do this without you, and we’re so excited for what’s coming next.

Horn Farm Happenings – April 4, 2025

2024 Annual Report

Last year, we celebrated our 20th anniversary – a milestone and turning point in our organization’s history. Through storytelling, programs, and events, we gathered in community to honor our roots and weave together our vision for the future.

With gratitude, let’s take a look back at all that we’ve accomplished together while looking forward to a more regenerative tomorrow!

Thank you to the organizations, businesses, and individuals who supported our work and mission in 2024.

Breaking Ground with Community

The regenerative spirit was alive this past weekend at the Horn Farm Center!

With spring buds popping and warmth in the air, over 50 members of our community gathered together to celebrate a huge milestone. The long-awaited rebuild of our farmhouse is about to begin!With deep gratitude for the land and the people who make this journey possible, we broke ground on the future of the Horn Farm: a revitalized hub for transformational education that will serve our mission like never before.

We’re especially grateful for the guest speakers and supporters who came out to share in our joy and hope:

  • Kim Lemon (former WGAL News Anchor)
  • York County PA Commissioners: President Commissioner Julie Wheeler, Vice President Commissioner Scott Burford, and Commissioner Doug Hoke
  • PA State Rep. Joe D’Orsie
Construction is starting soon, but you still have a chance to leave your mark at the Horn Farm Center. There are several recognition opportunities available to become a part of our educational legacy and help transform this space into a true community hub serving South Central PA and beyond.

Learn More & Leave Your Mark

Your Voice Matters!

Earlier this year, we gathered with about 50 friends – people like you, who care deeply about the future of the Horn Farm Center. We shared ideas about how the Horn Farm Center could reach more people in our community with our mission. And, we learned so much!

From ideas about how to promote our educational programs to recommendations for our farmhouse building capital campaign, we had incredibly energizing and productive conversations. We compiled your feedback and we will be sharing your ideas using infographics like the one pictured above.

Interested in learning more? There’s more time to get involved! Check out the link below to find out how and share your insights with us.

Read Feedback & Share Your Ideas

Kick-Off the Gardening Season: May 3rd

We’re a short month away from the Horn Farm Center’s Annual Plant Sale! Stop by the Horn Farm Center for all your A-to-Z gardening and planting needs: ONE DAY ONLY on May 3rd, 9am to 3pm.

From anise hyssop to zucchini, you can  *spring* in the growing season by shopping from a wide variety of organically-grown vegetable, herb, and flower starts. Our nursery plants even extend beyond the kitchen garden, featuring bio-regional food and habitat plants to rewild your landscaping, yard edge, and community!

This year, we’re also excited to share space with a growing list of plant-loving (and people-fueling) partners including:

The Horn Farm is grateful for our annual sponsors who help make events like the Plant Sale possible:

Horn Farm Center’s Plant Sale

Become a Regenerative Grower

Rediscover the power of growing your own food—not just for self-sufficiency, but to help heal the land and build stronger communities. Gardeners, community growers, and small-scale farmers have the potential to be stewards of both people and planet.Ready to reconnect with the homegrown and hand-gathered? Applications are now open for the Horn Farm Center’s brand-new Regenerative Grower Training Program, but don’t wait—applications close at 12AM on May 7th!

This 22-week program blends hands-on experience with practical, low-tech methods rooted in ecology, designed for anyone eager to grow food in harmony with nature. From soil to harvest, you’ll learn how growing food can restore ecosystems and deepen your connection to place. Join us in the field on Tuesdays and Fridays, May through October 2025, and be part of something truly regenerative.

Apply for the Regenerative Grower Training Program

Save the Dates: Wild & Uncommon Weekend

Mark your calendars! The Horn Farm Center’s 2nd Annual Wild & Uncommon Weekend will be held on September 20–21, 2025. 

Wild & Uncommon Weekend is a celebration of food, nature, and community in the Lower Susquehanna Riverlands!

At the heart of the weekend is the ever popular the 21st annual Pawpaw Festival at Horn Farm on Saturday, September 20th, featuring the pawpaw fruit—a tropical-tasting, seasonal delicacy you won’t want to miss. Come explore the wild and uncommon side of Pennsylvania’s Susquehanna Riverlands region.

Learn More About Wild & Uncommon Weekend

A Foraging Day Date on the Farm

Embark on a culinary adventure that takes foraging from the wild to the kitchen! In this hands-on class, you’ll learn to identify, harvest, and clean spring plants before transforming them into delicious dishes in our summer kitchen. After a guided plant walk, we’ll roll up our sleeves and craft a variety of foraged foods from start to finish—then it’s time to enjoy the flavors of our work.

You’ll leave with fresh foraged greens, detailed recipes, and the confidence to create your own wild-inspired meals at home. This is more than just a class—it’s an exploration of flavors, nature, and self-sufficiency – a great way to spend the day with friends or someone you love! Come ready to forage, cook, and savor nature’s bounty.

Join us on Saturday, April 26th from 9am-3pm for Foraging: From Field to Plate with expert foraging instructor Jon Darby.

Horn Farm Happenings – March 21, 2025

Last Chance for Live Stakes: Order by March 24th

This weekend is your last chance to purchase live stakes from Horn Farm until 2026. Don’t delay, order today. Your local ecosystem will thank you!

Why such a short sale window? Due to the nature of live stakes, there is an optimal time to harvest (when the tree or shrub is still in its winter dormancy), and an optimal time to plant (when it’s still the “dormant” season, and the ground is soft enough to plant, no longer frozen).

The species we have available are mainly native to wetland and streamside ecosystems, and their adaptations to this type of environment allow them to re-root readily, even from small “cuttings” or live stakes. Besides being beautiful, they are also resilient!

Horn Farm Center is Breaking Ground on Saturday, March 29th!

We’ve reached an important milestone and we want to share it with you! Please join us as we break ground on the new Education Center at the Horn Farm. 

Date: March 29, 2025
Time: 10AM-11:30AM
Location: 4945 Horn Road
York, PA 17406

Come celebrate the beginning of the farmhouse rebuild with key stakeholders, community leaders, and special guests, as we continue to raise funds and realize the creation of a beautiful, spacious educational center for everyone in this region.

Your presence would mean a great deal to us as we embark on this journey. We look forward to celebrating this milestone with you!

More Information & RSVP

Community, Learning, & Live Stakes

New members of our Community Crew Volunteer Program spent their Saturday touring the farm, learning about our work, and getting their hands dirty while harvesting live stakes! Now that our new “crew” members are trained up, we’ve welcomed them to the Horn Farm ecosystem where they will learn and work with us to steward the land and make our educational offerings the best they can be!

Crew members collected hundreds of live stakes to support local restoration efforts. Some stakes will even be propagated and sold at our Plant Sale on May 3rd! But there’s no need to wait for planting: our LIVE STAKE SALE continues between now and Monday, March 24th!

From restoring streamways to building biodiversity in home and community landscaping, live stakes are an incredible tool for rewilding the spaces around us. Cuttings from wetland-adapted species can form roots when “staked” into the ground, eventually growing into new plants. The species we have available include:

  • Black willow (Salix nigra)
  • Red osier dogwood (Cornus sericea)
  • Silky dogwood (Cornus amomum)
  • American black elderberry (Sambucus canadensis)
  • Smooth alder (Alnus serrulata)
  • American Sycamore (Platanus occidentalis)
  • Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis)
  • Arrowwood Viburnum (Viburnum dentatum)
  • Ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius)

The best time to harvest and plant is the end of the winter, when the ground is thawing but the plants have not yet broken dormancy. Join us in supporting thriving ecosystems across our local landscapes, one stick at a time!

To learn more about the Horn Farm Center’s live stakes and riparian buffer restoration efforts, check out our blog. It’s all part of our work to bring together ecological healing, local agriculture, and community education!

Learn to Grow Food Regeneratively

When we reclaim our skills to grow food, self-sufficiency is just the beginning. Gardeners, community growers, and small-scale farmers can be healers: nurturing healthier, richer crops, communities, and ecosystems.

Interested in rekindling your connection with the homegrown and hand-gathered? We are now accepting applications for Horn Farm Center’s new Regenerative Grower Training Program. Applications CLOSE at 12AM on May 7th!

Designed for anyone who is passionate about deepening their relationship with nature and food, the Regenerative Grower Training Program focuses on simple, low-tech, and eco-friendly methods that work on a human scale. This program embodies the Horn Farm Center’s commitment to bringing together place-based agriculture and ecological restoration, demonstrating how growing food and healing the land can go hand in hand.

Join us in the field this season for 22 weeks of hands-on learning, meaningful tending, and joyous connection – Tuesdays and Fridays from May to October, 2025.

Apply for the Regenerative Grower Training Program

Dig Into Spring Gardening

After a long and frigid winter, who isn’t looking forward to soaking in some sun and getting their hands back in the soil?

Home gardening offers an opportunity to connect with the land and ourselves, grow healthy food, and incorporate more movement into our daily routine. We’ve got a bounty of spring gardening workshops taking root to ensure your success this growing season:

And, if you’re ready to turn your learning into action on the land, make sure to SAVE THE DATE for our 13th Annual Plant Sale on Saturday, May 3rd from 9am-3pm.

Register for Upcoming Gardening Classes

Foraging the Riverlands with Lower Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association

Horn Farm Center is teaming up with Lower Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association to host a unique learning event on Wednesday, March 26th! 

Explore the links between local edible plants and pressing issues facing our riverland ecosystem during a “foraging walk and river talk” at Riverfront Park in Wrightsville. Learn safe plant identification, harvesting, and consumption. Afterward, head to LSRA’s new headquarters on Front St. for snacks, wild teas, and discussions on protecting the Susquehanna’s land and waters. This event highlights the connection between foraging and advocating for the environment.

Program cost includes food, local craft beverages, and a tip towards our fight for CLEAN WATER! All proceeds benefit Lower Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association & Horn Farm Center.

Pre-registration recommended. Walk-ins accepted only if space is available.