2022 Granby Open Farm Day Information

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For full Open Farm Day details, visit GranbyAg.org, and follow GranbyAg on Facebook and Instagram.

Some locations are hosting more than one farm. For more details, see below.

Maple View Farm (Located at 1 on map above)

192 Salmon Brook Street, Granby

mapleviewhorsefarm.com

Maple View Farm is a long-standing working farm on 50 acres in the center of Granby. The farm is home to horses, pigs and chickens in addition to the farmers who, for four generations, have farmed the property. The pasture-based operation provides meat, veggies, eggs and other local products to neighbors through its Farm Store. The on-farm brewery offers beer brewed with local and farm grown ingredients. The Farmhouse, booked through Airbnb, offers guests a taste of what it is like to live on a working farm—rooster crow wake up calls and all.

On Open Farm Day, Maple View offers self-guided tours, pony rides from 1 to 3 p.m., farm picnic food, live music, “Ask the Farmer” sessions and a hay bale throwing contest with prizes for all ages.  

Friends of Granby Wildflower Meadow (1)

Stationed at Maple View Farm on Open Farm Day

The Friends of Granby Wildflower Meadow are creating and maintaining a native wildflower meadow to be part of the Connecticut Pollinator Pathway, a welcoming habitat for birds, bees, butterflies and other pollinators, and small animals that live in such meadows. The meadow is located on Salmon Brook Street (Rtes 10/202) across from Maple View Farm just south of the town center. On Open Farm Day, The Friends of Granby Wildflower Meadow will be at Maple View Farm to offer resources for adding natives to your own garden, including a custom seed mix of wildflowers native to our area.

Lyric Hill Farm (2)

134 Hungary Road, Granby

lyrichillfarm.com

Lyric Hill is a small family farm dedicated to sustainable growing practices and educating the public. It uses fresh milk from a herd of Alpine dairy goats and a variety of herbs and wild harvested botanicals grown and collected on the farm to make soaps and other eco-friendly, farm-based products. The farm store is open year-round.

On Open Farm Day, Lyric Hill visitors can meet the goats and watch the milking process, learn how to use and preserve fresh herbs and flowers, observe the soap making process and browse Lyric Hill’s handcrafted products for sale.

Sweet Pea Cheese/House of Hayes (3)

151 East Street, North Granby

Facebook: Sweet Pea Cheese

Sweet Pea Cheese at the House of Hayes is a seventh-generation dairy farm that milks both dairy goats and cows. They process the milk on the farm into pasteurized milk, fresh cheese and yogurt. All of the products are available to buy in the farm store and samples will be available on Open Farm Day. The cows milk themselves with two robotic milking units that were installed in 2017. Stop by to see the cows being milked and taste some fresh goat cheese.

The Granby Land Trust (3)

GranbyLandTrust.org

Stationed at Sweet Pea Cheese on Open Farm Day

Productive agricultural land is a finite and irreplaceable natural resource that helps control flooding, protects wetlands and watersheds, maintains air quality, and helps mitigate climate change. By preserving it, the GLT works to preserve Granby’s heritage, improve quality of life, increase food security, and—perhaps most important of all—ensure that our children will have enough land on which to grow their food in the future. The GLT supports local farms by providing financial support for the purchase of a conservation easement; by protecting farmland in perpetuity through the enforcement of a conservation easement; and by acquiring farmland, which the organization then leases to local farmers at no cost. To learn more or to support the GLT in these efforts, please visit GLT at Sweet Pea Cheese on Open Farm Day or visit the website.

Lost Acres Vineyard (4)

80 Lost Acres Road, North Granby

lostacresvineyard.com

In the 1700s Lost Acres was a political no-man’s land known as “the Wedge.” In the early 1800s, the Wedge’s free-spirited, cider-distilling hill farmers populated the area. At Lost Acres Vineyard, owners Kevin Riggott and Michelle Niedermeyer continue this tradition with grape wine. A former apple orchard, Lost Acres Vineyard reclaimed this land in 2008, and it is now home to five acres of wine grapes, contributing to the agricultural spirit and the natural beauty of Granby.

On Open Farm Day, the vineyard will have free samples of its most popular estate-grown Wedge White wine. Grape pressing demonstrations with an old-style wine press will yield grape juice samples as well. Visitors can take a winemaker’s tour of the cellar to learn about the winemaking process. Food by Avon Prime Meats will feature local farms and be available from 12 to 5 p.m. Visitors can also watch an equestrian vaulting demonstration by Copper Hill Equestrian at 1:30 p.m. 

Sepe Farm (4)

sepefarm.com

Stationed at Lost Acres Vineyard on Open Farm Day

Sheep shearing team—Peter & Carolyn Sepe, Erin Sepe Pirro and Jonathan Pirro—will be at the vineyard to demonstrate fall sheep shearing, wool spinning, and a felting craft for kids. Knitting classes will take place at 10 a.m. and 12 p.m. Pre-registration for knitting classes required.

Lost Acres Orchard (5)

130 Lost Acres Road, North Granby

lostacres.com

Since the ‘70s the Wutka family at Lost Acres Orchard has grown peaches, apples, quince, and pears. In the fall, you can pick your own apples or buy them already picked. They also sell local winter squash, pumpkins and gourds. The orchard’s kitchen stays busy all year-round baking and selling their popular pies and a variety of baked goods, soups, quiches, jams and more. The orchard expands its hours during the fall fruit season giving visitors more time to enjoy lunch and hot apple crisp with ice cream on the front porch or select something to take home.

On Open Farm Day, enjoy complimentary wagon rides through the orchard.  The bakery will be open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. with pastries, pies, jams and more. Farmhouse lunch available 10:30 a.m. –3:30 p.m. Visit LostAcres.com for a full menu.

Wilhelm Farm (6)

329 North Granby Rd.

wilhelmfarm.com

Instagram: @wilhelm_farm

Facebook: Wilhelm Farm

Wilhelm Farm is a family-owned farm and forest. From the road passersby see hayfields, gardens, and farm buildings, but beyond this lies an additional 35 acres of woods. Wilhelm Farm has a conservation easement on it, held by the Granby Land Trust, which preserves the land for agricultural and forestry and restricts future development. The owners, Ann Wilhelm and Bill Bentley, are the third generation of the Wilhelm Family to own and steward these resources.

Ann and Bill manage their land to produce environmental services —wildlife habitat, water and air quality, hydrologic control, and carbon sequestration— while sustainably producing food, timber, and non-timber forest products. They are investing in several agroforestry practices, including silvopasture, forest farming and living snow fence.

On Open Farm Day, visitors can take a self-guided hike through the woods on a one-mile loop trail and can view the various gardens and tree plantings.

Granby Grange #5 (7)

212 North Granby Road (Route 189), Granby

CTstateGrange.org

The Grange is a venerable rural community organization and has been helping farms since 1875. On Open Farm Day, the Grange will offer a beekeeping and honey demonstration as well as Grange building tours, a vegetable stand, mum sale, teacup auction, balloon animals and raffle items throughout the day.

Addison Farm (8)

37 Wells Road, Granby

happyaddison.com

Addison Farm, a hemp farm and CBD Company, is located on Wells Road in Granby. The owners Andrew, Courtney, and their daughter Addison are in their fourth hemp grow season and are excited to share the experience with everyone. Addison Farm Full Spectrum CBD products are made using only their organically grown, pesticide free hemp. These products are available on their website and locally at their CBD Farm Stand on Wells Rd.

On Open Farm Day, Addison Farm’s president, Andrew, will host a discussion at 1 p.m. about CBD, hemp, and investing in yourself. Addison Farm believes that when you make yourself better you are inspiring others to do the same; they want to support you on this journey.  The CBD Farm Stand will have products available all day. Andrew will also be available to answer questions about the farm, hemp, full spectrum CBD products, etc.

O’Brien Nursery (9)

40 Wells Road, Granby

OBrienHosta.com

O’Brien Nursery is known far and wide for its hosta offerings and has grown into a destination for unique shade perennials, in addition to a wide selection of conifers, special Japanese maples, and numerous dwarf Ginkgo selections. On open Farm Day, nurseryman John O’Brien invites the community to discover the pleasure of plants and explore an impressive six acres of display gardens. There will also be hosta-dividing demonstrations at 10:45 a.m. and 1:45 p.m.

Coward Farm (10)

170 North Granby Road, Granby

cowardfarms.com

The Coward Farm is Granby’s newest working farm. Located on the former Maplewood Farmland once owned by Dr. Forrest Davis and protected by a conservation easement acquired with financial support from the Granby Land Trust, the Town of Granby, and the State of Connecticut. John and Teresa Coward obtained the vacant dairy farm on North Granby Road and now grow tobacco and pumpkins. The tobacco grown at Coward Farm is sold to the US Cigar manufacturer General Cigar, which makes cigars around the world. The pumpkins are sold at the Southwick Coward Farm.

On Open Farm Day, folks will get a tour of the farm, learn how tobacco is grown and cut, how a curing shed works and how the tobacco gets used for cigars.

Clark Farms at Bushy Hill Orchard (11)

29 Bushy Hill Road, Granby

Bushyhill.com

Clark Farm at Bushy Hill Orchard is one of three farms run by the Clark family. Bushy Hill is a 75-acre farm/orchard growing apples, blueberries, peaches, plums, pears, nectarines and vegetables. The farm is open seasonally, offering a farm-to-table café, the new Bushy Hill Cidery Pub, ice cream and a full bakery, including the famous apple cider donuts, plus pick your own apples and blueberries. The farm offers a great location for family outings and small events. There are many things to check out at the farm and farm store: sweet and hard apple cider pressed fresh from the farm, a variety of local products, and flowers from their Goodyear Farm location in Suffield.

On Open Farm Day you will have the opportunity to pick-your-own apples from their 17 varieties, take a wagon ride, and sample those famous homemade apple cider donuts!

Holcomb Farm CSA (12)

111 Simsbury Road, West Granby

holcombfarm.org

Holcomb Farm was a gift to Granby from siblings Tudor and Laura Holcomb in 1992 and continues as a town-owned historic property open to the public. Today, the Friends of Holcomb Farm (FOHF) operate Holcomb Farm as a working farm with fields full of fresh, chemical-free produce. The FOHF also maintains miles of hiking trails throughout the 312 acres and is developing a Tree Trail in the fields to the east of Simsbury Road. The Friends of Holcomb Farm are committed to preserving this expansive green space through sustainability in programming and farming, woodlands management and cost-effective stewardship of the farm for the benefit of the Granby community. As part of its nonprofit mission, and with the generous support of donors and granting agencies, the FOHF Fresh Access program provides a portion of its harvest to social service agencies in Hartford and Granby.

On Open Farm Day, experience a cooking demo from celebrity chef Chris Prosperi of Metro Bís and sample freshly cooked veggies. Holcomb Farm alumnus Allie Kraushaar will bring a sampling of terrariums from her plant shop, Moss Life.  The pick-your-own flower patch will also be open, $10 per bouquet.

Angel Horses Inc. (13)

12 Knollwood Lane, West Granby

angelhorses.org

The mission of Angel Horses Inc. is to provide a permanent retirement sanctuary for horses that have been teachers and healers in the therapeutic world. These special horses receive nurturing, companionship and love for the rest of their days. In addition, this past year Angel Horses Inc. partnered with other rescues to save three horses from the slaughter pipeline and provide them a permanent and peaceful home. These efforts are made possible through volunteers and generous donations. Angel Horses Inc. is also a place where humans can come to connect with these sensitive beings

On Open Farm Day, visitors can experience a farm tour and meet the horses, mini donkeys, goats and sheep that call the farm their home, plus experience the soothing effect live harp music has on the animals and a fun demonstration with miniature horses.