DISPATCHES FROM THE FARM

Yesterday Tim and I spent a whole day sowing tomato seeds...hundreds and hundreds of the little beauties. So, when all of those bare fruit, we'll have tomatoes from "A... to breakfast" as they say! Tomato season is pretty short here and a little unpredictable, also varying in success quite often from year to year. So, excellent, natural, home grown tomatoes are a highly prized harvest when we get them. We have had good fortune with producing tomatoes so far 'touch wood'! 

    

Now we will be checking on the seeds with great anticipation over the coming weeks for the gleeful arrival of our first tomato plants poking their little stalks through the seed raising mix. It's true we get quite excited about this annual event, more so for some reason than with most of our other seedlings (oh except when the garlic plantings begin to sprout!) and once they start, we race each other into the poly tunnels (greenhouses) to do a daily count of new arrivals. That first showing of a wee seedling's 'neck' through the soil (any seedling), even before leaflets appear still 'floats our boats' every year without fail :). 

Last years early tomato seedlings.

Every year we try to master an early season tomato harvest (like by Christmas) but mostly, the variable temperatures and delayed summer conspire to thwart that ambition. The first sign of fruit is just as thrilling for us as the new seedlings! Our first tomato harvest usually starts in February.

We always grow a variety of tomatoes, including the well known Roma and Grosse Lisse but have a penchant for growing (and eating!) the age old heirloom (open pollinated, non-hybrid) varieties. We grow striped, 'black', 'purple', green, yellow & cherry varieties to name some main ones.  

Fortunately a lot of folk share the love of heirloom tomatoes which makes it fun at farmers' markets during tomato season. It's great to be able to put on an abundant, colourful display and we have loads of lovely conversations with all kinds of people about our tomatoes and their tomatoes, sharing recipes, growing experiences and tips. A lot of people, of all ages have fond family memories of growing and sharing tomatoes. It seems tomatoes are a true love of Aussies from all cultural backgrounds and everyone agrees there's nothing better than a proper tomato with real, rich tomato flavour and texture, unlike the tough, tasteless commercially grown varieties most commonly available in shops these days!