Horn Farm Happenings – April 28, 2023
Training for a Regenerative Future
For the past 11 weeks, our Land Steward and Ecological Gardener trainees have been hard at work learning how we can partner with nature to foster greater environmental health and resiliency.
Here’s what Land Steward trainee Kelly D has to say of the experience so far:
“This program has become the highlight of my week! I was in need of a life reset, passionate about the environment but I was shallow on knowledge and skills. This class has been just what I needed…I have gained so much knowledge as well as a confidence within the landscape. From learning how to use new tools and debating what to do with non-native plants, to tasting the plants right at our feet, every class is so rewarding. I appreciate the camaraderie that has formed among classmates as we share a passion and collaborate on major projects that demand hard physical labor. It has been such a privilege to participate!”
Land Stewards have spent the last two months learning observational skills and low-impact methods for repairing and re-wilding natural spaces, taking their inspiration from animal teachers like the beaver as well as human cultures rooted in relationship with the earth. Alongside weekly classroom topics, the crew has built erosion controls like check dams and Zuni bowls, planted a biodiverse mini-forest, spread native seeds, blazed trails, and put aggressive species to restorative use – not to mention assembling the Horn Farm’s largest trail bridge using materials gifted by our forests!
Meanwhile, Ecological Gardeners have also taken to the trail, studying native plant communities in semi-wild meadows to spring ephemeral-rich forests! From these field observations, trainees gleaned botanical
insights on what species are best suited to bolster restoration spaces at the Horn Farm, focusing on building important wildlife habitat. Students explored native plant allies that are exceptional at outcompeting tenacious plants like stilt grass and lesser celandine. In addition, ecological gardeners have sheet mulched a native edible food forest that they are designing to scale as an educational demonstration site. Each week, ecological gardeners are eager to share how their training experiences have inspired them to act in rebuilding biodiversity at home and at their workplaces!
Interested in joining our training programs in 2024? Let us know by adding your name to the waitlist here and be the first to know when registrations go live!
“I’ll be giving local to the Horn Farm Center because I believe in its mission to educate folks in practical and creative earth care. With our planet and its human and nonhuman creatures under stress, Horn Farm is exploring ways we can all make a positive difference for our shared future. Helping address the roots of our modern ecological crises is one of the wisest investments we can make.”– David Dietz |
Help Regenerate & Educate on May 4-5th
It’s almost time to give where you live on May 4-5th for Give Local York! Our goal is to raise $30,000 to heal the land and teach others to do the same.
You can help make it happen when you donate online from 9pm-9pm on May 4-5th. This year, you can TRIPLE your impact. Here’s how:
- 9:00pm-5:00am: Mark Silver & Holly Glaser’s $1000 Building Soil Match
- 5:01am-1:00pm: HFC Board of Directors’ $4000 Protecting Water Match
- 1:01pm-9:00pm: 7group’s $5000 Supporting Biodiversity Match
Help make an impact on our land and in our community. Donate to Regenerate & Educate at the Horn Farm Center for Give Local York!
Click here for more information.
2022 was a year of mindful planning and regenerative growth. We didn’t do it alone. Let’s take a look back and celebrate what we accomplished together.
Thank you to the organizations, businesses, and individuals who supported our work and mission in 2022.
Click here to Read the 2022 Annual Report
Claim Your Share: Horn Farm CSA
From June to October, CSA members receive a weekly box of seasonal, organically-grown produce. Here’s what you can expect:
- Spring: lettuces, spinach, kale, swiss chard, spring onions, beets, herbs
- Summer: kale, swiss chard, tomatoes, sweet and hot peppers, beets, summer squash, watermelon, cataloupe, onions, herbs, and more!
- Fall: garlic, beets, turnips, winter squash, potatoes, sweet potatoes, kale, swiss chard, spinach
Fill your plate with local flavor this year! Become a member of the Horn Farm CSA to support local, regenerative farmers and the Horn Farm Center’s land-healing mission.
Pick-ups are at the Farm Stand located at 4945 Horn Road on Wednesdays from 2:30-6:30pm.
Full Share: $825
Half Share: $440
Sign up-today to claim your share! Registrations close May 31st.
Click here to register
One Week Until the 11th Annual Plant Sale!
Our greenhouse is overflowing with happy, healthy, organically-grown plants that are ready to be tucked into your garden beds!
((Actually, the cold crops are ready to be planted but most of the summer season plants will need to be hardened-off before they are planted.))
Stop by the Horn Farm Center between 9am and 3pm on Saturday, May 6th for a wide selection of annual vegetables, medicinal and culinary herbs, potted flowers and flower starts, and native plants – from herbaceous perennials to grasses and trees!
This year’s sale features additional farm vendors such as Calyx Native Nursery, Green Barn Farm, and Ort Family Farm, alongside creations from Virtue Local Art Market, refreshments from On My Grind Coffee, live music from Nodding Onion (a project of Tim Seifarth of Earthbound Artisan), and a special talk on Sustainable Landscaping in the barn at 12PM by Tony Campisi of Campisi Property Service.
Horn Farm’s 11th annual Plant Sale on May 6th is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts.
Click here for more information
Sustainable Landscaping at Home
Phasing out conventional landscaping in favor of more sustainable landscaping practices can transform your property. Even with a small amount of acreage, implementing small-scale changes can support the health of the natural world and create a blossoming ecosystem in your own backyard.
This free program explores how you can harness the powerful tools of sustainable landscaping. Some of the topics that will be covered in the discussion are:
- The creation of wildlife and pollinator habitats
- How to landscape with native plants
- Forming rain gardens and stormwater management
- Lawn conversion and pesticide alternatives
- General sustainability practices
Join us on Saturday, May 6th at 12:00pm during the Horn Farm Plant Sale for a free presentation and discussion on Sustainable Landscaping led by Tony Campisi, co-owner of Campisi Property Service LLC.
