So Many Tomatoes, So Little Time

Each year presents an enormous challenge to decide on which variety of tomatoes we are going to offer in the farm share. From fruits as large as grape fruits to as small as grapes- from reds as deep as ox blood to just the faintest blush of pink...Really, I love them all. This year we narrowed it down to seven varieties, and then at the last minute heard from Jason's Grandmother about a rare variety called the German Johnson that she absolutely adores- one of the only varieties she will grow. I consulted ten of my seed companies- two had seeds- and one of these was already sold out. In February. I was determined, and Johnny's Selected Seeds came through- and now we are offering up eight varieties.

Here's the run down in alphabetical order.

Amish Paste 

Large heirloom for a sauce tomato, Amish Paste's slightly irregular plum-to strawberry shaped fruits average  8 to 12 ounces with excellent flavor. These meaty tomatoes are good in salads and great for processing. A Slow Food USA Ark of Taste variety. 

Cherokee Purple

An unusual heirloom variety with full flavor. Medium-large, flattened globe fruits. Color is dusky pink with dark shoulders. Multilocular interior ranges from purple to brown to green. 

Cor Di Bue

This Ox heart type Italian heirloom has been a favorite in Italy for many years. Beautiful 12 ounce fruit have a delicious sweet taste; similar to the shape of a heart; great for fresh eating or cooking. Hard to find variety.

German Johnson

An heirloom with Excellent flavor. Deep pink tomatoes are earlier, more uniform, and slightly smaller than Brandywine at 8-16 ounces. Fruits have lots of deep, acidic tomato flavor and a rich, creamy texture. There are two strains of this variety; this is the regular-leaved strain, which is earlier and more productive than the potato-leaved strain. 

Italian Heirloom
Outstanding heirloom variety from Italy. Plants are loaded with red fruits weighing in over a pound. One of the most productive varieties we have grown in previous years. Excellent full tomato flavor perfect for slicing and canning. Very easily peeled with little waste.

Roma
An Italian heirloom variety with very heavy 2 to 3 ounce fruits perfect for making sauces, salsas, and pastes.

Rose
An heirloom variety that Rivals the Brandywine (one of Kristin's favorites) for taste. Deep pink and smoother than Brandywine, Rose is every bit as meaty and flavorful. 

Yugoslav
A pink beefsteak variety which weigh up to a pound each. Fruits have near perfect shoulders that almost never crack. A delicious full tomato flavor.

2014 Farmshare Information

This weekend marks the official start to the 2014 growing season. The fields are being readied, the containers being domed for seed starting, and the small plots are being cleared of winter's die offs. We are way ahead of schedule this spring compared to last- mostly due to putting the old Ford tractor back in action after a successful repair last Autumn. We remain committed to organic gardening methods as much as is possible and we are making some method improvements this year to improve yields. Last year was a wet wet season and the weeds were overpowering. This year we are employing a torch method before planting that will kill off most top level soil weed seeds without having to resort to weed killer sprays or days and days of backbreaking labor. In larger fields we will also be using a weed barrier to help prevent weeds from taking over. The dreaded Asian drosophila made it's appearance in the Ohio River Valley and we were not spared. We are thrilled that we had such an intensely cold winter as it knocked back whatever foothold these little devils made last year here in Ohio. The likelihood is that spraying fruits will become a necessity but we will be using a method of monitoring for them first before resorting to sprays. The flies did not become a problem last year till mid to late July. We are witnessing a life changing commitment to organic gardening in this little area of ours. For the first time in decades there will be no GMO mass crops anywhere on the adjoining farms to Twin Creeks Farm. This is a huge win for all of the honey bees in our vicinity. It's a huge win for small farming in these parts!

Our weekly box assortment is more planned this year. It will begin mid May and run through September for 20 weeks. As of now, pick up day will be on early Friday evening. We watched closely last year and the weekend seems to be the time when most meal planning for the coming week takes place. The 20 week Farmshare price is $300. Boxes will contain at least 8 item shares. Following is a breakdown of what will be grown in each season, followed by what you can expect with each item share. An item in italics designates a crop we are growing but may have problems getting a high enough yield based on previous years growing.

Spring

Asparagus (1 dozen)

Beets ( 1/2 dozen)

Green Onions (1/2 dozen)

Cooking Herbs (2 large sprigs)

Horseradish (prepared)

Kale (1/2 pound)

Kohlrabi (1 bulb)

Lettuces (1/2 pound)

Pac Choi (1 head)

Parsnips (3)

Radishes (1/2 dozen)

Spinach ( 1/4 pound)

Turnips (2)

Summer

Beans (1 pound)

Beets (1/2 dozen)

Cabbage (1 head)

Carrots (1/2 dozen)

Cooking Herbs (2 large sprigs)

Cucumbers (2)

Kale (1/2 pound)

Lettuces (1/2 pound)

Onions (3)

Potatoes (2 pounds)

Raspberries (1 pint)

Shallots (1/2 dozen)

Spinach (1/4 pound)

Strawberries (1 quart)

Summer Squashes (2)

Swiss Chard (1/2 pound)

Tomatoes (6)

Turnips (2)

Autumn

Apples (2 pounds)

Beans (1 pound)

Beets (1/2 dozen)

Carrots (1/2 dozen)

Corn (1/2 dozen ears)

Cooking Herbs (2 large sprigs)

Eggplant (1)

Onions (3)

Peppers (4)

Squash (2)

Swiss Chard (1/2 pound)

All Seasons Add Ons as Available- Fresh Baked Bread ( 1 round or oblong loaf), Eggs (1 dozen), Honey (1 pint), and assorted canned items such as jams, pickles, preserved fruits and vegetables, and salsas (by the pint or quart).