Life is in full swing at Granby’s own Holcomb Farm, and the best way to enjoy its pleasures is to visit. Read further, then put on your sneakers and head over. The trails, including the Holcomb Tree Trail, are open each day dawn to dusk and the wildflowers are in full bloom; the Farm Store is open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Special events are listed on the Events Calendar on our website, posted on our social media channels, and included in periodic emails. Not on the list? Drop a note to cathy@holcombfarm.org
Celebrating 30 years of Community Service
Our May plant sales were a great success, and our June 17 Open House was a home run. The latter featured a cooking demonstration by our great friend Chef Chris Prosperi of Metro Bis, a bake sale by longtime supporters Jeanne Galloway and Kathleen Usher, a wine tasting courtesy of Lost Acres Vineyard, a tour with our brilliant farm manager Joe O’Grady and much more. The positive energy was palpable, and we enjoyed catching up with old friends and making new ones.
There is more coming. Aug. 19 features Yoga in the North Barn and our Annual Meeting; Granby’s town-wide Open Farm Day is Sept. 16; the Granby Land Trust Plein Air Paint Out at Holcomb Farm is Sept. 24. Please visit, bring a friend and get involved. We are here for all of Granby and the region. In addition to the website (holcombfarm.org), please reach out with questions to info@holcombfarm.org
The Tamarack, a Tree Trail Odyssey
Since October 2018, we have planted more than 100 trees of 30+ species on the Holcomb Tree Trail. This spring, we planted five crabapples, six magnolias and one tamarack.
The tamarack (Larix laricina) has quite a story. One member of the Tree Trail Team, Peggy Lareau, fell in love with tamaracks several years ago and convinced us that we needed one. We agreed and began the search for a suitable specimen. Finally, local nurseryman John O’Brien located a nursery in Ohio where we could get a six-foot tamarack—small enough to plant without machinery and priced within our budget. The order was placed.
When the tree arrived, it was twice the size we’d expected, far bigger than our Subaru Forester could handle. Tamaracks prefer wet and boggy soil. The problem is getting to it in a big truck without getting stuck. O’Brien and his crew drove as close to the site as conditions allowed, then wrestled the huge root ball off the truck and rolled it down a slope to the hole we’d dug and mulched. (Please note: O’Brien Nursery does not usually go to these lengths to deliver and plant trees—this was an exception for which we are truly grateful.)
The tamarack is quite a tree. It grows further north than any other tree in North America. It is abundant in Labrador. It is a deciduous conifer and the short needles, a bluish green in summer, turn a fine golden color in the fall. Its roots were used to sew birch bark to canoes. It can grow to 80 feet, with a trunk nearly two feet in diameter, but it’s not likely to grow so tall here in Granby as it does not like hot weather. We are at the southern edge of its range, but we’ve situated it at the bottom of a hill, so it should benefit from heavier cold air rolling downhill.
Come see it! It’s visible from the Holcomb Farm parking lot and a very short walk. You can then continue up the gravel path to access the mowed paths and see the rest of the beautiful Holcomb Tree Trail.
Fresh Access and the Hispanic Health Council
This month we highlight our oldest Fresh Access partner, the Hispanic Health Council (HHC). For more than 12 years, the Friends of Holcomb Farm has been providing fresh produce to the HHC for distribution to its members. What began as modest weekly produce deliveries for the summer months has grown; in 2022 we provided more than 6,000 pounds of vegetables and fruit to HHC over 22 weeks.
The HHC’s overall mission is to promote equity and address health disparities for Hispanics, Latinos, and other vulnerable communities through research, advocacy, and culturally resonant services.
Through its Community Nutrition Center, the HHC offers programs to improve healthy lifestyles, including nutrition and physical activities. Weekly deliveries of Holcomb produce are combined with hands-on nutrition education activities and recipes. This is especially helpful to recent transplants to the Hartford area.
The HHC SNAP-Ed Program has implemented vegetable tasting activities with Holcomb Farm produce. The main objective is to increase the participant’s willingness to try a variety of vegetables and prepare them at home. The participants taste the prepared veggies, receive a copy of the recipe, and complete a survey to assess their experience. The survey showed that of 397 individuals, 90 percent rated the recipe as good/excellent and said they will prepare the recipe at home. Most also mentioned that they are planning to eat more vegetables because of the tasting. Mission accomplished!
