Happenings

We’ve been building some low-tech, low-cost systems to address the erosion issues on the farm. If you’ve been following along on Facebook or Instagram, you’ve already seen how we are mimicking some of the animals who used to live here–such as the beaver, by building beaver dam analogues such as these. This lean to design we developed takes advantage of the physics of a triangle. The more sediment that gets trapped, the stronger the dam becomes. The dam doesn’t block the flow of water, so we do not have issues with bank erosion. Instead the water slows as it passes through and sediment is deposited. We are often cutting ailanthus and using it for the logs in these structures.

Like a lot of you, we are managing lots of water these days. This spot is where the fields on both sides of the road and the road itself drain. We are preventing further erosion by bolstering this hillside on the edge of the woods with an extended Zuni bowl, low rock dams, and cross contour swales and logs. Next we will plant this area with quick growing species like willow and dogwood whose roots will weave it all together.

Next, we will be addressing this eroded area. The farm fields adjoining these woods were graded so that water drained away from the fields so that large equipment could access the fields more easily. Unfortunately, that drainage pattern created this pattern on our farm and many others. What is hard to believe is that this erosion all happened in the past two years. During our whole farm assessment that we did in 2018 as part of the development of our land use management plan, this eight-foot gully was not even one foot deep. The increase in the frequency and intensity of rain events has led to faster and faster ecological damage. This is how our soil gets relocated to the Susquehanna River and eventually to the Chesapeake Bay. Not only do we lose our soil and damage downstream waterways, but this soil erosion lowers the water table eventually making water unavailable to the plants in these spaces.

We have already begun the repair work in this space. If you’re interested in this type of work, consider contacting us about volunteering, or, if you’re interested in an in-depth exploration of the what, why, and how of restoring damaged ecosystems, consider the Woodland Steward Training.

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. Next session begins April 27.

As promised, we are offering you the chance to pre-order your seedlings in March for pick up at the Heirloom Plant Sale on May 2.

Upcoming events:
February 29 – Native Plants for Winter Interest and Wildlife
March 1 to 31 – Plant Sale Pre-Sales
March 2 – 2020 Regenerative Farming Training Program
March 7 – The Living Landscape
March 14 – Green Mulch: Native Plants as Groundcovers
March 21 – Home Vinegar Making
March 28 – Stormwater Management 101 for Homeowners
March 28 – Foraging Intensive
March 28 – WIldlands – Primitive Skills: The Art of Seeing and the Art of Observation
April 1 – Community Gardens open (weather permitting)
April 4 – Exploring the Inner Landscape
April 11 – Community Gardens Orientation Day
April 11 – Wildlands – Primitive Skills: Shelter Building and Finding Water
April 25 – Wildlands – Primitive Skills: The Ancient Art of Fire by Friction
April 27 – Woodland Steward Training Program
May 2 – 2020 Heirloom Plant Sale
May 9 – MAEscapes Native Plant Sale
May 9 – Wildlands – Primitive Skills: Foraging, Hunting, Trapping
May 23 – Wildlands – Primitive Skills: Advanced Primitive Hunting Techniques
May 24 – Children’s Nature Exploration
June 2 – Horn Farm CSA
June 7 –  Children’s What’s Your Impact
June 14 – Children’s Healing Plants
June 28 – Children’s Seed to Table

Custom Classes & Workshops

See you at the farm!

Save the date for the 2020 Heirloom Plant Sale! On Saturday, May 2 from 9 to 3 we’ll be selling more than 10,000 plants in over 300 varieties of vegetables, herbs, and flowers.  For the month of March, we will be taking pre-sale orders, but we are still working on the list, so look for that next weekend. We will also be selling plants at the MAEscapes Native Plant Sale on Saturday, May 9.

photo: Michelle Johnsen

We are offering the Wildlands series only once this year, so sign up soon! Take one workshop or all five. Learn more about the land and yourself by spending time outdoors learning new skills.

March 28 – WIldlands – Primitive Skills: The Art of Seeing and the Art of Observation
April 11 – Wildlands – Primitive Skills: Shelter Building and Finding Water
April 25 – Wildlands – Primitive Skills: The Ancient Art of Fire by Friction
May 9 – Wildlands – Primitive Skills: Foraging, Hunting, Trapping
May 23 – Wildlands – Primitive Skills: Advanced Primitive Hunting Techniques

Upcoming events:
February 29 – Native Plants for Winter Interest and Wildlife
March 1 to 31 – Plant Sale Pre-Sales
March 2 – 2020 Regenerative Farming Training Program
March 7 – The Living Landscape
March 14 – Green Mulch: Native Plants as Groundcovers
March 21 – Home Vinegar Making
March 28 – Stormwater Management 101 for Homeowners
March 28 – Foraging Intensive
March 28 – WIldlands – Primitive Skills: The Art of Seeing and the Art of Observation
April 1 – Community Gardens open (weather permitting)
April 4 – Exploring the Inner Landscape
April 11 – Community Gardens Orientation Day
April 11 – Wildlands – Primitive Skills: Shelter Building and Finding Water
April 25 – Wildlands – Primitive Skills: The Ancient Art of Fire by Friction
April 27 – Woodland Steward Training Program
May 2 – 2020 Heirloom Plant Sale
May 9 – MAEscapes Native Plant Sale
May 9 – Wildlands – Primitive Skills: Foraging, Hunting, Trapping
May 23 – Wildlands – Primitive Skills: Advanced Primitive Hunting Techniques
May 24 – Children’s Nature Exploration
June 2 – Horn Farm CSA
June 7 –  Children’s What’s Your Impact
June 14 – Children’s Healing Plants
June 28 – Children’s Seed to Table

Custom Classes & Workshops

See you at the farm!

We just added these new classes to the Horn Farm calendar. Check them out!

On March 21st, we’ll be exploring Vinegar Making. Why make vinegar at home? It’s cheap, delicious, and adds nuances of flavors to food. It is made using a “mother” so you get all the probiotic health benefits. It’s a wonderful way to utilize scraps from your kitchen that would either be thrown into the garbage or the compost.  And best of all… It’s easy!

Bring your children to the farm! We are excited to offer these four sessions for children, aged 6-12, in our Children’s Discovery Series.

Children’s Discovery Series
May 24: Nature Exploration

Children will be led on a short hiking exploration where they will be encouraged to observe, hear, and feel the natural environment and their existence as a part of it, while engaging in a nature scavenger hunt that teaches about some local wildlife and plants! Play an investigative game of what things in our environment might be trying to tell us and with which ones we can safely interact. Learn about edible flowers and how/where to safely harvest and enjoy a homemade Violet Strawberry Popsicle harvested with respect to the plants. Through investigative and creative play, children will learn about the interconnected web of life, where we fit in it, and how we can work together with our environment.

Children’s Discovery Series
June 7: What Impact Are You Leaving?

What does it mean to leave no trace and why is it even important? What does it take to sustain life and how can we support it? Examine what seemingly small things in our environment could actually be full habitats and how we can interact with them in a non-disruptive way. Learn what things to consider to monitor our impact and work as cooperatively as possible with the environment through a role-playing outdoor ethics game and test what you’ve learned through a creative ball throwing game. Build a small self-sustaining ecosystem and learn how it survives (children will be given choices and asked to consider what and how they are creating). There will be some dirt sifting, possible mud searching, and seed planting involved so please dress appropriately.

Photo: Michelle Johnsen

Children’s Discovery Series
June 14: The Healing Power of Plants

Explore the healing powers of nature: trees, flowers, and plants! Be prepared, you might be asked to hug a tree! Children will be encouraged to experience the vibrational energy of the flowers that grow on Horn Farm in a variety of colors and shapes! A role-playing-game will illustrate how this energy affects us and how we can share it with one another as we interact! We will also explore the healing nature of herbs, learn how to make an instant plantain poultice for stings and bites, and even create an herbal salve. We take care to harvest all herbs in a way that is life-sustaining to the plant and children leave with the understanding that we can use these natural resources without depleting them.

Children’s Discovery Series
June 28: Seed to Table
Come harvest and prepare some yummy and nutritional snacks for yourself! Kimber will use her skills as a former Executive Chef to guide kids through the preparation of a snack they will enjoy! All ingredients will be freshly harvested in a way that is careful not to harm the plant, and we will talk about how nurturing the plants comes back to us. We will make Zucchini Pasta with Chive & Dandelion Lemon Pesto and Chocolate Zucchini Cookies. (Nut, sugar, artificial sweetener, dye, and gluten free – and trust us, they will like it!)

Let’s go Exploring the Inner Landscape! We focus on the outer landscape most of the time. What about the inner landscape? Just as we are in relationship with the land, trees, water, and wildlife, we are also influenced by, and can be in relationship with, the archetypal energies of the planets and constellations of the zodiac. Interestingly, the inner and outer landscapes are mysteriously intertwined so that what is happening on the inside is mirrored on the outside. In this time of great political and environmental turmoil it might seem counterintuitive that by focusing on our inner lives we might have a greater effect on the world around us.

Learning to read an astrological chart is a tool for exploring the inner landscape that can help you to understand yourself and other people in new ways. Though knowing your sun sign is important, it’s not the only predictor of the challenges and opportunities you may experience in your life. As with any ecosystem, it’s the relationships between and among the inhabitants that are most important. Click here to find out more about Exploring the Inner Landscape!

Upcoming events:
February 29 – Native Plants for Winter Interest and Wildlife
March 2 – 2020 Regenerative Farming Training Program
March 7 – The Living Landscape
March 14 – Green Mulch: Native Plants as Groundcovers
March 21 – Home Vinegar Making
March 28 – Stormwater Management 101 for Homeowners
March 28 – Foraging Intensive
March 28 – WIldlands – Primitive Skills: The Art of Seeing and the Art of Observation
April 1 – Community Gardens open (weather permitting)
April 4 – Exploring the Inner Landscape
April 11 – Community Gardens Orientation Day
April 11 – Wildlands – Primitive Skills: Shelter Building and Finding Water
April 25 – Wildlands – Primitive Skills: The Ancient Art of Fire by Friction
April 27 – Woodland Steward Training Program
May 9 – Wildlands – Primitive Skills: Foraging, Hunting, Trapping
May 23 – Wildlands – Primitive Skills: Advanced Primitive Hunting Techniques
May 24 – Children’s Nature Exploration
June 2 – Horn Farm CSA
June 7 –  Children’s What’s Your Impact
June 14 – Children’s Healing Plants
June 28 – Children’s Seed to Table

Custom Classes & Workshops

See you at the farm!