Holcomb Farm’s Fresh Access program promotes community health and vitality by providing fresh, sustainably grown produce from our farm to our food insecure neighbors in the Greater Hartford area. Holcomb Farm is situated in community that is transitioning from a rural agricultural town to the suburbs of Hartford, CT. This gives us the unique ability to link rural agricultural resources with Hartfo
rd’s urban communities. Holcomb Farm is a 26 acre farm located in Granby, CT. Prior to being incorporated as a non-profit in 199-, it was farmed by 7 generations of Holcombs dating back to 17--. In addition to this agricultural heritage, Holcomb Farm is located 20 miles from the city of Hartford, CT. As a city with a 33.5% poverty rate, a 17% unemployment rate, and where 91% of children are eligible for free/reduced school meals, there is an opportunity to help provide access to fresh, nutritious food. In addition, suburban poverty has increased 64% since 2000 and there are now more suburban poor than urban poor in the United States. The Granby area has experienced this increase, and Fresh Access is also working with more local efforts to address food insecurity. Given the context in which Holcomb Farm exists, we knew we had a unique opportunity to provide quality produce to people in our area who would not be able to access such food otherwise. That’s why we created Fresh Access. The idea is simple: collaborate with community organizations already addressing hunger and poverty to include Holcomb Farm’s produce in their services. Every week we provide 125 pounds of produce to our partner organizations—that’s over 6 tons of fresh produce each growing season. This year we are working with: Hartford Food System, Hispanic Health Council, Granby Senior Center, Granby Food Bank, Waste Not Want Not Community Kitchen, and Gifts of Love (Food Share). Farms are on the forefront of the health care system. This assertion may seem a little odd given what we hear about in the current health care debate. However, the connections between responsible farming, healthy food, preventative health care, and quality of life are critical. Making sure more people have access to nutritious food is crucial to supporting the health and vitality of our communities, and it will have far reaching effects on individuals, families, and communities. Holcomb Farm has a long-standing core commitment to providing fresh, chemical-free produce to our neighbors who could not access such healthful food otherwise through our Fresh Access program. For over 16 years, the Holcomb Farm Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program has grown and distributed 15,000-35,000 pounds of farm fresh produce per year to a variety of social service agencies in the Greater Hartford area. We’ve worked with the Granby Senior Center, the Granby Food Bank, the City of Hartford North End Senior Center, Waste Not Want Not Kitchen and Community Meal, the Hispanic Health Council, Gifts of Love, Family Life Education, the Catholic Worker House, Center City Churches, the Muhammad Islamic Center, and other community-based health, service, and advocacy groups working with segments of our local communities who have limited access to the mainstream food outlets most of us depend on.
