Granby Drummer (https://granbydrummer.com/category/grow/friends-of-holcomb-farm/)
One of the Friends’ strategic goals is to “grow the growing season,” and in New England that means greenhouses aka hoophouses. In February 2019, Mother Nature decided to challenge that goal with 70 mph winds, which took down what was then our beloved Greenhouse #6 (GH6), home to our best chemical-free spinach.
It’s October in Granby, and that means our agricultural roots are in their glory. (See what I did there?)
Our Winter CSA sold out in record time this year. Few farms offer local produce all winter long, making this a highly sought-after product.
Developing and maintaining the views at Holcomb Farm—especially the views from the land east of Simsbury Road, looking back over the Farm toward Broad Hill—is a never-ending task for the Friends, led by our Stewardship committee and many volunteers.
In June, the Friends hosted a special celebration in honor of our Fresh Access program. A family-friendly event at the farm, with Sunday Brunch catered by Clark Farms, drew a sold-out 125+ people to enjoy the iconic setting.
After months and months of hard work in the “off” season, our amazing Farm Crew was excited to open the Farm Store to the public on June 14, and to welcome Summer 2022 CSA members to the farm.
The Holcomb Tree Trail is a small arboretum on the Town-owned, 312-acre Holcomb Farm in West Granby. Volunteers planted its first 16 trees in October 2018. Some of those trees, including a Princeton Elm, are now more than 15 feet tall. Planting has continued, with the total plantings now numbering about 80 trees. One of the design principles has been to plant trees with spring blooms or fall color—or both.
As you talk to your neighbors about their gardens this summer, don’t be surprised if a number of them say they got their start at the Friends’ May Plant sales.
Joe O’Grady joined the Friends of Holcomb Farm as its Farm Manager in 2014. Together with his partner Emma and their two children Juniper and Willow (who both were born right in the old farmhouse, as we suspect were Tudor and Laura Holcomb, more than a century prior), they have quickly emerged as important, active members of the Granby community.