Horn Farm Board Selects New Executive Director
The Board of Directors of Horn Farm Center for Agricultural Education has announced that they have selected Alexis Campbell to succeed Alyson Earl as Executive Director, effective September 1, 2020. Earl resigned as Executive Director after five years of service to the organization, effective August 31.
Erin Shrader, Board President of Horn Farm Center, said, “Alyson served as the first full time Executive Director of the Horn Farm Center. With her leadership, the farm has grown in capacity, we have refined our vision as an organization, and we have built a strong foundation of earth stewardship to support our mission of educating people about growing food and restoring healthy soil. The work that happens at the farm is the work of our time, the work of healing the land and reconnecting humans to the web of life.”
Outgoing Executive Director Alyson Earl
photo: Michele Johnsen
Outgoing Executive Director Alyson Earl said. “I’m proud of what this organization has accomplished since 2015 when I joined the organizations. There have been some significant milestones including:
-
- The farm is permanently preserved, our lease was extended to 99 years, and as of this year all 186 acres are being managed organically.
- We created administrative efficiencies, diversified our income streams, grew our staff, expanded our programming, and gained recognition beyond the local level for our pioneering work in regenerative agriculture.
- Many, many volunteer hours went into renovating and converting the summer kitchen for commercial use. We built a second greenhouse, started a farming internship to supplement the farm business incubator.
- We began the ecological restoration projects necessary for reweaving the farm fields and semi wild spaces and added a Woodland Steward Training Program to teach others to do the same.
Earl continued, “I am confident that in hiring Alexis the Board has selected the ideal candidate to take the Horn Farm into the future.”
Incoming Executive Director Alexis Campbell
Incoming Executive Director Alexis Campbell is a native of Berks County. Alexis most recently served as the Associate Director and head of Communications for the Berks History Center in Reading, PA. Alexis is a permaculture practitioner, educator, and longtime student of regenerative agriculture. She holds a B.A. in Letters, Arts, and Sciences from Pennsylvania State University where she explored human systems, politics, and ecology. She is also trained in Commercial Urban Agriculture (2010) and holds certificates in Permaculture Design (2009) and Teaching Permaculture (2012).
Alexis is dedicated to building community food security, particularly in urban areas. In 2010, she co-founded Permacultivate and Reading Roots Urban Farm, providing fresh food and community education in the city of Reading. She also served on the Regional Reading Food Policy & Action Council and has been active in the Penn Street Market, Reading’s only city farmers market. More recently in her role at the Berks History Center and in partnership with Reading’s Victory Garden Task Force, Alexis led a county-wide victory gardening campaign to promote food security in Berks during the COVID-19 pandemic.
With over 10 years of non-profit experience, Alexis is passionate about cultivating organizational systems that foster creativity, growth, and innovation. She believes that resilience begins with connection: to oneself, to others, and to the earth. Alexis is looking forward to sharing her unique blend of experiences and passion for restorative practices to serve the mission of the Horn Farm Center and the community of York.
Upcoming Events:
Tuesday, September 1: Tuesday Afternoon on the Farm (free! pre-registration requested)
Thursday, September 3: Foraging for Wild Teas & Drinks
Saturday, September 5: Backyard Composting
Saturday, September 5: The Living Landscape
Tuesday, September 8: Tuesday Afternoon on the Farm (free! pre-registration requested)
Saturday, September 12: Backyard Composting
Saturday, September 12: Foraging for Wild Teas & Drinks
Tuesday, September 15: Tuesday Afternoon on the Farm (free! pre-registration requested)
Saturday, September 19: Wild Lands: Art of Seeing and Science of Observation (sold out!)
Tuesday, September 22: Tuesday Afternoon on the Farm (free! pre-registration requested)
Saturday, September 26: Wild Lands: Shelter Building and Finding Water
Tuesday, September 29: Tuesday Afternoon on the Farm (free! pre-registration requested)
Saturday, October 3: Wild Lands: Art of Fire by Friction
Saturday, October 10: Wild Lands: Foraging, Hunting, Trapping
Saturday, October 10: Foraging Wild Roots for Coffee and More
Saturday, October 17: WildLands: Advanced Primitive Hunting Techniques
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 physical distancing cannot be maintained. Except for family members physical distancing of 6 feet must be maintained.