In late October, the Horn Farm Center for Agricultural Education suffered a devastating fire when lightning struck the property's historic farmhouse. Now the nonprofit is working to rebuild and come back stronger than ever - and you can help.
Alexis Campbell, executive director of the Horn Farm, noted that the fire destroyed the second and third floors of the building. While the first floor wasn't touched by the blaze, it sustained extensive water damage due to putting out the fire and weather in the days that followed. "Also, due to the lightning strike, we had electrical damage in other buildings across the farm," Campbell stated.
In the weeks immediately following the fire, the staff worked to set up temporary office space and make short-term repairs to the building. Emergency crews focused on securing the farmhouse to withstand winter weather, including putting up a temporary roof that will keep water and snow from getting inside.
The Horn Farm Center, 4945 Horn Road, York, is an educational nonprofit focused on regenerative agriculture and ecological education. "In all of our work at the Horn Farm Center, we aim to inspire and innovate practices and behaviors that address some of our planet's most pressing needs: restoring broken ecosystems, rebuilding lost wildlife habitat and reversing climate change," Campbell explained.
Since the beginning of 2021, the board and staff have been working on a strategic plan that focuses on increasing the center's impact both on the land and in the community. "Our goals include expanding and improving our educational programming and continuing to practice restorative land stewardship on all 189 acres of the property," Campbell said.
This past year, the center launched the Land Steward Training program, equipping 11 new land stewards with the skills to further the Horn Farm's mission. This year, the center plans to expand its training programs by increasing enrollment and adding a new learning module focused on ecological garden training. "Both programs are immersive learning experiences focused on deep ecological literacy and practical skill building," Campbell remarked. Applications are now being taken for the programs, and scholarships are available from the Powder Mill Foundation.
Campbell noted that although the Horn Farm Center is moving forward, the organization needs help to reach its goals.
"First and foremost, we are in need of significant financial support," she said. "The farmhouse was the base of our operations from which we have served the York community for the past 17 years. We plan to rebuild as quickly and as sustainably as possible, but that rebuild will take time. We are fortunate to have insurance, but our expenses will almost certainly exceed any insurance funds we receive."
She thanked the community for its support in the weeks following the fire. "Our friends and neighbors have offered their time, resources and financial support," she stated, adding that the center will continue planning its rebuilding efforts through the spring, with a goal of completing the rebuild by the summer of 2023.
For more information on how you can help as the Horn Farm Center recovers, visit https://hornfarmcenter.org/fire-recovery.
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