photo: Michelle Johnsen

2019 Horn Farm CSA registration is open! Early bird discount through January 31.

What is a CSA? CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture. In the CSA model, members of the community pledge support to a farm, with the grower and consumers sharing the risks and benefits of food production. The consumer (shareholder) pays a fee at the beginning of the season in exchange for a regular, weekly share of the harvest. The farmer benefits from the financial support at the beginning of the season and the shareholders benefit from knowing they have a reliable, weekly supply of fresh, seasonal, chemical-free produce. The shareholder understands that the unpredictability of weather, pest problems, and other factors may result in some crops being bountiful while others may suffer setbacks. The CSA model is a relationship connecting the land, the grower, and consumer thereby putting us in closer touch with each other and the land which sustains us.

What’s in the shares?
Crops included in the shares will vary as different things come in and out of season, with the early season shares tending to be smaller and then rising as more crops come into their peak.

We have the following items on our growing schedule this year: Arugula, Basil, Beans, Beets, Broccoli, Cabbage, Carrots, Cantaloupe, Celery, Cilantro, Cucumbers, Dandelion Greens, Dill, Eggplant, Garlic, Green Onions & Bulb Onions, Kale, Kohlrabi, Lettuce, Parsley, Peas, Peppers (Hot & Sweet), Potatoes, Radishes, Spinach, Squash (Summer & Winter), Strawberries, Sweet Potatoes, Swiss Chard, Tomatillos, Tomatoes, Turnips, Watermelon, various herbs, and more.

The CSA season lasts 22 weeks beginning in late May or early June until October or early November. Shares are available for pick up on Tuesdays at the Horn Farm from 2:30-6:30 PM. For more information: Horn Farm CSA.

We’re wrapping up 2018 and looking forward to 2019! We’ve put the first class on the calendar: Introduction to Lacto-Fermentation, which takes place Saturday, February 9, 2019. Usually food preservation happens BEFORE the lean times of winter, but this intro course will prep you for the upcoming bountiful harvests of the spring and summer seasons as well as help get your palate through the rest of those bland winter doldrums with the creation of a zesty and healthful side dish/condiment.

Lacto-fermentation is the ancient art of preserving vegetables using salt. The use of salt in an anaerobic environment inhibits pathogenic bacterial growth and allows only the lactic acid bacteria to thrive, converting natural sugars of vegetables into zingy, tangy, sour, umami!

This is an interactive workshop geared for the newbie fermenter and will begin by priming your palette with SAMPLES of some recent fermentations made by the facilitators whilst discussing the health benefits of lacto-fermented foods. Click here for more information and to register. This class takes place in our historic summer kitchen, so space is limited to 14 participants.

What is regenerative agriculture? In week 11 of this 12 part series, we’ll consider this indicator of an ecologically healthy farm system: increasing flows between farm components. Examples include directing rainwater from the barn roofs to the pond used for irrigation, improving the ecological health of the woods and hedgerows increases habitat for beneficial birds and insects, using overgrown vines and shrubs as wildlife stacks or fuel for biochar.

Upcoming events:
December 8 – Foraging: Winter

2019 Regenerative Farming Internship
2019 Foraging Intensive

February 9 – Introduction to Lacto-Fermentation
March 23 – Wilderness Skills: Nature Awareness & Observation
March 30 – Wilderness Skills: Shelter & Water
April 13 – Wilderness Skills: Fire
April 20 – Wilderness Skills: Food, Foraging, Hunting & Trapping
April 27 – Wilderness Skills: Advanced Hunting Techniques

See you at the farm!

photo: Michelle Johnsen

You spoke, we listened! The 2019 Foraging Intensive has been redesigned to make it an even more valuable and enjoyable learning experience. Changes include a more academic approach to learning, smaller class size, more hands on activities, more sampling of nature’s best wild flavors, and more classes in a shorter time period. Check out the website for more information and to register.

What is regenerative agriculture? In week 10 of this 12 part series, we’ll consider this indicator of an ecologically healthy farm system: increasing levels of food self sufficiency. You’ve heard the statistics about how far food travels from the place where it was grown before it is eaten. On average, food travels between 1,500 and 2,500 miles to get from farm to table.  The current food distribution system is unwisely dependent on fossil fuels, subsidizes unhealthy food products, depletes the soil, pollutes water, and weakens rural economies. For every dollar spent on food an average of only 14.8 cents goes to the farmer. In addition, relying on food from outside of our local area leaves us vulnerable to anything that suddenly slows or halts transportation such as extreme weather events, fuel shortages, or acts of terrorism. For these reasons and more, we are working to increase the diversity of crops grown at the Horn Farm, and we collaborate with other local farms such as Rising Locust Farm to make it easier for people to meet their food needs from the local area.

Upcoming events:
December 8 – Foraging: Winter

2019 Beekeeper Training
2019 Regenerative Farming Internship
2019 Foraging Intensive

See you at the farm!

photo: Michelle Johnsen

The farm season is winding down. The farm interns have graduated. We’re mulching the fields with leaves or straw, organizing tools, taking inventory of seeds, and sweeping out the barns and greenhouses. While we are wrapping up 2018, we are deep in planning mode for 2019. Look for more classes in the summer kitchen, a redesigned foraging intensive, and new outdoor nature exploration opportunities for youth here at the farm.

Food for our community. New farmers. Meaningful work. Ecological restoration. Skill building. Confidence building. Community building.

Please help us to continue our work in 2019 by contributing to our end of the year fundraising appeal. Please donate today! Thank you! The work we do at the Horn Farm is truly a community effort and we couldn’t do it without you!

You spoke, we listened! The 2019 Foraging Intensive has been redesigned to make it an even more valuable and enjoyable learning experience.

photo: Michelle Johnsen

Changes feature a more academic approach to learning, smaller class size, more hands on activities, more sampling of nature’s best wild flavors, and more classes in a shorter time period. Check out the website for more information and to register.
What is regenerative agriculture? In week nine of this 12 part series, we’ll consider this indicator of an ecologically healthy farm system: increasing plant health. Soil is the foundation of that process. Soil health determines plant health.  Healthy plants produce foods that taste and smell good because they are full of good, nutritious minerals and micronutrients. Delicious is good for you!

Farming began in the rich soils found in river valleys where annual floods would replenish the biologically vital minerals lost when crops were harvested. Once this natural cycle of restoration was interrupted, farming lead to less and less fertile soil over time. Since the nutrition level in our food is directly related to the types and quantity of minerals and nutrients in our soils, the food we eat has become less nutritious (and less delicious!) For more information about the connections among soil, crop, and nutrition, check out the Bionutrient Food Association. We work to build soil health by keeping the soil covered and by adding lots of organic matter like leaves, straw, and compost.

Upcoming events:
December 8 – Foraging: Winter

2019 Beekeeper Training
2019 Regenerative Farming Internship
2019 Foraging Intensive

See you at the farm!