Holcomb Hoedown a huge success
On Sept. 7, the day after Granby Open Farm Day, the Friends of Holcomb Farm hosted Holcomb Hoedown—an afternoon of family fun that brought an estimated 600 guests of all ages to Holcomb Farm. This free community event was made possible through generous sponsorships from local organizations and hundreds of volunteer hours. Donations at the door were encouraged in support of our Fresh Access program, which helps make fresh Holcomb Farm produce available to individuals and families experiencing food insecurity both locally and regionally.
The event included something for everyone: a Kid Zone featuring a corn crib, games and crafts, and “art with nature” projects offered by Granby 4-H; a professional puppet show presented by one of our valued Fresh Access partners, the Hispanic Health Council; a team of working oxen plowing a field and another younger team pulling a cart; a parade led by the American Legion Shannon-Shattuck Post 182 color guard; wagon rides; line dancing led by Granby’s own Shelly Stone’s Stompin’ Boots; lawn games including Gaga Ball courtesy of the Farmington Valley YMCA; and new this year, outdoor music with Sarah the Fiddler courtesy of the Granby Education Foundation.
There is simply no way to adequately thank everyone involved—volunteers, partners and attendees—for making this day so memorable. You all know who you are, and we are truly grateful. Please take special note of and support our sponsors, listed in an ad in this issue of the Drummer.
Meanwhile … a bountiful season at the farm
It’s been a banner growing season at Holcomb Farm and we’re thrilled to share the abundance. Our CSA shares have remained bountiful and the Farm Store shelves are packed with fresh produce and local goods.
The Farm Store—open to everyone—remains open through Oct. 25. Despite limited space, we have a nice range of items from other local producers, from Grass Roots ice cream to Julien’s cookies and granola, and lots of quality, humanely-raised meats and local cheeses, too. And new this year, if it’s not already sold out, you can find wild-caught Alaskan sockeye salmon brought to us by Captain Sam Ekwurtzel, a Granby native who has spent 20 seasons fishing sockeye salmon in Bristol Bay, Alaska. Some of the most responsibly- caught salmon around, Sam’s catch is Marine Stewardship Council certified, Marine Conservation Society ‘Best Choice’, certified sustainable by Alaska Responsible Fisheries Management and Marine Stewardship Council, and 100 percent traceable from the moment of harvest to your freezer. We are proud to carry another product that promotes a responsible food system and is produced by a Granby local.
Farm-to-School Connection
The great growing season has also allowed us to give back in new and meaningful ways. We participated in a special farm-to-school initiative organized by Granby native Emma Fetridge and the East Hartford Farm to School Team. Partnering with two other local farms, we hosted an in-school farmer’s market at Mayberry Elementary School. During the event, students had time to meet the farmers and shop at the market, ultimately taking one piece of produce from each farm stand to bring home and share with their families. Students had a wide range of produce to choose from including corn, tomatoes, summer squash, garlic, onions, radishes, pepper and kohlrabi. This successful event aimed to give East Hartford students a fun, new opportunity while connecting them to delicious and nutritious foods, supporting local growers and strengthening community partnerships. Funding for this project was provided by the CT Grown for CT Kids Grant.
Winter CSA Shares!
As further testament to this year’s exceptional growing season, Farmer Joe announced in mid-September that Winter CSA Shares were going on sale. Visit holcombfarm.org to see if there are still shares available – they tend to sell out quickly.
Without dedicated indoor space for operations, offering winter shares is a non-trivial exercise for our farm crew, as it means cleaning, storing and distributing produce outside or in an unheated barn, through the coldest months of the year. Perhaps the promise of this being our last year out in the cold has energized Joe and the crew to take on this challenge. Which brings us to …
A building in our future
As reported in the last Drummer, the Town of Granby and the Friends of Holcomb Farm have revised our long-term Lease and Use Agreement to incorporate the former West Granby United Methodist Church, now owned by the town, for use by the Friends. The project will allow us to move the storage and production operations indoors, greatly expand the farm store, enable us to sell more products from other Granby and regional producers and provide decent workspaces for the crew. It marks a transformational step forward for the farm.
The building committee has selected a construction manager and the architectural and engineering plans for the building’s interior are complete. The current plan, subject to fundraising success, looks like this:
Phase 1: Replace building mechanicals, create the production center, and update the rest of the indoor space for operations by May 31, 2026.
Phase 2: Construct a new entrance and develop the exterior and streetscape to fully reintegrate the property into Holcomb Farm, as a part of the historic West Granby Historic District; and
Phase 3: Develop the kitchen into a commercial kitchen to support value-added food production.
Work is already underway behind the scenes, with major donors and granting organizations, and we plan to launch a public fundraising campaign in several months. We welcome engagement from individuals, organizations and businesses interested in being a part of this transformative opportunity: making this historic property an increasingly valuable community asset at no taxpayer expense.