John O’Brien’s different take on Open Farm Day

The traditional purpose of the Granby Agricultural Commission’s Open Farm Day is to showcase the variety of farms that are found in our town, highlight their products and/or services and perhaps garner some income from sales. While one might be tempted to think that John O’Brien would approach the day with a thought to selling lots of hosta, that is not the case at all.

Granby Land Trust

In its quarterly publication, Connecticut Woodlands, the Connecticut Forest and Park Association recently featured photos of a Granby Land Trust hike led by board member Jen Plourde.

Progress is Possible

Over the last century and more, we humans imported plants that do great harm to the natural balance of plants and animals—and to ourselves. Invasive species, plants and animals, are considered one of the prime causes for species extinction because of their ability to out-compete and displace native species.

Tree Trail Update: The Impressive Northern Catalpa

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.

Making their corner a better place

For years, Rick Orluk and Trish Percival maintained the vegetation on the little island at the intersection of Higley and Silkey Roads. Their vigilance kept it from being paved over, but the plants growing there were planted long before their time and included the invasive Japanese barberry and non-native forsythia.