Horn Farm Center is Hiring!
Do you have a wealth of skills and a heart to change the world from the ground up? Consider joining the Horn Farm team! We are now hiring for TWO part-time positions:
- An Executive Assistant who will help to support the mission of the organization by managing our administrative systems and keeping our team activities organized!
- A Community Education & Outreach Coordinator who will help to strengthen the role of the Horn Farm Center as a leader in the field of regenerative agriculture though education and outreach!
YOU might be just the professional we are looking for! Click here to learn more about the latest employment opportunity at the Horn Farm Center.
This Week on the Farm
This week we met with Hellam Township Environmental Advisory Council members to discuss stormwater management in Hellam Township. Led by Woodland Steward, Wilson Alvarez, we toured the water management systems at the Horn Farm, including our DCNR-funded riparian buffer that we planted earlier this spring. Riparian buffers help to slow, spread, and sink runoff on the farm, allowing rainwater to percolate into our soil before it reaches our waterways.
One of the reasons the Horn Farm riparian buffer is unique is because we planted thousands of multi-functional crops within the buffer that will eventually produce agriforestry products, such as fruit, nuts, and coppice wood, while continuing to capture and filter rainwater.
Healthy regenerative food and ecological restoration – what can be better than that?!
Another special technique that we use on the farm is doing absolutely nothing – an approach that Mark Sheppard, a pioneer in restoration agriculture, likes to call “S.T.U.N.” or “sheer total utter neglect.” While it sounds as though this might be the irresponsible thing to do, we have found that “S.T.U.N.” can be the exact opposite: the best thing we can do to help our natural ecology restore itself. Of course, we do this with intention and carefully intervene only when necessary. As we stand back and watch nature do what she does best, we closely observe as these areas regenerate, sometimes supporting the process by removing prolific and dominant plant species.
All of these practices center around an unwavering trust in biology and natural systems. We believe that nature, which includes our humble human selves, has the ability to solve many of the problems we face. As we connect with our greatest teacher and ally, mother nature, we can truly be part of the change we wish to see in the world. And even though it may seem insignificant, we know that the small changes we are making to at the Horn Farm are making a hugely positive impact on the health of our community and our ecosystem, from the Kreutz Creek, to the Susquehanna River, and beyond!
Discover more regenerative agriculture best practices and learn how we are redefining agriculture at the Horn Farm Center! Visit hornfarmcenter.org for upcoming events and learning opportunities.
Two More Composting Workshops Scheduled for October
Interested in learning how to compost at home? We have added two more Backyard Composting workshops to our fall events schedule. Join us on Tuesday, October 13, 2020 or Tuesday, October 20, 2020 from 4:30-6:30PM for a comprehensive learning event focused on the essential components of turning food and yard waste into a healthy garden soil amendment. Participants will leave with their own 12 foot roll of welded wire that can be set up and utilized immediately, a composting brochure that highlights details that were covered in the class, and hopefully an appreciation for the natural process called decomposition!
Fall on the Farm – Call for Volunteers
photo: Michelle Johnsen
Eager to get outside and get your hands dirty before the winter months set in? Join Field Manager Andrew Horn for some time on the farm! Every Thursday from 10am-6pm, Andrew will be a holding volunteer field day on the farm. We will spend some time getting to know each other, discussing what’s happening in the fields and on the farm, plus there will be opportunities to pitch in to help with the fall clean-up.
Some of our end-of-season farm activities include:
- Harvesting Sweet Potatoes
- Prepping Garlic Beds
- Planting Garlic Beds
- Clearing, Composting, Forking, Mulching BioIntensive Beds
- Clearing, Composting, Forking, Mulching Annual Growing Beds
- Mulching around Perennial Trees
- Removing all Ground Pack and Irrigation Lines
Interested in joining us? Sign-up to volunteer for Volunteer Thursdays!
Upcoming Events:
Saturday, October 10: Wild Lands: Foraging, Hunting, Trapping (sold out!)
Saturday, October 10: Foraging Wild Roots for Coffee and More (currently full)
Tuesday, October 13: Backyard Composting
Thursday, October 15: Fall on the Farm: Volunteer Thursdays
Saturday, October 17: WildLands: Advanced Primitive Hunting Techniques (sold out!)
Tuesday October 20: Backyard Composting
Thursday, October 22: Fall on the Farm: Volunteer Thursdays
Thursday, October 29: Fall on the Farm: Volunteer Thursdays
Thursday, November 5: Fall on the Farm: Volunteer Thursdays
Saturday, November 7: The Living Landscape
Thursday, November 12: Fall on the Farm: Volunteer Thursdays
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.