Walter Ford honored as Friends of Holcomb Farm Bud Murtha Volunteer
Some 120 friends of Holcomb Farm—past board members, donors, and volunteers—gathered for a Harvest Dinner at the North Barn in late October to celebrate 30 years of The Friends’ service to the community and the permanent preservation of the farm.
It was an ideal opportunity for us to honor someone who epitomizes the quiet passion and commitment of Bud Murtha, for whom the award is named, and of so many who have come before him, working to make the Holcomb Farm a place that serves so many in Granby and the region. That person is our friend and neighbor, Walter Ford.
Some 15 years ago, Ford began mowing paths through the overgrown meadows of the eastern fields of Holcomb Farm with an eye toward wintertime cross-country skiing. Over time, the mowing proved an ideal antidote to invasive plants, creating beautiful grassy walking paths which, in turn, helped stir a vision that has become the Holcomb Farm Tree Trail. It also became a weekly, 6-plus mile labor of love for Ford, and we couldn’t be more grateful. Thank you, Walter!
The Tree Trail grows
This seems like an appropriate segue into an update about the Holcomb Tree Trail, which welcomes the public every day year-round. Here’s an update courtesy of Eric Lukingbeal: We began planting trees at the Tree Trail arboretum five years ago. We’ve now planted more than 100 trees, with plans for more, on roughly 40 acres of rolling meadows. One of our design principles has been to plant some trees most folks would consider unusual, in the sense that they had not seen them before. Often, these are trees that are native to the Eastern U.S. but are rarely found growing here in the wild. But if they are suited to our climate and soils and are cared for, they do just fine. So, we may plant one or more. An example would be the three shingle oaks (Quercus imbricaria) we planted in 2018. Normally found in Southeastern states, the name comes from the fact that their wood was perfect for making shingles in colonial times.
Some unusual trees we’ve chosen are not native to this country. These are sometimes called exotics. We have one, a Japanese emperor oak. It is not naturalized in the U.S. but is sometimes found in botanical gardens. It is hard to find, even in nurseries. We were fortunate that local nurseryman John O’Brien had several in stock. Walt Zultowski, one of our Tree Trail team, saw it and fell in love with it. He convinced the rest of us that we should plant one. The emperor oak normally grows to 60 feet tall and 50 feet wide, but ours is a smaller cultivar, with the name Quercus dentata Pinnatifida. It is slow growing, reaching 12 to 20 feet tall and 10 to 15 feet wide. Right now, ours is not quite six feet tall. The remarkable thing about the emperor oak is its leaves—they are the largest of any oak. They may be a foot long and seven inches wide. The leaves on our oak are not that large. They are deeply lobed and often remain on the twigs and branches through the winter. Emperor oaks are native to Russia, Japan, Korea, Mongolia, China and Taiwan.
If you have time and interest in becoming more involved in our developing Tree Trail—and especially (but not only) if you have any background in forestry, arboretums, and the like—please contact us at info@holcombfarm.org This is an all-volunteer effort, and we welcome those who would like to become involved!
Volunteers and donors allow Fresh Access to serve the community
Speaking of volunteers, a Fresh Access volunteer appreciation gathering was held on Oct. 22. The majority of the weekly fruit harvesters and Granby Senior Center produce distributors were in attendance. All enjoyed snacks, beverages, conversation and camaraderie as they marked another successful season of supporting the Fresh Access program and getting food to those in need. Thanks to all our volunteers; we would not be successful without you.
This is a good time to reflect on the season just ended which included 18 weekly distributions of free produce to registered seniors in Granby. More than 150 people benefitted each week from an estimated 2,800 pounds of fresh Holcomb Farm produce, made possible through the agreement between the Friends of Holcomb Farm and the Town of Granby, and financed through donors. This is just one of several partnerships through which the Friends’ Fresh Access program will have made more than $100,000 worth of fresh produce and fruit available to people in Granby and the region, free of charge.
With the harvest completed, the Friends had a chance to review how the Fresh Access program worked for our newest partner: the Granby Congregational Church Open Cupboard. The Fresh Access team was impressed with the Open Cupboard’s organization and operations and looks forward to continuing our partnership to help folks in need.
Whether you are a member of the Friends or not, all are invited to support our mission—to preserve, promote and utilize this historic new England farm—through our Annual Appeal, currently underway. Together with any net income raised through our farming programs, these donations directly support trail management, Tree Trail development and the Fresh Access program. And any donation of $25 or more makes you a member of the Friends of Holcomb Farm. Online donations are easy to make on our website. Got to holcombfarm.org and click on “Support.”
Pop-up winter produce sales
We have heard from many their disappointment that we were not able to offer a Winter CSA this year because of the rain-drenched growing season. However, Farmer Joe O’Grady assures us that the cold storage is far from empty, and the greenhouses are looking great, so pop-up opportunities will be offered. Specifically, we will once again be at the Lost Acres Vineyard Holiday Farmers’ market on Dec. 23, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. We hope to have other pop-up sales; if you don’t already receive our emails announcing them and would like to, drop us a note at info@holcombfarm.org
Reserve your Summer 2024 5CSA share now
Believe it or not, it’s time to think about where you’re going to get your fresh produce next summer. We hope you’ll consider joining the Holcomb Farm CSA. Farmer Joe and his crew grow a variety of fruits and vegetables and offer them to you in full-shares and half-shares. We also offer PYO vegetables, fruits, herbs and flowers. Learn more and sign up at holcombfarm.org (click on Summer/Winter CSA).