I recently started volunteering for The Horn Farm Center, which is a non-profit in our area that that is dedicated to agricultural education. We have lived in this area for years, but I never realized all of the cool programming and important work they did until I took the time to visit and start volunteering.
Now it is one of my favorite places in America, so of course I have to show it off to you!
They have over 100 acres of farmland dedicated to educating the community about agriculture. People can rent community garden plots, join a CSA, or just pick up produce as needed at the farm sand that is open on Wednesdays and Saturdays. All of the food grown here is chemical free and grown using organic practices (although it is not certified organic, because that is an expensive process to go through and they don’t have the budget to apply for and keep up with certification). But that’s not all they do…
They also sell heirloom plants and offer classes and self-guided walking tours that are open to the public.
They are preserving the history of their property that dates back to the pre-Civil War era.
This building contains working squirrel tail oven that is used to bake food for community events, like a pizza party in partnership with the public library that will be happening in August. Just outside this building is a historically accurate 19th century kitchen garden that was planted by a local Girl Scout Troop.
The Horn Farm Center is very kid-friendly. There are picnic tables all over the place and families are encouraged to come out and spend the day. They are even partnering with the county’s Parks and Rec to offer a summer camp this year to teach kids ages 10-13 how to conduct an archeological dig.
I love this stone wall that is the old foundation of a barn that, unfortunately, burned down.
One of my favorite things about The Horn Farm Center is that they are running an Incubator Farms Project, where The Center partners with new small business farmers and offers them land and equipment and helps them establish a customer base and a business plan. After 3-5 years, The Horn Farm Center will help these farmers establish permanent farms of their own. Half of the Incubator Farmers are women. Nedette, the director of The Horn Farm Center, is also a woman. I love this a lot.
There is also a bluebird trail and a pollinator garden for bees.
If you are in the area, it is definitely worth a visit!
Wow, that looks like an amazing place!
What a beautiful place. I really like that old stone wall. That would look amazing as a back-drop for photographs!