Have you heard the BIG NEWS? Yes, it’s true…starting this March, reconstruction of the Horn Farm’s historic farmhouse and education hub will begin! 

This is a milestone worth celebrating, especially after three years of recovering, fundraising, and navigating the challenges of a project we weren’t expecting!

But there is still a funding gap we need to bridge. As we eagerly look forward to breaking ground this March, we’re asking you–our community–to help us.

This request comes at time that is fraught with other priorities. Recent actions by the federal government are directly impacting farms and organizations across our region. We are hearing from farmers and friends concerned about increasing supply costs, cuts to federal contracts, and new threats to life-preserving conservation practices.

As growers and land stewards, we know we’ll always face unpredictable events. We also know that we can count on hope, hard work, and a community of support.

In fact, if we’ve learned anything from the farmhouse project and the tragic circumstances that lead to it, it’s that our strength – and our resilience – lies in our relationships. 

That is why I am asking that you please take action today:

1) Please call or write your members of congress to let them know you support federal funding for regenerative agriculture and food security. We are including some information below from our partners and actions you can take to ensure our food system and natural resources are stable, sustainable, and protected.

2) Please consider donating (perhaps again) to help build the new Education Center at the Horn Farm. Any amount will help. As a grassroots organization founded in a love for the land, the Horn Farm took a community to build. Now, it will take our community to rebuild!

Reviving our farmhouse will open up an ecosystem of possibilities for enriching what we do best: educating and empowering our community with the skills for healing the land and living in sustainable ways.

With gratitude and in solidarity with our farming community,

Alexis Campbell, Executive Director

Help Us Build a New Education Center

Despite widespread public support for regenerative farming, recent actions by the federal government are directly impacting farms and organizations across our region – including those committed to climate-smart farming, conservation agriculture, and agroforestry.

In January, many federal funding recipients were notified that an Executive Memorandum from the Office of Management and Budget paused action on both existing and future federal assistance programs, including most climate- and equity-related grants. The federal grant freeze is creating unease, confusion, and financial difficulty for many agricultural producers and organizations who utilize federal funds to protect ecological health and provide critical farmer resources.

This week, we welcomed four new interns to our team! Ella, Lucy, Tove, and Yairelis will be spending February through May with us preparing for our annual Plant Sale. Mark your calendar for Saturday, May 3rd from 9am to 3pm!

The seed sowing started right away, with thousands of veggies, herbs, and flowers slated for germination over the coming weeks. While our interns are invaluable in making the Plant Sale possible, their experience is also educational, as they learn the ins and outs of greenhouse management, plant propagation, botany and biology, and non-chemical growing methods.

Stay tuned to see what our interns our up to as the spring approaches!

Bringing Together Community & Land Care

This week, a basketful of brave volunteers worked through the blustery winds to help us complete our willow branch harvest for the season!

Willows are just one piece of the Horn Farm’s transition to farming with productive, beneficial trees and shrubs. This type of farming, called agroforestry, uses tree and shrub crops, like willows, to supply local goods while maintaining ecological health.

What does ecological health look like? For us, it includes:

• Nurturing healthy soils
• Efficiently using and protecting water resources
• Actively supporting a thriving community of bugs, birds, fungi, and more to help our landscape function

Many of the Horn Farm’s budding agroforestry projects are taking root along “wild” edges and streams, called riparian buffers. In spaces like these, with careful management and respect, we can bring together ecological restoration and robust agriculture.

Interested in experiencing this kind of farming as we approach the spring? Consider joining the Horn Farm Center’s Community Crew–a volunteer training program.

Join the Community Crew

If you’re feeling cooped up this chilly winter, we’ve got a flurry of opportunities to help you beat the seasonal blues. From the forest trail to the kitchen counter, join us to learn new skills while connecting with local plant communities that offer us food, medicine, and plenty of fascinating stories:

Thinking ahead to the spring garden is another great way to find some wintertime bliss (besides going outside, of course!). That’s why it’s the perfect time to check out our NEWLY ANNOUNCED Spring Gardening Classes.

Starting in April, join us in the greenhouse and the field to grow your gardening tookit. As we like to say: “stop thinking like a gardener and start thinking like an ecosystem!

Spring Gardening Programs