Between 2013 and 2016, Horn Farm Center’s Homesteading Education Day was an annual community gathering where visitors participated in demonstrations, talks, and workshops focused on common and forgotten homesteading skills, such as cottage gardening, growing fiber and dye plants, food preservation, homemade soap, candles, cheeses, and more.

We are paying homage to Homesteading Education Day by offering homesteading-themed topics throughout 2024. Check out our Homesteading Education “throwback” classes below:

• Artisanal Herbal Tinctures at Home – January 27, 2024
• The Art of Apple Cider Vinegar – February 3, 2024
• Black Walnut Syrup: A New Taste of a Common Tree – February 10, 2024
• Natural Vegetable Pickling: Fermenting Sauerkraut – February 24, 2024

And, we have much more to come later this spring and fall! Stay tuned and we will share more opportunities for you to get back to those homesteading skills.

Help us celebrate our 20th Anniversary this year by enjoying special programs that harken back to a popular event remembered by many in our community!

10 Acres Planted: We Did It!

Helping nature thrive is an ongoing commitment, but at the end of 2023, we celebrated a huge milestone!

After four years of thoughtful planning, ambitious planting, and tireless stewardship, we’ve finished planting our 10-acre multifunctional riparian buffer restoration project, called Regenerative Farmscape East.

What is a riparian buffer and what makes ours “multifunctional?” Check out 2023 blog series, For the Whole Stream to explore the importance of stream-side environments and how we’re doing what we can to support ecological health both upstream and downstream.

Thanks to hundreds of program participants and volunteers of all ages, over 400,000 square feet of degraded land has been planted with over 15,000 native trees and shrubs. 

This collaboration between people and plants is an effort to nourish soil, protect water, create habitat, and provide other local benefits in the form of education and harvestable agroforestry products. As an organization dedicated to connecting people with nature, we’ve created a buffer that does the same: offering food, medicine, fodder, and a “nursery” of plant materials for future propagation while helping the land heal and thrive.

The project will continue to be a labor of love, bringing together students, volunteers, farm supporters, and wildlife for years to come. But for now, we’re happy to take a gander across the buffer and celebrate the great strides that four short years have accomplished. We will continue bolstering and stewarding the buffer with the hope we’ve had all along: that through learning and experience, we can sow healthier relationships between people and nature.

This project was made possible through grant funding from DCNR PennVest, the GIANT Company through Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful’s Healing the Planet program, and the Mid-Atlantic Media Hub Fund of York County Community Foundation. Thousands of trees along with tools and ample support were provided by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and the Keystone 10 Million Trees Partnership.

Our gratitude also extends to the hundreds of volunteers and stewards who dug in the dirt with us to uplift the land. We’re especially grateful for our board member, Master Watershed Steward, and intrepid volunteer Cindy Pizziketti for thousands of hours committed to this project.

Save the Date: Spring Plant Sale

Dreaming of spring? So are we! Mark your calendars for the Horn Farm Center’s 12th Annual Plant Sale on Saturday, May 4th, 2024 from 9AM to 3PM.

If you’ve shopped with us before, you know it’s going to be a great time!

Stop by and shop from a wide variety of organically grown vegetable, herb and flower starts. The sale will also offer trees, shrubs, grasses, herbaceous perennials, and a unique selection of native plants.

Click here to learn more about the Plant Sale

Last Chance to Apply! Ecological Gardener Training Starts Soon

Whether you’re interested in converting your lawn into a thriving ecosystem, seeking deeper connection with native plants, or simply want to contribute new skills to your community, the Ecological Gardener Training Program offers a comprehensive deep-dive into the world of creating and tending resilient ecosystems.

We’re just under TWO WEEKS AWAY from the start of the program, so apply today to reserve your spot! No prior knowledge or training is required–just a curiosity and a passion for connecting with nature.

Click here to learn more & apply.