The Holcomb Tree Trail volunteers completed the annual fall planting on October 17th, adding seven new trees to the trail, including one of each of the following: Amur Maackia, Yellowwood, Bald Cypress, Hornbeam, Hophornbeam, Eastern Redbud, and Ginkgo. All these trees were planted in Hillside Field, except for the Hophornbeam, which was planted on the eastern edge of Hilltop Field, the CSA’s potato crop field. We also planted three Zelkova ‘Schmidtlow’ cultivars, a gift from the Friends of Holcomb Farm, in the grassy area between the farmhouse and North Barn at the main farm complex, to replace the ailing Birch that was removed earlier this year.
In addition, the Tree Trail added eight new interpretive signs, which provide information on a variety of topics including farm history, invasive plant species, geology, and specific tree species. These signs were purchased with funding from a Pomeroy-Brace grant and a Granby Education Foundation grant. We also added 25 additional tree labels to mature trees bringing the total of labeled trees to more than 100. Many thanks to our volunteers including: Barry Avery, Sue Canavan, Joel Danke, David Desiderato, Jill Ford, Walter Ford, Jack Lareau, Peggy Lareau, Heidi Lindberg, Eric Lukingbeal, Shirley Murtha, Bill Simpson, and Lynette Simpson.