We have so much to share with you this week. Read on!
On Wednesday, we held a full day workshop called Designing a Regenerative Farmscape as part of the Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture (PASA) annual conference. We shared the process we used to create the Land Use Management Plan and implementation strategy for the Horn Farm. People came from as near as York County and as far away as Walla Walla, Washington to be part of the workshop!
After listening to the story of the Horn Farm design process, we spent a few hours touring the farm and looked at ways we have begun to reconnect the farm fields and the semi-wild spaces on the farm. We also share the growing methods we are using to protect and improve soil and water quality and to increase habitat for the missing plants and other creatures who would naturally make their homes on the farm.
Then the 25 participants spent time applying the design process to their own farms.
Thank you to everyone who made such a wonderful day possible!
We are recruiting for the April to October session of the Woodland Steward Training Program! Learn to transform degraded woodlands into healthy, biodiverse, productive habitats through hands-on, ecologically sound techniques. This training provides foundational knowledge and practical skills for those interested in learning how to manage wooded and semi-wild areas in ways that can meet human needs, improve biodiversity, restore woodland health, and regenerate degraded landscapes. Find out more: Woodland Steward Training Program!
The Horn Farm CSA has been an important way for us to connect with you, our local community, since 2016 when we began our farming internship. The internship was designed as a way for people with little to no farming experience to learn to grow a wide range of vegetables for themselves or for market.
Each year, we look back on the season and make changes where needed. As we’ve begun to weave together the fields and forests with the introduction of perennial crop systems, we are redesigning the internship once again. Because we’re expanding the scope of topics we are teaching program participants, we will be offering fewer CSA shares for the 2020 season to make time for an enhanced learning experience.
While we may be shrinking the number of CSA shares, we will be expanding the range of share items to include things that grow in the woods and other semi-wild spaces on the farm. Here’s what you can expect….
Seasonal produce – You’ll find a selection very much what you’ve come to expect. There will be plenty of greens, tomatoes, peppers, squash, and potatoes, for example, but, in some cases, these will be available in fewer varieties or for a shorter period of time, but all the seasonal favorites will be present.
Wild foods from the edges – As a way to showcase the vast abundance and nutrition of the landscape we’ll be incorporating the occasional wild greens, roots, berries, and more. This will give our training program participants the opportunity to learn about the identification and harvest of wild plants and give you the opportunity to try some things that may be new to you. We’ll be sure to include details in our CSA newsletter on what you’re receiving and how to use them.
Powdered greens mixes – Occasionally you will receive a dried, powdered mix of both cultivated and wild greens. These can be added to soups, smoothies, and breads as a way to incorporate flavor and nutrition.This preservation method extends the length of time we can enjoy the mid-season abundance.
Forest products – In the process of regenerating our woodlands, we create byproducts like firewood, bio-char (an amazing fertilizer!), charcoal, etc. that you may find valuable.
Flowers – We’ll be incorporating the occasional bouquet to brighten your home. These bouquets will consist of both cultivated and wild flowers.
If you’re up for this adventure, there are only a few spots left, so sign up today! More information and registration here!
For meat and eggs, the Horn Farm is a pick up location for Rising Locust Farm. Their spring CSA meat pick ups begin next week. Other pick up locations are available. Check out the Rising Locust website for all the details!
Registration is open for the Community Gardens! The Community Garden program at the Horn Farm Center for Agricultural Education offers soil lovers and aspiring farmers the opportunity to grow fresh, chemical-free food on prime farmland in the company of other enthusiastic and dedicated gardeners. Garden plots are rented annually from April 1st through March 31. Each plot measures approximately 20 x 20 feet. Plots are assigned on a “First Come, First Served” basis. Returning gardeners will retain their previous plots unless otherwise requested.
Upcoming events:
February 29 – Native Plants for Winter Interest and Wildlife
March 2 – 2020 Regenerative Farming Training Program
March 7 – The Living Landscape
March 14 – Green Mulch: Native Plants as Groundcovers
March 28 – Stormwater Management 101 for Homeowners
March 28 – Foraging Intensive
March 28 – WIldlands – Primitive Skills: The Art of Seeing and the Art of Observation
April 1 – Community Gardens open (weather permitting)
April 4 – Exploring the Inner Landscape
April 11 – Community Gardens Orientation Day
April 11 – Wildlands – Primitive Skills: Shelter Building and Finding Water
April 25 – Wildlands – Primitive Skills: The Ancient Art of Fire by Friction
April 27 – Woodland Steward Training Program
May 9 – Wildlands – Primitive Skills: Foraging, Hunting, Trapping
May 23 – Wildlands – Primitive Skills: Advanced Primitive Hunting Techniques
June 2 – Horn Farm CSA
See you at the farm!