Holcomb Farm’s CSA members, Farm Store customers, restaurants who source fresh produce from us, and organizations that benefit from the donor-supported Fresh Access food program, have all seen what a wet spring and consistent, professional farm-management can do: fill the fields with fresh, local food that we will be harvesting right through October.
Not a Member? Join Us Anyway
You don’t have to be a member to enjoy the delicious veggies coming from our fields. Be sure to stop by the CSA Barn at 111 Simsbury Road to do your fresh food shopping, including access to provisions from many neighboring farms. Also, be sure to add Holcomb Farm to your list of “must visit” farms on Granby Open Farm Day, Sept. 14. The schedule at the CSA barn that day includes: Join the morning harvest crew at 10 a.m., take a farm tour at 12 noon, enjoy a cooking demo with Chef Chris Prosperi of Metro Bis at 2 p.m.
Winter Meals as Fresh and Local as Summer Picnics
Farmer Joe O’Grady says the bounty this year will make the Winter Shares even more abundant than usual, and they should be available for online purchase at our website in September. New England storage crops—beets, potatoes, carrots, parsnips, sweet potatoes, rutabaga, and more—get sweeter over time. Thanks to our greenhouses, the shares will be augmented with fresh greens—spinach, Napa cabbage, arugula, lettuce mix, baby kale and more. There will be five pick-ups, beginning in November and stretching until February, and the share price is the same as last year: $375. These shares always sell out, so sign up soon if you want your winter and holiday meals to be as fresh and local as your summer picnics.
It Takes a Village—of Volunteers
The Friends of Holcomb Farm had the opportunity to give special thanks to some of the volunteers—our own “posse”—who have put their time and talents into rebuilding the CSA barn and farm store utilizing grants from the State and the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving. The Volunteer Appreciation Barbeque honored Jim Lofink, Ralph Eustis, Dave Tolli, Dave Desiderato and Eliot Ubryan. Local Granby artist, Jean-Luc Godard used some of the barn boards that are over 100 years old to make signs honoring their labors.
At the same event, the Friends awarded its highest volunteer honor—the Bud Murtha Award—to Ralph Eustis. After retiring from his construction business, Eustis spent 10 years volunteering at Holcomb Farm. He has been instrumental in all construction projects, including barn siding, greenhouses, a storage shed, and coolers. He also maintained all the farm equipment (from tractors to heating equipment). His efforts were essential in providing oversight of all “in-kind” volunteer work that allowed the Friends to obtain $100,000 in grants to upgrade many aspects of the CSA. Like Bud Murtha himself, and previous award-winners (Jim Allen and Peggy Lareau), Eustis’s volunteer service epitomizes what makes Holcomb Farm, and Granby in general, a special community. Sincere thanks to him and his wife, Karen, who has also contributed many volunteer hours over the years.
Tree Trail and Meadows Continue to Emerge
In June, we announced the development of a Tree Trail, with mowed paths, information signs and tree labels, inviting everyone in the community to explore and enjoy even more of the town’s Holcomb Farm property. This summer, the Friends endorsed a proposal and donation from a long-time supporter to restore the southeast field, along Simsbury Road. Check it out as you drive by; even better, park your car and take a walk. The meadows are filled with wildflowers and will be right through the fall.
Save The Date: Harvest Dinner and Silent Auction
Back again, and bigger and better than ever, the Friends of Holcomb Farm will host the annual Harvest Dinner on Saturday, Nov. 9, at the new Metro Bis Restaurant location at the old Ensign House in Simsbury. This authentic “farm-to-table” meal, expertly prepared by Chef Chris Prosperi using all the great bounty from Holcomb Farm, is the single most important fundraiser for our Fresh Access program. Fresh Access annually provides over 8,000 pounds of fresh produce to individuals and organizations that might not otherwise have access to local, chemical-free food. Locally, this includes Granby’s weekly Waste-Not-Want-Not dinners, the Senior Center, and individual families, through Granby Social Services. Other institutions in the greater Farmington Valley and Hartford areas, including the Wheeler Clinic and the Healing Meals Community Project, also are served.
The silent auction offers myriad opportunities to bid on great stuff from local contributors. Last year’s bidding opportunities included original Laura Eden art, weekends in vacation homes, a professionally guided fishing trip, gift certificates to local restaurants, yoga and massage sessions and much more. If you have any goods or services to contribute, please contact us at cathy@holcombfarm.org. As a nonprofit organization, the Friends of Holcomb Farm rely on your generous donations to support charitable programming. Finally, watch for tickets to the dinner to go on sale in October through the website.