Granby Drummer (https://granbydrummer.com/author/shirley-murtha/page/15/)
When the pandemic hit, Michelle Niedermeyer knew she couldn’t host the annual seasonal farmers’ markets at Lost Acres Vineyard, so she and the Granby Agricultural Commission came up with a plan that makes it possible for residents of Granby, East Granby, East Hartland and Simsbury to obtain vegetables, cheese, wine and specialty meats without leaving their homes: the Virtual Farmers’ Market.
Long idle since Dr. Forrest Davis’s death, the large farm on the corner of Rte. 189 and Wells Road is now in capable hands that will keep the farming tradition going, although not with cattle.
While 2020 has not been a very good year for most people, Gary Cirullo at The Garlic Farm is thankful for the record harvest of his title crop. About three- and one-half acres planted last fall survived the winter, leading to a harvest of about 15,000 pounds.
Summer started a lot earlier for Georgia McDougall than she had anticipated—in March, as a matter of fact. Sent home from her freshman year at the University of Vermont thanks to COVID-19, she was able to start working at Holcomb Farm while finishing her courses online.
It was masked and socially distant, but the annual meeting of the Friends of Holcomb Farm was held on Aug. 16 in a spot with a beautiful view on the Tree Trail across the road from the main campus of the farm.
When she was 13 years old, Sarah Lagan was recruited by her brother Caleb to help out with an exceedingly abundant tomato harvest at Holcomb Farm.
Emma Hoyt, the partner of Holcomb Farm’s Farmer Joe O’Grady, has always had a fondness for chickens. She brought two of her own to Granby when the couple moved into the farmhouse on Simsbury Road.
West Granby resident Jillian Juarez is the Connecticut State Coordinator for a group of volunteers who provide delivery service for at-risk individuals.
When she was asked to take some photos for a magazine article about the Salmon Brook Historical Society, Shirley Murtha knew the best time to do that is on a Thursday morning when many volunteers are present and busy working at their various specialties.
Members of the Granby Artists Association enjoyed the Open House on Nov. 22, hosted by Eric Mainardi, co-owner of One Park Place, next to Grass Roots Ice Cream. The event kicked off the holiday season for all of the building’s tenants.