Town Manager Mike Walsh:
As we mourn the loss of Jenny Emery, our hearts ache for her husband David, her children, and her grandchildren. Jenny was a force of nature with boundless energy and a passion. Her selfless work on Holcomb Farm and the Fresh Access Program literally put food on the table for so many.”
First Selectman Mark Fiorentino:
“I am hard-pressed to think of something we value in Granby that Jenny didn’t touch in some way. She was a tireless advocate for education, land conservation and the preservation and operation of Holcomb Farm. Her passing is a tremendous loss for our community.”
Board of Finance Chairman Mike Guarco:
“Jenny was a strong advocate for her perspective on issues coming before our board… yet also consistent in helping forge and back consensus.”
Board of Education Chairwoman Monica Logan:
“Jenny truly believed Granby Public Schools were the heartbeat of our town. During her decade on the Board of Education, she championed her vision of high quality and comprehensive education with informed and smart financial planning
Granby Land Trust President Rick Orluk:
“Jenny Emery was a positive and energetic leader whose dedication and hard work inspired everyone around her. She was an ardent supporter of Granby—a citizen deeply committed to making the world a better place. Jenny believed in and fought for equal rights for all, and she cared profoundly about others.”
Eric Lukingbeal, Vice President, Friends of Holcomb Farm:
“Someone once said that nothing great was ever accomplished without enthusiasm. Jenny was proof of that, in spades. Along with her persistence, she was truly a force of nature—persuasive, creative and fun to work with.”
Holcomb Farm, Farm Manager
Joe O’Grady:
“I had no idea who Jenny was, when she just showed up at a board meeting and things were never the same. She instantly increased the temperature in the room, and we have all benefited from this intensification. This is not to denigrate the work of all those who came before, but to highlight how singular Jenny was in her intelligence, intensity, passion, attention to detail, ability to multitask—she was able to see the forest and the trees. Her mind was relentless, able to juggle a million projects and ideas at the same time. I took great pride when I shared an idea, and she wrote it down! (Most of the time she had already thought of it and already looked into it). She demanded a lot of herself, and it was up to everyone else to up their game or be left in the dust.
She came to us at just the right time; we were reaching a level of stability as a farm and an organization and we could have easily coasted and been content with that. Jenny’s passion for the mission of Holcomb Farm and her deep faith in the goodness and support of our community combined to set us on an ambitious course. Jenny had the vision and audacity to lead us through a time of tremendous growth in our reach and impact. She did this by pushing and sheer force of will, but perhaps more so by expanding our team. Jenny worked tirelessly bringing on new talented people to join the board, serve on committees or lend their time and expertise. We will never see anyone work as hard as Jenny did to make Holcomb Farm the rare gem that it is.
I am personally devastated. Making a living farming is not easy. Farming during climate change is even harder. But with Jenny believing in me and supporting me, I felt invincible. We’d go through hard times for sure, but with Jenny’s help we could survive anything and continue to thrive.
Everywhere you turn at the farm you see her impact. The mark she left on the farm in her brief time will be seen for decades. The farm will survive this tragic loss only because of how much she got done while here—she was working at a fevered pitch with the looming church move. Jenny had lined up and prepared for so much for the diverse talented team she’d assembled, that when you combine it with the love and respect we universally had for her—the farm will certainly become all that Jenny thought it could be.”
