by Shirley Murtha
A Granby native, John Oates’s first re-connection with the Farm happened when he heard about the potential re-purposing of the West Granby United Methodist Church. Since his mother had been on the church’s building committee and the family had attended there for decades, he was able to offer background history of the construction of the building. When Jenny Emery then asked if he’d be interested in serving as a board member, he agreed. “She could be pretty persuasive.”
Although new to the board, Oates is not new to the farming culture. He grew up in North Granby across from Wilhelm Farm. His grandparents and uncle on his mom’s side farmed in Missouri for 100 years, and his dad’s family own farmland in Missouri that now belongs to John and his brothers. While growing up, he spent all or most of nearly every summer on these farms. Granby 4-H also nurtured his interest in the farming community.
Oates’ first few weeks on the board were spent listening and learning how it operates and what has previously transpired. When the repurposing of the church became a reality, he was asked to chair the building committee. In addition to his knowledge of the church structure, his operating of a non-profit has given him experience in grant application and management that easily translates to some aspects of the farm. After many years of being fire chief in a sizable city, Oates is a confident leader of programs and people, particularly in high stress situations — not that he is expecting high stress at the farm!
Even as a child, Oates understood the impact that Laura and Tudor Holcomb had on Granby. This frames his perspective on his contributions today. “The people on the board and within the Friends of Holcomb Farm are pretty special, and joining with them to steward and grow such a valuable asset in our community is a tremendous opportunity that I’ve been given.”