Horn Farm Center for Agricultural Education

After three long years, the Horn Farm Center has reached a milestone: Our generous community has raised nearly $1.2 million to repair and transform our farmhouse into an education center. Construction is about to begin!!

Lightning struck the farmhouse in October 2021, damaging it by fire and rendering it completely unusable. Since then, it's been amazing to watch all the love people have poured into the Horn Farm Center. To everyone who has been a part of the journey—THANK YOU!

We are so close to our final goal - our next milestone is to raise the funds we need to achieve our occupancy permit and open the building for daily use. These final phases will transform the restored building into a community hub for learning and exploration.

We need your help to open the doors of our new learning center by the end of 2025!

The Final Milestones We Need to Reach:

✔ Phase 1: Fire Recovery & Design - $316,000 [Complete!]

✔ Phase 2: Construction - $942,000 [Complete!]

▢ Phase 3: Occupancy - $65,000

Help us purchase a new water treatment system, install solar, and pass inspection for occupancy.

▢ Phase 4: Outfitting for Operations & Learning - $50,000

Transform the farmhouse from a building to a fully-equipped learning center. We need appliances, office furniture, classroom and AV equipment to make the space functional for classes and workshops.

▢ Phase 5: Site Work & Beautification - $85,000

Landscaping, including a rain garden and retainer wall, will make the space welcoming and beautiful for visitors. A rain catchment system will help to conserve our water resources for our community gardens and new signs will enhance on-site learning.

Total Raised So Far: $1.2 Million

Total Remaining Costs: $200,000

How You Can Help:

Donate Now – Every dollar gets us closer to opening our doors. Whether you give a one-time gift or pledge a monthly donation, your support builds a future where regenerative agriculture and sustainability thrive.

Increase Your Contribution for a Naming Opportunity – Leave a lasting legacy! From $1,000 wall plaques to naming rights for major contributions, your generosity will be honored in the new education center.

Make an In-Kind Donation – Not all gifts have to be monetary. We need kitchen appliances, office equipment, and furnishings to make this space fully functional. If you can donate equipment or materials, we’d love to hear from you!

Connect Us – If you know a business or organization that makes charitable donations or sponsorships, please introduce us!

Invite Others to Participate – Help spread the word! Challenge three friends to make a contribution, big or small. Every donation brings us closer to the finish line.

The finish line is in sight—but we can’t cross it without you. Let’s raise the roof on the Horn Farm Center and transform the new building into a hub for education, sustainability, and community for generations to come.

For more details and to contribute, visit hornfarmcenter.org/rebuild/. Thank you for being a part of our journey!

As of Thursday, October 2nd, Hellam Township Board of Supervisors delayed their decision on the warehouse next door. The final vote is February 5th, giving us a short window to act.

If you’re new to this issue, a recent plan (Application Z-2025-11 for a conditional use) would allow a large warehouse and parking lot to be built directly next to the Horn Farm.

At the Horn Farm Center, we believe the land is more than soil and fields—it’s a living classroom, a place of healing, and a gathering space for community and connection. For more than 20 years, thousands of people have come to the Horn Farm to learn, to reconnect, and to be inspired by the natural world. Now, that legacy is at risk.

Over the past 3 years, you’ve supported us through the largest fundraising effort in our history to rebuild the farmhouse. With the completion of construction and a new chapter just around the corner, we had hoped to be looking ahead—expanding our mission, not fighting to preserve it.

But the truth is, a huge warehouse next door threatens the work you’ve supported all along, bringing a dramatic, lasting change to our community. Trucks rumbling day and night, diesel fumes in the air, backup alarms piercing the quiet—imagine trying to teach kids about growing food or neighbors trying to sleep. This warehouse would destroy the peace and sense of home we all cherish.

This is a small, urgent request. We’ve already committed $5,000 in legal fees to oppose the project. Our attorney is optimistic and has identified several legal shortcomings in the application. But we need your help to continue.

If 25 people give $200 each, we can cover the initial legal costs. If that’s not possible, any contribution to our legal defense—large or small—will help us protect our mission and the character of our neighborhood.

Let’s be clear, we aren’t opposed to thoughtful development—growth can strengthen our community. Let’s make sure that Hellam Township grows in a way that honors its land, its people, and its future.

Note on contributions: Donations received through this GoFundMe page will be restricted to Horn Farm Center's legal defense fund. Contributions to this fund will be used at the discretion of the Horn Farm Center to cover legal costs that protect and advance our charitable mission. Checks can be made out to Horn Farm Center and mailed to 4945 Horn Road York, PA 17406. Please note "legal defense fund" on your check.