At the May 18 annual meeting of Holcomb Farm, I was asked to share a few thoughts with the many volunteers of the Friends of Holcomb Farm.
Some of my comments that day centered on the benefits of volunteerism to the Granby community and are reproduced below. Apologies in advance for not naming every community volunteer I’ve run into, but space is limited!
Since I began my work as your town manager in March 2024, day in and day out, I’m introduced to new people that have made Granby a special place to live and work. The thing that these new acquaintances have in common is that all of them give back to the Town of Granby by volunteering their time.
One of the first introductions I recall was Cal Heminway who shared with me his passion for the community and, in particular, the Board of Education. He came to my office and we talked for over an hour. Cal sadly passed about two months later, but his visit left me with an indelible impression and an important education on Granby.
Then I met Shirley Murtha. We are in regular communication on all things Granby government and the Drummer. I still have much to learn about Granby and I welcome Shirley as my teacher.
Leading up to the 2024 Gran-Bee, I met the Drummer’s managing editor, Jen Bell, who shared stories of Granby, usually with a piece of chocolate to make the lessons easier to digest.
Next up in my education was Al Wilke, who was leaving the Board of Finance about the time I began attending, and we shared a few conversations about Granby in person, and then a few by e-mail, and what was clear to me was his love for his community.
I think you’re starting to get the point, which brings me to the collection of people who make up the Friends of Holcomb Farm, led by Jenny Emery.
As Joe O’Grady was receiving the Business Person of the Year Award from the Chamber of Commerce, he shared a story of getting to Granby with his family years ago, and wanting to leave almost immediately.
The line to the toilet in the farmhouse was frozen so the toilet wasn’t working, the house was a mess, things were going wrong in the field—but Joe chose to stay. As Joe explained it to the group, Joe stayed because of the support and outreach he received from this group of people.
Your support meant the difference between Joe and his family going or staying. That’s a pretty powerful statement of the support coming from the community of Granby!
Now to Holcomb Farm. To my knowledge, no other municipality in Connecticut has an asset like the Holcomb Farm. No other municipality in Connecticut produces wholesome food on its town-owned farm for its residents and shares the abundance to feed hungry communities in Hartford and surrounding cities and towns.
To do this important work as volunteers speaks volumes to what the community is capable of accomplishing. Granby has something that makes it unique that I’ll call “the secret sauce.”
I see it firsthand, and that “secret sauce” is the passion, the work ethic, the professionalism and the commitment that the residents and especially the volunteers bring to the table every day.
As I close, if you’re a volunteer in the Town of Granby, I want to thank you for what you do and how you do it! By example, you have invested your time and talents back into the place you call home, and we are all better off for it!
If you are not a volunteer, please consider this an invitation to become one and begin the satisfying process of sharing your talents with the community you call home!