Author Archive: Alyson Earl

We are deep in planning mode for 2018. Still, there are some cool classes on the 2017 calendar. Coming up on November 15 is Making Soup Stock. This class takes place in our historic summer kitchen, so space is limited. More information and registration…

And we will still be foraging for wild edibles in December. Join us on December 2 for a field walk at the farm.

Permaculture is a design practice that calls for deep observation, understanding relationships, and identifying goals. Learning to model our designs on the interconnectedness of healthy ecosystems allows us to meet our needs and those of future generations while respecting and caring for the Earth–our home. Introduction to Permaculture on December 9

The 2017 growing season is winding down. Next week is the final week for CSA shares distribution.  Share holders, please check your email for details about the final pick up. We hope you enjoyed your shares as much as we enjoyed ours! Early bird discounted registration for 2018 is available here.

See you at the Farm!

At the Horn Farm Center for Agricultural Education, we offer classes, workshops and other hands-on experiences on topics connected to food: how to grow it, find it, hunt it, prepare it. As stewards of this 186-acre parcel of land, we are managing fields of annual crops (plants that complete their life cycle in one growing season) along with the wooded areas surrounding them. The woods and the fields are naturally interconnected and interrelated in many mutually beneficial ways. To grow annual vegetables in a way that is ecologically friendly, we need a well-functioning ecosystem. Here is a short list of those mutually beneficial relationships:

• Pollinators and predator insects need plants that flower throughout the growing season as food sources of pollen and nectar. Come fall and winter, these tall, weedy habitats in order to lay their eggs and/or over winter in order to maintain their populations.
• Predator mammals such as foxes and coyotes are critical to keeping the vole, groundhog, and rabbit populations in balance. Foxes and coyotes make their homes in the the hedgerows and woodlands and need intact woodland corridors to allow movement across territory.
• Bird predator species such as red-tailed hawk and other raptors hunt from the edges of fields. They need wooded edges, and tree lines as perches from which to hunt mice, voles, and other rodents.
• Healthy forested areas improve the hydrology (water movement) of agricultural areas by bring subsurface water to the layer of the soil in which plant roots can access that water. Stout and deep tree roots provide this function.
• Healthy stream side (riparian) areas as well as trees on slopes help to conserve topsoil, prevent erosion, and to filter water entering streams. Shade over streams keeps water temperatures lower in summer which creates appropriate fish habitat and greater species diversity.
• Managing wooded areas to include species which provide  non-timber forest products, native medicinal and fruit and nut bearing species, and mushrooms can increase potential economic yields for a farm.
• Engaging with a sensorially beautiful landscape affects the psychological and emotional well-being of humans.
• Woodland restoration is a proactive response to the challenges of climate change. Healthy ecosystems are more resilient: better able to tolerate periods of drought or flooding. Healthy ecosystems sequester more carbon. Carbon sequestration (the movement of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere into the cells of plants– especially trees) is a highly effective way to reduce the levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
  

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  Upcoming events:
  Bowmaking – November 4, 5, 11, 12
  Foraging – November 4
  Making Soup Stock – November 15
  Foraging – December 2

  See you at the farm!

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Our first annual Harvest Festival was delightful! We moved all the tables into the Corn Barn because of the rain. Almost 75 people turned out despite the weather to celebrate our accomplishments and look toward the future.Delicious food and beverages were provided by our multi-talented Board of Directors. Tours of the farm and lively conversations were had by all.

We took the time to honor the passing of one of favorite people: Warren Evans who passed away in August. Warren served as President of the Horn Farm Center Board of Directors from 2008 to 2014. His involvement and vision helped the Horn Farm Center become what it is today. Warren was influential in securing a permanent conservation easement on the 186-acre Horn Farm in 2016. At the same time, the County of York extended the lease with the Horn Farm Center to 99 years. These actions guarantee that the very fertile soil of the Horn Farm remains in farming in perpetuity.  In honor of Warren, we planted a grove of five oak trees in a semicircle in front of the Corn Barn. Oak trees are long-lived, food bearing, and beautiful and represent how Warren’s contributions will positively affect the future for generations to come.

Please consider supporting the work of the Horn Farm Center by donating securely online, or by sending your-tax deductible contribution to 4945 Horn Road, York, PA 17406. Thank you for your support!

Upcoming events:
Breadbaking (full day workshop) – October 21
Offal: Tongue & Brains – October 26
Bowmaking – November 4, 5, 11, 12
Foraging – November 4
Making Soup Stock – November 15
Foraging – December 2

See you at the farm!