Tomatoes.  The very word evokes thoughts of summer harvest on the farm.  In the past few weeks we have been able to offer large quantities of our first planting mainly consisting of the "Early Girl" variety.  As we enter the dog days of summer we are beginning to harvest the spectacular heirloom varieties from our second planting.  Heirlooms are unique in that although they are highly perishable they offer flavor that you will not find in grocery store tomatoes.  The following is a primer on some of the varieties you will see in your share in the upcoming weeks, as well as at this Saturday's Tomato Tasting if you'll be joining us;

Brandywine- The granddaddy of heirlooms.  This large purple tomato offers the most flavor and versatility of the tomatoes we grow at Rushton Farm.  First grown in this area in the late 1800's they are the pride of Chester County.

Striped German- Easily the most colorful of the heirlooms they are a deep yellow with a red blush offering both size and flavor.

Eva Purple Ball- A medium sized purple slicing tomato.  Compact and delicious they are productive and a staff favorite.

Opalka- A large Polish plum tomato and my personal favorite.  Unlike most plum tomatoes these are great sliced for a salad as well as being a great sauce tomato.

San Marzano- The best sauce tomato.  This small plum tomato first developed in Italy has been the standard for Italian sauces for generations.

Rutgers- The original "Jersey" tomato.  First developed by the Campbell Soup Company in the 50's in cooperation with Rutgers University it quickly became the popular choice for New Jersey tomato growers.

Jubilee- Although not an heirloom variety this tomato is a brilliant golden color and less acidity than standard red varieties.

Celebrity- A hybrid tomato this variety is the one most commonly found at local farm markets.

The staff at Rushton Farm hopes you enjoy the different varieties and welcomes any comments on personal favorites.  Heirlooms are perishable so they should be handled carefully and kept in a cool area but never refrigerate them.  Temperatures below 55 degrees cause a chemical reaction that permanently alters the flavor of a tomato.

-Fred

One of the joys of growing plants is observing how they respond to the different conditions the weather throws at them.  Growing is an insoluble puzzle; the variables are constantly changing. The calm, warm spring turned into a hot stormy summer; the heat stress that slowed many crops was assuaged by the rain last week.  It looks like a good tomato year. The first of our second planting is now turning red. Our initial tomato succession is comprised of quickly maturing varieties; our mid-season succession is comprised of our favorites. Look for Brandywines, Striped Germans, and other heirloom varieties in the shed in the coming weeks.

This week, the farm staff will be focused on getting the farm ready for the fall. We'll be turning the last spring crops under and uncovering the winter squash. We'll try our hands at germinating carrots and beets in ninety degree heat, and continue to harvest off the boisterous first succession of beans.

The Spring is a wonderful beginning, and Autumn is a logical end. In between is the sweet sleep of summer. The cantaloupes are large on the vine. The eggplant are blossoming. The okra are ripe. Thank you for joining us this year. It's only going to get better.

-Fred