After fire destroys barn this winter, Red Fire Farm preparing to open its farm stand thanks to donations

Paul Voiland and Ryan Voiland, the co-owner of Red Fire Farm in Granby, unload a shed donated by Mass. Farmers Markets to be used as part of the farm stand this season to temporarily replace a barn that burned in February.

Paul Voiland and Ryan Voiland, the co-owner of Red Fire Farm in Granby, unload a shed donated by Mass. Farmers Markets to be used as part of the farm stand this season to temporarily replace a barn that burned in February. STAFF PHOTO/CAROL LOLLIS

Marco Basile, owner of Rent-A-Tent out of East Longmeadow, puts up a tent he donated to Red Fire Farm.

Marco Basile, owner of Rent-A-Tent out of East Longmeadow, puts up a tent he donated to Red Fire Farm. STAFF PHOTO/CAROL LOLLIS

Marco Basile, owner of Rent-A-Tent out of East Longmeadow, puts up a tent he donated to Red Fire Farm to be used as a sheltered part of their farm stand since their barn burned in February.

Marco Basile, owner of Rent-A-Tent out of East Longmeadow, puts up a tent he donated to Red Fire Farm to be used as a sheltered part of their farm stand since their barn burned in February. STAFF PHOTO/CAROL LOLLIS

By Aria Martinelli

For the Gazette

Published: 04-04-2024 6:25 PM

GRANBY — Red Fire Barn promises pick your own berries and fresh produce this spring with a makeshift farm store.

The Red Fire Farm is in recovery after the fire that devastated the farm store and barn on Feb. 17. Orange and gray obliterated the purple flowers and handmade wooden signs of the beloved community fresh and organic produce hub, resulting in the lost of $170,000 worth of material.

However, rebuilding efforts are proving promising. A makeshift farm store is underway and scheduled to open late April. On March 29, the first of the installations arrived. Fellow farmers and local businesses are chipping in to lift the store off the ground. Mass Farmers Markets donated the market sheds and Rent-A-Tent is lending a 20-foot-by-30-foot tent to house the farm store.

Thanks to the speedy outpour of community support and donations, the effort to rebuild for the spring has become possible. The fundraising goal of $200,000 has nearly been reached through the GoFundMe created after the fire hit. As of last Thursday, the fundraiser had reached $130,970.

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Farm co-owner Ryan Voiland reports that, “There is nothing like receiving letters from longtime customers about how much they love the farm and our food and how much they want to see us continue and thrive.”

The shop will once again host organic garden plants, fresh produce, and CSA farm shares.

Volunteer opportunities are listed on Red Fire Farm’s website at redfirefarm.com/ on how to engage and contribute to making the grand opening possible in late April.

Although relics of the 1920s like the barn’s beams of chestnut wood, photos documenting the building of the farm, and a century’s worth of lived history can’t be replaced, community support is making it possible for the local community to continue to enjoy the farm’s favorite recipes like the “Chocolate Beet Cake” and “My Aunt Sarah’s Tomato Pie.”