Spring has sprung and our farming programs are ramping up! Spring is also a great time to visit the Holcomb Tree Trail (think flowering trees!)
Trees and Trails for Everyone
Looking for a new experience? Have you ever been to an arboretum?
Spring is a great time to visit the Holcomb Tree Trail at Holcomb Farm in West Granby. Park in the lot opposite the intersection of Simsbury Road and Day Street South. Look up the hill to your east, and you will see the entrance to the Holcomb Tree Trail.
The Holcomb Tree Trail is an all-volunteer and donor-supported arboretum, a collection of trees for public enjoyment, education and scientific study. Now in its seventh year since the first 16 trees were planted by volunteers in 2018, the arboretum contains more than 100 trees, with more being planted every year.
Head up the hill on the gravel road. You will come to a kiosk, which describes the Tree Trail in more detail. Unless you’re a professional arborist, you will see some trees that will be new to you, and that few of your fellow townsfolk would recognize. Have you ever seen a shingle oak, an amur maackia, or a Japanese emperor oak? How about a dawn redwood, a katsura or a sourwood? They’re all here!
The trees are almost all labeled, and there are interpretive signs describing the history of the farm as well as little known facts about trees. Mowed paths connect the trees so that you can avoid poison ivy and ticks. You can spend an hour or so at a normal pace; more if you linger and read everything and take some photos. The paths look out on rolling hills that remind visitors of Southern Vermont. There are wooden benches for those needing a rest. For a great preview, or for anyone who might not be able to visit in person, please enjoy a virtual tour of the trail, which can be accessed on YouTube (search for Holcomb Farm or use this link: youtube.com/watch?v=C58MAGW1_9M).
The trail is open every day from dawn to dusk. Dogs on a leash are welcome. We recommend wearing boots, as the ground can be wet in places. If you’re part of a group that might prefer a guided tour, we can arrange to have one of our volunteers lead your group.
The Holcomb Tree Trail is planted, mowed, watered and cared for by Friends of Holcomb Farm volunteers, and we can always use more help. To volunteer, or for more information, please drop us a note at info@holcombfarm.org The entire trail is sited on town-owned land that is permanently preserved under a conservation easement held by the Granby Land Trust.
April 26—Arbor Day Tree Planting
Celebrate Arbor Day at Holcomb Farm on Saturday, April 26 at 10 a.m. Volunteers from the Holcomb Tree Trail will demonstrate the best way to plant a tree and how to care for it so that it can grow for decades to come. We will meet at the Holcomb Farm main campus at 113 Simsbury Road and walk to the site as a group. Please refer to our social media accounts (Facebook and Instagram) for updates; rain date is Sunday, April 27. We hope you can join us for this all-ages educational event.
Church Repurposing Project
Our task team is hard at work gathering data, seeking estimates, exploring lay-outs and seeking input as we work toward presenting the results of our assessment to the Granby Board of Selectmen in May. The opportunity to use the space for post-harvest production throughout the year, allowing for increased winter sales and Fresh Access distributions, is compelling. We expect to share our recommendation with the members of the Friends of Holcomb Farm at the Annual Meeting on May 18.
Fresh Access is “not just a bag of food”
Our Fresh Access program raises $80,000–$100,000 annually to make about a quarter of what we grow at the farm available to people free of charge. Over the winter, we met with Fresh Access partners, the organizations through which the food reaches people, to review 2024 and plan for 2025. We were reminded, through their stories and customer testimonials, that what we do through Fresh Access—thanks to support from many of you—is so much more than just handing out bags of food. Here are some headlines from these recent visits.
Waste Not Want Not Community Kitchen: Sandy Flagg reports that an average of 165 people participate in their Wednesday dinners, with another 50 picking up food. The fresh produce that Holcomb Farm provides in the summer, almost a ton of veggies and fruit in 2024, brightens the meals.
Granby Senior Center and Social Services: We discussed with Sandy Yost how the produce we provide is distributed through weekly Senior Center pick-ups, and through families participating in the CSA. In 2024 the wholesale value of the food was more than $18,000. Granby residents who would like information on how to participate can contact Social Services.
Granby Congregational Church Open Cupboard Pantry: Kerri Crough and Ann Wilhelm explained that the pantry opened during the Covid pandemic, and while the pandemic has subsided, the need has not. They serve 55 families and 112 individuals weekly, and people love the addition the fresh produce in the summer.
[NOTE: Fresh Access’ food for these Granby partners is supported, in part, through a Granby Community Fund grant to the Friends, for which we are very grateful.]
Wheeler Health: Our largest partner is Wheeler Health, which operates family wellness centers throughout the greater Hartford region. They tell us the weekly Fresh Access distributions do much more than feed people; they draw people in to engage in community, and follow-up with healthcare services.
Hispanic Health Council: The partner that dates to the origins of Fresh Access, HHC is excited to be opening its own new wellness center in Hartford. Fresh Access food will be a highlight of their offerings, and a magnet to attract people in, all summer long.
Healing Meals Project: This Simsbury-based partner has grown tremendously since its opening in 2016, and our Fresh Access food was there for them from their start. Healing Meals cooks and delivers nutrient-rich, chemical free meals to immunocompromised people, so what we grow at Holcomb farm is a perfect fit.
Collectively, in 2024, through these partners and thanks to support from donors and grants, more than 500 families benefitted from access to food grown on Holcomb Farm. We provided approximately 32,000 pounds of food, with an estimated retail value of more than $130,000.
In 2025, we plan to do it again, because it’s not just a bag of food. It is health, it is wellness, it is appreciation for what fertile soil and talented farming can produce and it is community. We welcome donors and volunteers to be a part of this enriching community service; more information is available at holcombfarm.org
Upcoming Events at Holcomb Farm
April 17 (Thursday), Lost Acres Spring Farmer’s Market, 4–7 p.m., Lost Acres Vineyard. Buy local veggies for your spring celebrations! For more details on available veggies/greens closer to the market date, visit holcombfarm.org
April 26 (Saturday), Arbor Day Tree Planting, 10 a.m., Holcomb Tree Trail. Volunteers from the Holcomb Tree Trail will demonstrate the best way to plant a tree and how to care for it so that it can grow for decades to come.
May 9 and 10 (Friday and Saturday), Holcomb Farm’s Annual Mother’s Day Plant Sale/Seedling Weekend Sale, 10 a.m.–4 p.m., Farm Store and CSA Barn, 111 Simsbury Road, West Granby. Flowers, herbs, and cold-hardy seedlings for Mom and your garden.
TWO WEEKENDS! May 16 & 17, and May 23 & 24, Seedling Sales, 10 a.m.–4 p.m., Farm Store and CSA Barn, 111 Simsbury Road, West Granby. Herbs, flowers, pollinator mixes, tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, and much more.
June 11 (Wednesday), Opening Day, 10 a.m.–6 p.m., Farm Store and CSA Barn, 111 Simsbury Road, West Granby. First week of Summer CSA pickup and Farm Store. Come by Wednesday to Saturday, 10 a.m.–6 p.m., to pick up your share or shop in the farm store. We’ll be fully stocked with local favorites and new items.