It’s mid-May at this writing, which means the farm is literally buzzing with activity, both the people and the pollinator varieties. In this month’s news: Farm Store opening June 11; Double value for SNAP benefits; CT Trails Day June 1; new trees on the Tree Trail thanks to generous donors; greetings from our new administrator, Cat Kadrle. Hope you can visit. – Jenny Emery
Farming News
To get the season started, four days of plant sales were held on two different weekends in May. All the plants we sell at Holcomb Farm —veggies, herbs, and flowers — are seeded and nurtured in our West Granby greenhouses, in a special organic soil mix. To all who took advantage, best of luck nurturing your adopted plants, and do let us know how they grow. New this year, Granby’s own Andy Griffin of RMS Growers offered his services as a fundraiser for our Fresh Access program, holding two sold-out “make-your-own-mushroom-log clinics,” along with some ready-to-flush logs that were sold in the store. If you weren’t able to participate, watch for the cooler to stock freshly harvested shiitakes once the Farm Store opens on June 11.
Shop at Our Farm Store All Summer Long
That’s right: June 11 marks the opening of the Farm Store and CSA 20-week summer season. As of this writing, we are still accepting a few more members for CSA shares, but that won’t last long. And if you miss out, don’t fret – you still can buy produce, a la carte, in our Farm Store, from June 11 through mid-October. We are open Tuesdays through Saturdays from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.. Come experience the Holcomb Farm difference. And, new this year….
SNAP? Double SNAP!
The Friends of Holcomb Farm are committed to getting nutritious, clean food into the hands of people who need it and have been doing so through Fresh Access. Now we can also fight food insecurity in our Farm Store with our newest programs, which allow us to double SNAP benefits.
Last year the Holcomb Farm Store began accepting SNAP benefits through a special State of Connecticut program to make quality, locally grown food more available to all. Thanks to the generous support of End Hunger Connecticut! — a nonprofit fighting to end hunger and improve nutrition — we are now proud partners in both the Fresh Match and True Match programs.
SNAP dollars used to purchase Holcomb Farm produce or other local producers’ products sold in our store are now worth double. For example, $20 worth of food from the store will only require $10 in SNAP benefits. SNAP, the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program for low- and limited-income households, is vital to many Connecticut residents. These two programs are amazing tools we can now use to help in our mission. Learn more about SNAP, Fresh Match, and True Match at endhungerct.org/services/farmers-markets
Connecticut Trails Day
While we await the official opening of the Farm Store and CSA, the trails are always ready for your visits. June 1 is CT Trails Day, with hikes throughout the state. Join us for a guided hike at Holcomb Farm! It’s family- and leashed dog-friendly, beginning at 10 a.m. Register at trailsday.org/events/holcomb-farm-trails/. Trail maintenance teams have been out throughout the spring, and our new trail maps are almost ready (watch for more information in next month’s Drummer).
New Trees on the Tree Trail – Thank You to Our Funders!
When you visit the Holcomb Tree Trail, you will see lots of new trees, many of which were planted thanks to generous donations. This spring, four generous families funded the purchase of eight new trees. Put and Nannie Brown funded the purchase of two sweetgums, which promise to offer beautiful foliage throughout the summer and fall. These trees are planted near two more sweetgums, creating a grove near the Tree Trail information kiosk. The kiosk is located at the top of the gravel road uphill from Tree Trail entrance at the intersection of Day Street South and Simsbury Road.
Also, on the north side of the gravel road on the way to the kiosk, is a brand new katsura, a native of Japan, courtesy of Al and Helen Wilke. And finally, in the Labyrinth, which is just northeast of the pond, is a grove of five new trees: three golden and two European larches.
Larches are deciduous conifers with evergreen-like needles that drop each winter. This grove is a gift of Lisa Corbett and her husband Rich Pfeiffer, and Pam Kirk and her husband John Violette, given in memory of Maureen Fox. Maureen, originally from England, moved to Granby after WWII and worked for Dr. Milkey in his early veterinary practice on Hungary Road. She managed the Milkey and Davis practice, which later became Salmon Brook Veterinary Hospital. Along the way, Maureen lived near and helped raise the Corbett/Pfeiffer and Kirk/Violette children. “She raised us,” says Kirk. “As young mothers, she meant so much to us and our children. We thought these trees at the Holcomb Farm and in memory of Maureen Fox, could be a long-lasting focal point for our kids, now grown, when they return to visit Granby.”
“Maureen loved animals and nature and made it a lifelong habit to connect with both daily,” adds Corbett. “She shared this valuable lesson with our family and for this we honor her with a gift to Holcomb Farm.”
All the trails at Holcomb Farm, including the Holcomb Tree Trail, are managed by volunteers and donor funded. If you are interested in supporting the further development of the Holcomb Farm Tree Trail, reach out to info@holcombfarm.org
Other Notes
I highly encourage you to check out the many amazing and creative programs Granby Parks and Recreation offers at the Holcomb Farm campus, located at 113 Simsbury Road, as well as the amenities available for rent. Check out granby-ct.gov/211/Parks-Recreation
The Friends of Holcomb Farm Tree Trail arboretum is located at the junction of Day Street South and Simsbury Road, across the street from the Town-run main campus at 113 Simsbury Road. holcombfarm.org/holcomb-tree-trail
The Friends of Holcomb Farm office, including our Farm Store, CSA and Fresh Access program, are housed at 111 Simsbury Road. For those who don’t know, our Fresh Access program grows and sources clean, fresh produce for individuals and families in need in Granby and across Connecticut. Get involved! holcombfarm.org
Our Farm Store is open to the public beginning June 11. We can’t wait!
And lastly, if you have not borne witness to the beauty and awe of the Granby Land Trust properties throughout Granby, you’re missing out. Go to granbylandtrust.org to learn more!
Notes from the Farm Office, aka Cat’s Corner: The Collaborative Nature of Our Community
As the weather warms and the bees buzz in the crabapple trees, I sit in awe of the amazing nature of our community. Nature, as in the nature of the collaborative web of organizations in our town and the physical nature around me.
My young family found peace and serenity in the community of Granby during 2020, moving here after we fell in love with the Holcomb Farm hiking trails in West Granby. Since then, we have been privileged to observe and be a part of the robust collaboration between the Friends of Holcomb Farm, the Town of Granby and the Granby Land Trust. For me – first as a volunteer pulling invasives from trails, then joining the Board of Directors of the Friends, and now as the part-time administrator – it’s been a deep dive into the interconnections of these three ambitious organizations. Many of you already know this part of the story, but for us newbies …
Short version: The Town of Granby owns the 312-acre Holcomb Farm and manages its gorgeous event venue and campus. The volunteer Friends of Holcomb Farm manage the rest of the property on behalf of the Town through a “Lease and Use” agreement. The Granby Land Trust ensures the spectacular, undeveloped portions of Holcomb Farm are kept in their natural state, by monitoring the property and enforcing the terms of a permanent conservation easement that was granted to the GLT by the Town.
Here’s what I have learned: Holcomb Farm is not just a farm. It is history, collaboration, future and home. This land became an authentic New England family farm in 1756 and has remained so, albeit now as a community-owned treasure, through the beneficence of Tudor and Laura Holcomb. The Town of Granby collaborates with the Friends and other organizations to ensure this gift continues to serve the community.
I am so honored to be serving now as the Friends’ Administrator and look forward to engaging with all of you as you connect with Holcomb Farm.
Warmest regards,
Cat Kadrle, Friends of Holcomb Farm Administrator