Horn Farm Happenings – March 31

Tilling the community garden plots
Each year, we aim to open the seasonal community garden plots on or around April 1–depending on the weather. Yesterday, Jon got the plots tilled, but since we are replacing the stakes with the plot numbers on them, the gardens won’t be open until next Saturday, April 8. Once again, all 102 plots have been rented.

In the field of mental health, horticulture therapy is something that is used in many types of care settings. The thinking behind it is that growing plants teaches us something about ourselves, about our relationships with others, increases our self-esteem, reduces stress, and allows us to pursue healthy activities which contribute to our overall well-being. This year, we are welcoming the staff and children from a local therapeutic after school program who will be gardening here at the Horn Farm.  The farm is close enough to their York city program that the Horn Farm can be the “green space” experience these kids so very much need today. Thank you to Rutter’s Farm Stores which has generously granted the funds needed for seeds, equipment, and transportation costs for the entire season.

permaculture 101
Permaculture is a practice that is steeped in deep observation, understanding relationships, and designing systems that meet our needs while simultaneously caring for the Earth and providing for future generations. Using nature as our guide and mentor, we can interact with the world in ways that are regenerative, fun, and fulfilling. Permaculture principles form the basis for everything we do here at the farm–whether it is the design of the farm internship or the field map we use for planning when and where crops will be grow throughout the season. On April 9, we are offering Introduction to Permaculture. This six hour class will provide a foundational understanding of what permaculture is (and isn’t) – the history, ethics, principles, and design process. The class is filled with opportunities to interact, be creative, and spend time indoors and out.

Mark your calendars for our Heirloom Plant Sale taking place on Saturday, May 6. The list of plants we plan to have can be found here.

Horn Farm Happenings – March 24

seedlings for plant sale
We had a busy week at the farm! We transplanted hundreds of seedlings into bigger pots so they have room to grow in time for the Heirloom Plant Sale on May 6.


We received a truckload of 50 pound sacks of seed potatoes for our farm and other local farms including Spoutwood Farm, Dietz Produce, Goldfinch Farm, and Prescott’s Patch. Each 50 pound bag will yield roughly 500 pounds of potatoes for distribution to our CSA members.


On Thursday, a group from this year’s Leadership York class came to the farm with the volunteers and supplies to build the 20 tables we need for the new greenhouse.  They stepped in to help just in time as we have no more room for plants in the first greenhouse and there’s so much more we need to seed. Thank you to you all!

Tomorrow we will have our Introduction to Healthy Soils class in the morning and in the afternoon the first of the Foraging Intensive classes begins.

Next week the Community Gardens orientation happens Monday evening at 6:30, there’s a Starting Your Garden class on Thursday evening, and on Saturday you the Wild Lands Immersion begins with The Art of Seeing and the Science of Observation. Also on Saturday, we are offering the Basics of Food Preservation.

We look forward to seeing you at the Farm!

Horn Farm Happenings – March 17

Soil, when it is healthy, is a complex, interconnected community. Healthy soil is the key to a successful garden. We have two excellent classes coming up that may be of interest to you. We have a class on getting to know your garden soil on March 25 (Saturday morning) and a class on Starting Your Garden on March 30 (Thursday evening). Please sign up soon! Details and registration can be found at these links:

Stone Soup: A Guide to Soils
Starting Your Garden

soil food web diagram from NRCS

Ready to take your gardening skills to the next level? Consider the Farm Internship. This program is valuable and suitable for anyone interested in exploring a future in small-scale vegetable production as well as anyone interested in learning growing skills for the purpose of homesteading, gardening, and feeding themselves and their community.

horn farm

This season we will be growing Arugula, Basil, Beans, Beets, Broccoli, Cabbage, Carrots, Cantaloupe, Cauliflower, 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. Wouldn’t you like a share?! We still have space for you in our CSA.
Horn Farm Center CSA

And beginning April 1,  our popular Wild Lands Immersion begins! Five full-day workshops designed to reconnect you to the land and develop essential survival skills. Sign up for all five for the price of four. Details here.

These are some of the ways we are connecting you and the rest of our community to local food. Support our work by donating today, every gift means a lot! Thank you.