Horn Farm Happenings – July 10, 2020

farmer in training working in the field

Hot, hot, hot! Except for a few days, the high temperature for each day since the start of June has been above 80 and often above 90 degrees Fahrenheit. This has been hard on the people and hard on the plants. In order to have a steady supply of fresh produce, we plant the same item multiple times across the season. This successional planting means that we seed, and then transplant a crop like kale, cucumbers, or summer squash every four to six weeks. Transplanting is stressful to the plant, so optimally daytime temperatures will be in the 60s or low 70s during these transplanting periods. There has been no relief from the heat for the past few weeks, and this will affect crop yields.

Looking to next season and considering that these weather patterns may be the new ‘normal’, we are designing a transplanting pattern which may involve a pause during the hottest days of the summer. This is just one of the ways that we have to adjust ‘how we always do things’ to accommodate the changes in environmental conditions.


Join Field Manager Andrew Horn for some time in the farm fields! Every Tuesday from 4 to 6 p.m., Andrew will be holding an ‘open field day’ called Tuesday Afternoon at the Farm. There will be time for getting to know each other, discussing what’s happening in the fields and on the farm, plus there will be opportunities to help with the farm work.
Planting, harvesting, weeding, and mulching are always needed on the farm, and many hands make light work! Join us for any or all of the two hours. Depending on the week, we may have projects with which children could help. If you plan to bring a child younger than 12, please contact Andrew in advance, at fieldmanager@hornfarmcenter.org, to make sure we will be able to provide a positive experience for you and your child(ren). Thanks! The event is free, but pre-registration is requested by Monday at noon so that we know to expect you.


Join our staff:
https://hornfarmcenter.org/job-postings


Upcoming Events:
Tuesday, July 14: Tuesday Afternoon on the Farm (free! pre-registration requested)
Saturday, July 11: The Living Landscape
Tuesday, July 21: Tuesday Afternoon on the Farm (free! pre-registration requested)
Saturday, July 25: Summer Foraging – July Plant Walk
Tuesday, July 28: Tuesday Afternoon on the Farm (free! pre-registration requested)
Saturday, August 1: The Living Landscape
Tuesday, August 4: Tuesday Afternoon on the Farm (free! pre-registration requested)
Saturday, August 8: Summer Foraging – August Plant Walk
Tuesday, August 11: Tuesday Afternoon on the Farm (free! pre-registration requested)
Tuesday, August 18: Tuesday Afternoon on the Farm (free! pre-registration requested)
Tuesday, August 25: Tuesday Afternoon on the Farm (free! pre-registration requested)
Thursday, September 3: Foraging for Wild Teas & Drinks
Saturday, September 5: The Living Landscape
Saturday, September 12: Foraging for Wild Teas & Drinks
Saturday, October 3: The Living Landscape
Saturday, October 10: Foraging Wild Roots for Coffee and More
Monday, November 2: Woodland Steward Training Program 2020-21 begins
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 social distancing cannot be maintained.
Except for family members social distancing of 6 feet must be maintained.