A building for our future
The Friends of Holcomb Farm (FOHF) has announced that Prescott Construction Management of Simsbury will lead the renovation of the former West Granby United Methodist Church building—creating our new Holcomb Farm CSA and Farm Store, a refreshed space that will support our farmers and serve our neighbors.
We’re especially excited to have Prescott Construction owners Kevin Lazich and Kevin West guiding the project, in collaboration with architect Dana Warren of DKW Architecture. Warren, a Granby native, brings both expertise and a deep appreciation for the community this project will support.
On Dec. 6, volunteers from our board of directors, staff and friends came together to remove the remaining furnishings (all items not taken for use by other churches and nonprofit organizations), preparing the building for its next steps. It was hard work, and we are deeply grateful to all of our volunteers for their willingness to roll up their sleeves and do whatever it takes to make this project happen.
We will begin renovations very soon and open the store for the 2026 summer season!
Celebrating Fresh Access apple harvest volunteers
By Cat Kadrle
In December, the Friends of Holcomb Farm’s Fresh Access Committee hosted an appreciation breakfast to celebrate the volunteer apple-picking team of the 2025 season.
We consistently hear from community partners how much families value and appreciate receiving fresh fruit through our Fresh Access program. While Holcomb Farm does not produce fruit in the quantity needed to supply all 10 partner organizations across the region, we have partnered with others to make the program possible. For the past several years, the Thrall and Maletz families have graciously allowed volunteers to harvest apples from their trees, and we are deeply grateful for their generosity.
In 2025, our volunteers harvested approximately 4,500 pounds of apples for Fresh Access partners. On Dec. 18, 18 apple-picking volunteers gathered at the Granby Senior Center with Fresh Access chairperson Laura Midura to enjoy a delightful spread of quiches and pastries from Lost Acres Orchard—a small way for us to say “thank you” for their hard work and dedication.
We are grateful to all who contributed time, resources and support to make this effort such a success. The Friends of Holcomb Farm’s Fresh Access team is excited to see what 2026 will bring.
How the Holcomb Tree Trail started
By Barry Avery
One morning in early 2016, I was sitting in my kitchen and the phone rang. It was my longtime friend Eric Lukingbeal asking to come over to discuss a project. Eric is on the Friends of Holcomb Farm Board, and he had recently finished the classroom portion of the UConn Master Gardener class. He had a big idea: he wanted to build an arboretum in the east fields at Holcomb Farm. The idea sounded good to me. Eric then asked Peggy Lareau, a certified Connecticut Master Wildlife Conservationist and another longtime Friend of Holcomb Farm, to join us. She was very interested and before long we were off and running, putting together a plan.
There were many advantages to starting an arboretum in the east fields at Holcomb Farm. The fields are very rocky for farming. The view from The Knoll, an open space near the top of the hill, has one of the most scenic views in the state. And the existing trails on the east side of the farm connect to the McLean Game Refuge trails.
We realized right away there were several things we had to do. We needed to gather information about running an arboretum and we need permission from the Friends of Holcomb Farm and the Town to do it. I was excited because I could put my Biology/Ecology degree to good use. We built a plan.
Our first visit was with the late Gordon DeWolf who had just retired from his long tenure as the director of the Arnold Arboretum in Boston. He told us we were crazy and would need lots and lots of money but said we should do it. Next, we spoke with Professor John Alexopoulos at UConn. He sent students from his landscape design class to visit the site. They presented us with a very positive, detailed report on the feasibility of our plan. The three of us proceeded to visit other arboreta from Golden Gate Park to Martha’s Vineyard to get more ideas.
We made a presentation to the Granby Board of Selectmen, citing benefits to the town and the future possibilities for the project. The board voted to allow us to proceed with our plan but made it very clear the town would not help to fund it. We presented our plan to the Board of Directors of the Friends of Holcomb Farm. They approved the plan and the arboretum became part of the Friends of Holcomb Farm’s stewardship effort.
The first job was to begin to clean up the wild growth that had taken over the fields during years of neglect and put together a plan for planting. In autumn 2018 we planted the first 16 trees, purchased from Rare Earth Nursery in upstate New York, and we were off and running. Meanwhile the cleanup effort continued with a group of regular volunteers and most of them are still working with us.
I am convinced Eric Lukingbeal’s good idea was a great idea. To date, we have planted more than 130 trees and dozens of native shrubs. We have received recognition for our work, including a Civic Improvement Commendation from the Garden Club of America award and Level I ArbNet accreditation. Many Granby residents have donated trees to the effort.
Look for updates on the work at the Holcomb Tree Trail in future issues of the Drummer.