Happenings

Hot, hot, hot! Except for a few days, the high temperature for each day since the start of June has been above 80 and often above 90 degrees Fahrenheit. This has been hard on the people and hard on the plants. In order to have a steady supply of fresh produce, we plant the same item multiple times across the season. This successional planting means that we seed, and then transplant a crop like kale, cucumbers, or summer squash every four to six weeks. Transplanting is stressful to the plant, so optimally daytime temperatures will be in the 60s or low 70s during these transplanting periods. There has been no relief from the heat for the past few weeks, and this will affect crop yields.

Looking to next season and considering that these weather patterns may be the new ‘normal’, we are designing a transplanting pattern which may involve a pause during the hottest days of the summer. This is just one of the ways that we have to adjust ‘how we always do things’ to accommodate the changes in environmental conditions.

Join Field Manager Andrew Horn for some time in the farm fields! Every Tuesday from 4 to 6 p.m., Andrew will be holding an ‘open field day’ called Tuesday Afternoon at the Farm. There will be time for getting to know each other, discussing what’s happening in the fields and on the farm, plus there will be opportunities to help with the farm work.
Planting, harvesting, weeding, and mulching are always needed on the farm, and many hands make light work! Join us for any or all of the two hours. Depending on the week, we may have projects with which children could help. If you plan to bring a child younger than 12, please contact Andrew in advance, at fieldmanager@hornfarmcenter.org, to make sure we will be able to provide a positive experience for you and your child(ren). Thanks! The event is free, but pre-registration is requested by Monday at noon so that we know to expect you.

Join our staff:
https://hornfarmcenter.org/job-postings

Upcoming Events:
Tuesday, July 14: Tuesday Afternoon on the Farm (free! pre-registration requested)
Saturday, July 11: The Living Landscape
Tuesday, July 21: Tuesday Afternoon on the Farm (free! pre-registration requested)
Saturday, July 25: Summer Foraging – July Plant Walk
Tuesday, July 28: Tuesday Afternoon on the Farm (free! pre-registration requested)
Saturday, August 1: The Living Landscape
Tuesday, August 4: Tuesday Afternoon on the Farm (free! pre-registration requested)
Saturday, August 8: Summer Foraging – August Plant Walk
Tuesday, August 11: Tuesday Afternoon on the Farm (free! pre-registration requested)
Tuesday, August 18: Tuesday Afternoon on the Farm (free! pre-registration requested)
Tuesday, August 25: Tuesday Afternoon on the Farm (free! pre-registration requested)
Thursday, September 3: Foraging for Wild Teas & Drinks
Saturday, September 5: The Living Landscape
Saturday, September 12: Foraging for Wild Teas & Drinks
Saturday, October 3: The Living Landscape
Saturday, October 10: Foraging Wild Roots for Coffee and More
Monday, November 2: Woodland Steward Training Program 2020-21 begins
Saturday, November 7: The Living Landscape
Saturday, December 5: The Living Landscape

See you at the farm!

York County has moved into the green phase for dealing with COVID-19, so we are resuming some on farm classes with modifications. Classes will be held outside and are limited to 10 participants per class. If more than one class occurs on the same day, start times will be staggered to reduce the number of individuals arriving at the same time. Multiple hand sanitizer stations are available. We will adjust as needed as time passes and things change. Participants are required to bring a mask and wear when proper social distancing cannot be maintained.
Except for family members social distancing of 6 feet must be maintained.

2020-21 Woodland Steward Training Program begins Monday, November 2 and runs through April 19, 2021. Applications are being accepted now! Learn to transform degraded woodlands into healthy, biodiverse, productive habitats through hands-on, ecologically sound techniques. This part-time program is equally suited for the professional and the layperson, for landowners and land stewards, activists, naturalists, and outdoor enthusiasts. No previous experience required.

We can expedite environmental restoration by increasing variability in forest structure and habitats. By understanding our role as stewards of the land, and by using techniques based on the behavior of animals that used to inhabit this area, we can expedite increases in biodiversity and the carrying capacity of our semi-wild lands. By restoring our relationship with the land, we can remember the true meaning of what it is to be human–that we are a part of nature, not outside of it. Our future, and the future of this planet, depend on the choices we make today. Click here to find out more!

Join Field Manager Andrew Horn for some time in the farm fields! Every Tuesday from 4 to 6 starting June 30, Andrew will be holding an ‘open field day’ called Tuesday Afternoon at the Farm. There will be time for getting to know each other, discussing what’s happening in the fields and on the farm, plus there will be opportunities to help with the farm work.
Planting, harvesting, weeding, and mulching are always needed on the farm, and many hands make light work! Join us for any or all of the two hours. Depending on the week, we may have projects with which children could help. If you plan to bring a child younger than 12, please contact Andrew in advance, at fieldmanager@hornfarmcenter.org, to make sure we will be able to provide a positive experience for you and your child(ren). Thanks! The event is free, but pre-registration is requested so that we know to expect you.

Join our staff:
https://hornfarmcenter.org/job-postings

Upcoming Events:
Tuesday, July 7: Tuesday Afternoon on the Farm (free! pre-registration requested)
Thursday, July 9: Summer Foraging – July Plant Walk
Saturday, July 11: The Living Landscape
Saturday, July 11: Oil Infusions and Salves
Saturday, July 25: Tincture Making
Saturday, July 25: Summer Foraging – July Plant Walk
Saturday, August 1: The Living Landscape
Saturday, August 8: Creating an Herbal First Aid Kit
Saturday, August 8: Summer Foraging – August Plant Walk
Thursday, September 3: Foraging for Wild Teas & Drinks
Saturday, September 5: The Living Landscape
Saturday, September 12: Foraging for Wild Teas & Drinks
Saturday, October 3: The Living Landscape
Saturday, October 10: Foraging Wild Roots for Coffee and More
Monday, November 2: Woodland Steward Training Program 2020-21 begins
Saturday, November 7: The Living Landscape
Saturday, December 5: The Living Landscape

See you at the farm!

York County has moved into the green phase, so we are resuming some on farm classes with modifications. Classes will be held outside and are limited to 10 participants per class. If more than one class occurs on the same day, start times will be staggered to reduce the number of individuals arriving at the same time. Multiple hand sanitizer stations are available. We will adjust as needed as time passes and things change. Participants are required to bring a mask and wear when proper social distancing cannot be maintained.
Except for family members social distancing of 6 feet must be maintained.

“Flowers lift the spirit and refresh the soul.” -Martha Lever
Our resident flower farmer Betsy believes we could all use a bit of a “Flower Lift”, so she is offering a 5-week Bouquet CSA beginning on July 7. Pick up day and time is Tuesdays from 2:30 p.m. until 6:30 p.m. at the Horn Farm. Find more information here: Betsy’s Flowers at the Farm.

Join Field Manager Andrew Horn for some time in the farm fields! Every Tuesday from 4 to 6 starting June 30, Andrew will be holding an ‘open field day’ called Tuesday Afternoon at the Farm. There will be time for getting to know each other, discussing what’s happening in the fields and on the farm, plus there will be opportunities to help with the farm work.
Planting, harvesting, weeding, and mulching are always needed on the farm, and many hands make light work! Join us for any or all of the two hours. Depending on the week, we may have projects with which children could help. If you plan to bring a child younger than 12, please contact Andrew in advance, at fieldmanager@hornfarmcenter.org, to make sure we will be able to provide a positive experience for you and your child(ren). Thanks! The event is free, but pre-registration is requested so that we know to expect you.

York County has moved into the green phase, so we are resuming some on farm classes with some modifications. Classes will be held outside and are limited to 10 participants per class. If more than one class occurs on the same day, start times will be staggered to reduce the number of individuals arriving at the same time. Multiple hand sanitizer stations are available. We will adjust as needed as time passes and things change. Participants are required to bring a mask and wear when proper social distancing cannot be maintained.
Social distancing of 6 feet must be maintained except in case of family members.

Registration is now open for The Living Landscape! Come learn about the land by looking through the eyes of the species that inhabit wild spaces! On the first Saturday of each month (the second Saturday in July because of the holiday, this ecological adventure walk through the woodlands and the meadows of the Horn Farm Center will spark your sense of wonder and teach you about all aspects of the land we call home. We’ll focus on broad patterns of landscape as well as diving deep into the details of the micro-ecosystems under rocks, inside dead trees, beneath the soil, and beyond. Every month’s class will be different in response to what the land presents and what questions you bring to the group. Classes will be led by Horn Farm Center Woodland Steward, Wilson Alvarez.

Registration is now open for foraging classes! Foraging is the act of finding and gathering wild foods. For the majority of our existence on this planet, human beings lived as hunter-gatherers. By engaging in this age-old practice, we can provide ourselves with healthy and free food and medicine, become more self-reliant, and connect on a much deeper level to the landscape in which we live. Classes are led by Horn Farm Education Director, Jonathan Darby.

The Horn Farm Center for Agricultural Education is seeking a new Executive Director to continue our important work and to move the organization into the next chapter of its life.  The best candidate will have a regenerative mindset and will have had experiences with stewardship of natural spaces, the growing of food, and the management of non-profit organizations.  We are looking for someone who is more than familiar with sustainable and regenerative philosophies when it comes to agriculture.  You’ll be open to observing what the organization and its home has to tell you.  From those observations and through collaboration with employees and board members you’ll help to shape its future.  Our new Executive Director will have the opportunity to lead an organization that is composed of thought leaders in the regenerative movement and is an active and significant player in changing the way humans view and interact with the community of life that supports them. Our new Executive Director will have the opportunity to work within a site that is living proof that the damage done to our land and water can be changed for the better and you will have the opportunity to provide the philosophies, skills, and wisdom for MANY others. If you feel invigorated by this opportunity and want to know more about the position, please find it on our website: https://hornfarmcenter.org/job-postings

Upcoming Events:
Tuesday, June 30: Tuesday Afternoon on the Farm
Tuesday, July 7: Tuesday Afternoon on the Farm
Thursday, July 9: Summer Foraging – July Plant Walk
Saturday, July 11: The Living Landscape
Saturday, July 11: Oil Infusions and Salves
Saturday, July 25: Tincture Making
Saturday, July 25: Summer Foraging – July Plant Walk
Saturday, August 1: The Living Landscape
Saturday, August 8: Creating an Herbal First Aid Kit
Saturday, August 8: Summer Foraging – August Plant Walk
Thursday, September 3: Foraging for Wild Teas & Drinks
Saturday, September 5: The Living Landscape
Saturday, September 12: Foraging for Wild Teas & Drinks
Saturday, October 3: The Living Landscape
Saturday, October 10: Foraging Wild Roots for Coffee and More
Saturday, November 7: The Living Landscape
Saturday, December 5: The Living Landscape

See you at the farm!