The seed order is in and the Summer CSA shares are almost sold out (some still available at holcombfarm.org/join-our-csa). Plans for a full “Season of Celebrations” for the 30th anniversary of the Friends of Holcomb Farm, are well underway.
Here is an update on what is happening in our three main program areas. If you are not yet familiar with the farm, we hope you will visit us soon. Our trails are open to the public dawn to dusk daily; and our Farm Store is open Tuesday-Saturday, from June through October. If you already are familiar with the farm, we hope you’ll come more often—and bring a friend. And if you’re looking to get involved in a great organization, we hope you’ll consider joining the Friends of Holcomb Farm. Go to www.holcombfarm.org to learn more.
Land Stewardship
Our Stewardship committee and volunteers oversee all trail development and management of the 10+ miles of public trails at the Farm, which includes building and maintaining the Tree Trail arboretum. Plans for 2023 include a major invasive management initiative.
Volunteers have removed invasives at Holcomb Farm for many years and, since the establishment of the Holcomb Tree Trail in 2018, this effort has grown. Removing invasive plants from the trails and hedgerows has freed beautiful, mature trees from a bittersweet infestation.
The Friends’ next rehabilitation project will target a dense infestation of invasives around the small pond on the Tree Trail. This endeavor will be the Friends’ largest invasive removal project to date.
The man-made pond supplied water for Tudor and Laura Holcombs’ farm in the middle of the 20th century. Since then, invasive oriental bittersweet, multiflora rose, autumn olive, and Japanese barberry have taken hold, crowding out native plants and growing up the native trees, causing them to slowly die. The infestation is so extensive and dense that specialized machinery will be needed to remove it; it is well beyond the capacity of volunteers using hand tools.
The proposed work has been reviewed by the Granby Inland Wetlands and Watercourses commission. The work will also be reviewed by a consulting herpetologist familiar with conditions in Connecticut. The Friends have hired TR Landworks of East Hartland to do the work. TR Landworks has mowed the 40 acres of fields at Holcomb Farm annually for many years. They specialize in this kind of invasive removal, working for clients like the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and MassWildlife. This work is funded by the generous contributions of Granby supporters of the Tree Trail.
The proposed work will take a full day, and will start when ground conditions permit, in late winter or early spring. Volunteers have been prepping the work area by removing old barbed wire fencing from the vicinity of the pond.
No work will be done in the pond itself which is about 55 feet wide and only a few feet deep when full. There are several mature native trees, including sycamore and black cherry, which will be saved. There are also some eastern red cedars, which will be saved if possible. Some are so covered with bittersweet that they will have to be cut down.
Once the work is done, the Friends plan to plant the cleared area with trees and shrubs as part of the Tree Trail. This work will be done by volunteers, likely in the fall and in 2024. There are already several Tree Trail trees close to the pond (dawn redwoods, red mulberries, a red horse chestnut, and an American chestnut) and there is a bench with a fine view to the western hills.
Farming
As mentioned, Farmer Joe’s seed order is in, which is no small feat for a diversified produce, chemical-free farming operation. Will spring be early or late? Will it be hot or cold this summer, or wet or dry? Only time will tell. Thanks to the Granby Land Trust, we will be utilizing more fields they own, down along the East Branch of the Salmon Brook. With virtually the whole farm crew choosing to return (a testament to our farmer, Joe O’Grady), they will be spreading woodchips and prepping the soil in no time.
We hope you all will enjoy driving by the farm on Simsbury Road, watching things come alive yet again. When you do, don’t miss the bright red antique tobacco wagon near the North Barn. Rescued from storage and refurbished this winter by Granby’s Public Works folks, the wagon, which once served Tudor and Laura Holcomb’s farming operation, will be filled with flowers, spring through fall, for everyone to enjoy.
Fresh Access
Our Fresh Access program, through which we provide about a quarter of the food we grow to people in need or who might not otherwise have access, has grown tenfold in the past eight years. As we look to 2023 and beyond, we know the need is unlimited. We are constrained only by the amount of food we can grow and by the funding we can raise through grants and donations. Joe’s sustainable farming practices and the tillable land we currently have available, as well as future opportunities to involve other local farmers in the process, help us to address food production. We are hard at work—always—on fund raising. If you or a funding organization in which you are involved is interested in supporting this important work, please let us know at info@holcombfarm.org or email me at jpemery5@gmail.com Over the next few months, we plan to highlight our current institutional partners, so watch for more information.
The Friends of Holcomb Farm – a Community Service Organization
While the Friends of Holcomb Farm have been doing what we do for 30 years, we know that we remain “new” to many in Granby. We want to change that. A major goal of our “Season of Celebrations” this year is to create a variety of opportunities for individuals and families to experience all we do at Holcomb Farm.
If you are already a member, we hope this is the year you will get even more involved. If not yet a member, and this sounds like something that might interest you, here is a preliminary schedule of “events” to be held at the Farm June through October. Mark your calendars; visit our website, where you can sign up for our email communications; follow us on social media; and watch for this, our Drummer page, where we will post updates monthly. Until then, enjoy the lengthening days.
A Season of Celebrations
June 2 – CT Trails Day – Guided Hikes for Recreation and Education – HF Main Campus
June 17 – Opening CSA/Farm Store Day with Family-Friendly Events – HF CSA Barn
Aug. 19 – FOHF Annual Meeting – HF North Barn
Mid-Sept. – Open Farms Day (Townwide) – HF CSA Barn and Fields
Sept. 24 – Granby Land Trust en plein air “Paint Out” – throughout the property
Oct. 28 – Harvest Dinner honoring 30 years of volunteers – HF North Barn