Granby Drummer (https://granbydrummer.com/category/grow/page/46/)
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, three-quarters of the world’s flowering plants and about 35 percent of the world’s food crops depend on animal pollinators to reproduce. Climate change, habitat loss, intensive farming, and pesticides are all major contributors to losses of both native insect pollinators and commercially managed honeybee colonies in the United States.
Six years ago, the Friends of Holcomb Farm (FOHF) Fresh Access program that provides produce grown at the farm to people in need, set a goal to increase its impact. We focused on serving Granby, first—through the Senior Center, Social Services, and the Waste Not Want Not Community Kitchen.
A colorful, apparently innocuous shrub that can grow over 10 or 15 feet tall, the winged euonymus displays wild fall color ranging from light pink to fire red. In March, before leaves sprout, it’s easily identified by unusual “wings” on side branches.
Having been born in Farmersville, Ohio near Dayton, and having two sets of grandparents who were farmers, Eric Lukingbeal is no stranger to agriculture. Although his first job was not what you’d call romantic (picking big green cutworms off of tobacco leaves), he developed what would become a life-long appreciation for farming.
Well, 2021 is off to an interesting start—instead of going to Florida as I had planned at the beginning of February—I decided to fall down a step and go to the ER. No broken bones, but some messed up tendons and muscles in my leg.
The COVID-19 pandemic has been difficult for so many, and the Friends of Holcomb Farm sends its heartfelt hope for comfort for all with loss. We also know from the snowshoe and ski trails throughout Holcomb Farm that many have found some consolation in their (re)discovery of all that Granby has to offer in open spaces, woodland trails and scenic views.
If you’re sick and tired of the pandemic era and going a little stir-crazy, break through the winter blues by joining your neighbors to take action on invasive plants.
Happy New Year! I am sure you are all getting a little tired of this social distancing and quarantining; I know I am.
Welcome to 2021. Things may seem very quiet at Holcomb Farm this time of year, but in fact the Friends of Holcomb Farm are busy welcoming almost 100 new members through our year-end fundraising appeals and building an army of Tree Trail Stewards to assure that the investments we are making in the fields and forests are accessible to the whole community.
Jack Lareau first encountered Holcomb Farm in the 1970s when he cross-country skied from Case Street through Enders and McLean’s to the Farm. That was back in the days before he knew much about the Farm and its educational programs and farming operation.