Free Republic

Think of all the jars you could fill, the next time you walk past a lawn, if that was a food garden.

I choose Mulberry trees, for shade and the berries on them, as they can be used for anything a berry is used for and live for years.

At least plant flowers the bees will come to.

Or that is how I feel about the game.

Copyright 2009 by Dollmaker’s Journey

Dollmaker’s Journey Customer Connection newsletter is a free e-mail
newsletter. Tell your friends, family and fellow dollmakers about us,
and feel free to forward this newsletter to those who might be
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**Notice!**
You can view this issue online. Go to
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The archives include an easy to follow index to all the past issues.

snipped......

[If you visit the links in this newsletter, always dig around and find the free pattern, there is one on most doll sites....

And they have 2 sales going on their site for supplies and books......

granny]

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EXPENSIVE WRAPPING PAPER FOR PENNIES

When Mary Ann and I went to our Doll Bee Christmas Party last week, we
received lovely gifts from Julie Booth wrapped in gold tissue paper.
The paper looked expensive because Julie had crumpled it and then
smoothed it out, creating an antique looking paper. She tied the gift
with tan paper twist cord that she had opened (it opens about 1” wide)
and flattened. If you can’t find metallic gold tissue paper, use gold
ink to stamp a design on regular tissue paper and then crumple it.

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STAND-ALONE DOLLS – A WEIGHTING MATTER
By Bonnie B. Lewis

At our last Doll Bee the question was raised on how to create stand-
alone dolls using weights in the feet. Mary Ann attended a class with
Colleen Babcock who used shot pellets (e.g. stainless steel BBs) stuck
to duck tape which was wrapped around a wire armature foot. The foot
was then wrapped with batting, skinned, and a doll was created.
Caution: don’t use lead shot, which can cause lead poisoning and
health problems in small children.

For a larger doll, use sturdy shoes from the baby department, and fill
the bottom of the shoe or base with something heavy. If the doll is
for display only, you can even fill the shoes with plaster of Paris.
Following are some things I have used successfully.

I have weighted dolls with pennies, washers, drapery and fishing
tackle weights. To use these I usually tape or sew the items to the
inside of a shoe sole or inside the bottom of a stump doll base.

To make a porcelain doll feel real and weigh 5 pounds (like a newborn
life-size doll) I filled the cloth body with plastic pellets available
at most fabric and craft stores. However, these pellets, although
marvelous for positioning the doll in different poses, are not as
heavy as the other things mentioned. For a smaller doll I filled it
with sandbox sand from the hardware store. This sand is preferable
because it has been sterilized and doesn’t contain unpleasant
surprises.

If you wish to use sand, pea gravel (small smooth rocks used in
landscaping), or aquarium gravel, it helps to place the small loose
items in a Ziploc plastic bag or sew a fabric bean bag, fill it, sew
it closed, and place it inside the doll.

Once upon a time people used wheat, rice, and dried beans inside dolls
for weight. We don’t recommend this. If the doll gets wet or it is in
a humid climate, the grains can sprout, rot or mildew. Also, rodents
are a problem when food is used. I noticed a doll I bought in Turkey
used candy sprinkles for fake grain in pots. Today the candy is all
gone, eaten by tiny bugs.

Another recommendation is to use fine glass beads usually found in
auto stores. These are used for sandblasting and come in different
sizes (grits). They are cheap, heavy, and smooth. Put them in a bean
bag before placing them inside the doll.

Last but not least, use rocks. I was making Nambi, a Ugandan jungle
elf sitting on a mushroom knitting fairy wings from moonbeams,
dewdrops, and spider silk. She needed something heavy inside her
bottom so she could balance on top of a large mushroom. Her body was
made from a paper Mache dress form, although her arms, legs, and head
were fabric. I filled her body with rocks from my patio, poured
Paverpol on top, and let it set. The Paverpol glued the rocks to the
body so they wouldn’t rattle when the doll was moved and created a
satisfactory solution.

We would love to hear about creative solutions you have used. Please
email your suggestions to Bonnie at EnchantedR@aol.com and we will
mention them in a future newsletter.

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CHALLENGES/COMPETITIONS

ALL DOLLED UP: Beaded Art Doll Competition
ON-LINE Voting Has Begun:
Voting for our 6 semi-finalists ends 1/15/10
http://www.landofodds.com/store/alldolledup2009contest.htm

See the new Hoffman Challenge fabric for 2010 here:
http://www.equilter.com/cgi-bin/webc.cgi/st_main.html?catid=277

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JUST FOR FUN – KISSING COOKIES

When Bonnie was a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-
day Saints in New England in 1967 she met a delightful woman who baked
special cookies for her local grocery stores and farm markets. Her
name was Mrs. Kelly from Danvers, Massachusetts, and she shared some
of her secret recipes. Here is one of Bonnie’s favorites. The secret
is that a Hershey kiss is buried inside the dough, creating a tasty
surprise. They are called kissing cookies.

Kissing Cookies

5-3/4 oz. package chocolate candy kisses
(Doubled recipe needs 84 kisses – 14 oz. bag = 84 kisses)
1 cup margarine
1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar (powdered sugar)
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
1 cup chopped walnuts

In large bowl soften margarine at medium speed with mixer. Mix in
sugar. Add vanilla. Beat until fluffy. Fold in nuts and flour and
mix well. Divide dough into 40 parts. Place dough around cookies,
covering kisses with dough. Place on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake
for 10-15 minutes (until light brown) in 375° F. oven. Roll in
confectioner’s sugar. Cool on wire rack, then roll in confectioner’s
sugar again.

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COOKING TIPS FROM BONNIE

As I was making cookies this year for the holidays, my daughter-in-law
told me I needed to pass along these two cooking tips that I learned
long ago.

1. When rolling out dough or doing something else that will really
mess up your counters, lightly wet down the counter with a clean
sponge. Then put a large piece of freezer paper (paper side down) on
the water. The paper will stick to the moist surface, and the waxed
surface enables you to roll out bread, cookie dough or rolls easily.
Just oil or flour surface first. When finished, throw away paper and
you have a clean counter.

2. When you make cookies, cool them on a doubled sheet of newspaper
instead of cooling racks. The paper absorbs excess oils on the bottom
of the cookie, which prevents rancidity and helps the cookies last
longer. I used to worry about newsprint, but then I saw a TV show
where they wrap new babies in newsprint in an emergency situation.
They said that newspaper (inside sheets) were more sterile than most
other items you could grab. I do try and let the black print be on
top, rather than a lot of colored pictures. I don’t know why, it just
seems safer.

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UPCOMING EVENTS YOU WON’T WANT TO MISS

July 17 – 21, 2010 – 23rd Annual National Doll Festival
Sheraton Chicago Hotel and Towers, Chicago, Illinois

To save yourself time and energy, get all the details on upcoming doll
related events at
CLOTH DOLL CONNECTION: http://clothdollconnection.com/

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SPECIAL GIFTS FOR YOU

Free Victorian Lady Ornament tutorial and pattern from Stephanie
Novatski
http://www.novasblossoms.com
(Hint: print pattern portrait format and pictures in landscape format)
See more of Stephanie’s amazing patterns at http://dollmakersjourney.com/novatski.html

Ree from Tipsy Teacup Creations posted directions on her website
showing how to create thick yarn ringlet curls on the sewing machine
using a hairpin lace loom (available at http://dollmakersjourney.com/supplies.html)
See her pictorial at http://reepeas.blogspot.com/

New Fun Cloth Santa Pattern! (Download or Printed) by Judi Ward
http://dollnetmarket.com/product.php?productid=218

In Guatemala kids tell their worries to Worry Dolls and tuck them
under their pillows. Make some with your children out of clothespins,
scraps and yarn.
http://familyfun.go.com/crafts/crafts-by-type/dolls-toys/doll-crafts/worry-dolls-665252/

And from Crafty College – some oldies but goodies

Web of Angels - Free Angel Crafts
http://craftycollege.com/webofangels/

Free Holiday Crafts - Crafty Visions Newsletter
http://wwvisions.com/christmas_crafts/

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NEW PATTERNS/BOOKS/CD-ROMs/DVDs/MOLDS

Wait until you see the magnificent legs on “Stiletto” – BUNNY GOODE’S
newest pattern! This doll really rocks! http://dollmakersjourney.com/goode.html

We finally have KAT LEE’S “Flamingo Santa” – and just like all of
KAT’S patterns her extremely detailed instructions are just like
taking an expensive course. You are going to love her whimsical
detail. http://dollmakersjourney.com/lees.html

This month we’re welcoming two wonderful new designers to our
Dollmakers Journey family. If you are looking for sophisticated doll
body construction then you are going to love any one of the four
fantastic fairy patterns from the United Kingdom’s CASSIE RAFFERTY.
With innovative techniques and superb pattern presentation CASSIE’S
designs are sure to enhance your doll making skills. Click here to
meet “Flame”, “Lillum”, “Silene” and “Viola”. http://dollmakersjourney.com/rafferty.html

“Icarus” is the premier pattern from Australia’s SHIRLEY GIDDY and we
think it’s a winner! Shirley has packed this pattern with detailed
instruction and outstanding illustrations that will guide you through
the creation of this gentle elf. We can’t wait to see what SHIRLEY
has on the drawing board for her next pattern! http://dollmakersjourney.com/giddy.html

Well there’s no doubt about it, CYNTHIA SIEVING is definitely on a
creative roll! Her newest offering is ‘Well Wishers”. Have you ever
wanted to make a doll for someone just because? CYNDY has imagined
the perfect character to embody your good wishes. Take a look and see
what we mean. http://dollmakersjourney.com/sieving.html

Can you believe it - JILL MAAS has released yet another new pattern!
“City Girls” step out of the pages of JILL’S 2009 Calendar. They are
colorful, quick and easy a winning combination for sure.
http://dollmakersjourney.com/maas.html

We’ve been oohing and aahing over SUZETTE RUGOLO’S beautiful and
elegant “Boudoir Doll” an enchanting addition to any boudoir. Simple
fabric variations will give you a wide array of looks that
would suit any bedchamber. http://dollmakersjourney.com/rugolo.html

We thought that after you’ve finished needle felting your doll’s hair
your might like to learn about other exciting ways to use your felting
needles. “FAST, FUN & EASY NEEDLE FELTING” by Lynne Farris will guide
you through the exploration of 8 different techniques that are sure to
get your creative juices flowing. http://dollmakersjourney.com/books.html

We just fell in love with “WILD AND WONDERFUL FLEECE ANIMALS” by Linda
Carr. Each of the 20 projects is shown in color photos with
variations and the book has a special pocket with full size pattern
pieces and templates. You won’t be able to stop at one! (Bonnie’s
granddaughter, age 11, fell in love with the book and made the duck
for her baby sister. We even bought polar fleece in lots of colors to
make all the animals for next year!)
http://dollmakersjourney.com/books.html

We have three new holiday patterns for your enjoyment. “Frosty
Fifties” and “Follow the Star” are two wonderful snowman variations by
MAUREEN MILLS. http://dollmakersjourney.com/mills.html
“Goe the Reindeer” from ELAINE LEGROS is our very first reindeer
pattern and he would be a terrific addition to any holiday décor.
http://dollmakersjourney.com/legros.html

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STUFFING TIP

Judi Ward writes: I just went to Home Depot for light bulbs and found
my annual “ stuffing treasure”. I often find great stuffing during the
Christmas season. It is always marketed as table snow etc.
This time it is called “Home Accents Snow Cover.” It was $3.98 for
a pound and it is excellent stuffing! It streams and stuffs smoothly.
I tried in an arm to be sure....It is flame retardant and made in the
USA! It has no maker on it. Just says Distributed by Home Depot
U.S.A. Inc. 2455 Paces Ferry Rd, N.W.
Atlanta Ga. 30339 If you need stuffing this is a great one!

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SUPPLIES

We’ve been waiting for Alex Anderson’s “4-in-1 Essential Sewing Tool”
for quite some time and they have finally arrived! You are just going
to love this versatile, handmade tool that will not roll off your
sewing table. Click here to check it out – another fabulous gift
idea! http://dollmakersjourney.com/supplies.html

The fabrics we have been waiting for are finally starting to arrive.
We now have the Chamois Craft Velour, Nude Lycra and African Dark
Ethnic Fabric back in stock and we have a huge supply of the Doll Face
Pink Craft Velour. http://dollmakersjourney.com/fabrics.html

We’ve added two new shades of Craft Fur a yummy Pale Pink and a
bright Orange for your more colorful characters. http://dollmakersjourney.com/hair.html#fur

We now have rolls of 1/4” wide STITCH WITCHERY that will making fusing
hems a breeze as well as adding embellishments and much more. The 3”
doll glasses are also back in stock. http://dollmakersjourney.com/supplies.html

Check out our “Giant Ironing & Craft Sheet” – a 12’ x 18” Teflon
coated sheet for fusing Angelina Fiber and much, much more and the
perfect gift for any artist/crafter. Read all about it here –
http://dollmakersjourney.com/supplies.html

“Freezer Paper Sheets” back in stock. http://dollmakersjourney.com/supplies.html

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TREETOP ANGEL by Meo Feroy

I just wanted to take a moment to share with you a method of
constructing an unusual angel for your tree top. I used my
Bottomtree Biddy pattern for the head and arms/hands. Instead of
attaching them to the stump as described in the pattern I cut off the
bottom of a plastic soda bottle (twenty oz. size) and used that as the
base. If you make her dress long and flowing maybe even with an over
drape of gauze or lace and attach wings you have a totally unique tree
top angel. With the bottom cut out of the plastic bottle it slips
very nicely on to the top of your tree. An added plus...if you use
those little bright lights on your tree you can insert some of the
lights under the plastic bottle and they shine through the clear
plastic and illuminate your angel.
You can see this and more of her patterns at: http://dollmakersjourney.com/stuffedmagic.html

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NEWS FROM THE HOME FRONT

Bonnie wrote this newsletter while waiting for the snowstorm of the
decade (we are supposed to get 1-2 feet of snow tonight and tomorrow.)
She finished three dolls for her granddaughters and only has four more
to go. The three dolls are Thumbelina, Little Red Riding Hood, and a
Punk Rocker, all made from the same pattern with very different hair,
faces, and costumes. The original doll was the Carry-Me Doll by Cindy
Bigelow from Cloth Doll Magazine 4-2. She also crocheted peppermint
hats, scarves, sweaters and blankets for some Webkinz stuffed animals
using free patterns on the internet. Last week her husband slipped in
the bathroom and broke his left leg in two places. He now has a hard
cast, a walker, wheel chair, and needs lots of help, since he isn’t
allowed to put any weight on his foot for 8 weeks. This will be a very
different Christmas.

Mary Ann

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WEBSITES:

Lisa Lichtenfels created a wonderful permanent exhibit in the Erie Art
Museum in Erie, Pennsylvania. The exhibit is called The Avalon Diner.
It includes a small room with a counter and several booths (also made
by her) filled with lifesize dolls. I had a class from Lisa, and she
uses layers of nylon stockings over armatures and batting to create
most of her characters with incredible needle sculpted faces. Lisa is
a NIADA artist (National Institute of American Doll Artists). If you
ever get a chance to attend a NIADA convention and hear her speak, do
it.
http://www.erieartmuseum.org/exhibits/permanent/avalon/index.html

Lisa is also featured in a DVD/video called “The Art of the
Dollmaker”. Dru Esslinger was the inspiration for it. It features more
than 40 dollmakers. You can read more about it and order it here:
http://www.drusilla.com/TheDoll.htm

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We’d love to hear your thoughts about our Customer Connection
newsletter.

Contact the editor Bonnie B. Lewis at EnchantedR@aol.com with any
comments, suggestions, etc.
Please feel free to pass this newsletter on to any of your friends.
Help us spread the word about Dollmaker’s Journey! All we ask is that
you forward it intact, with all the subscription information included.
Thanks!

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You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google
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Sounds like you do have a dream car, wish you could develop it yourself.

I too think there are many good ideas out there, if someone would develop them for us.

Some of the plans that I saw on test cars in 1947-48, are just now coming out.

The garage where my dad worked had them on display, one would change its own tire.

LOL, I forgot the others, for in those days, I got to help pump up the tires with a hand pump, we still had inner tubes that needed a patch all the time.

http://www.hobbyfarms.com/crops-and-gardening/heirloom-tomatoes-growing-selling.aspx

Growing and Selling Heirloom Tomatoes
A veteran market gardener tells how to grow heirloom tomatoes and sell your heirloom tomatoes at market and to local chefs.

By Michael Brown

About the Author
Michael Brown lives and works in central New Jersey. During the summer months he runs Pitspone Farm, which supplies fresh, organic produce to area restaurants.
One of the best pieces of advice I ever received as a market gardener was to find a good niche and exploit it every way possible.

My particular niche has been growing out-of-the-ordinary vegetables that most large farms don’t bother with. Within this niche, one of my most successful crops has been heirloom tomatoes.

Colorful Heirloom Tomatoes
©Sharon Fibelkorn

Heirloom Defined
The term “heirloom” generally refers to plant varieties passed down by families from year to year, thereby preserving particular characteristics. Heirloom tomatoes are the antithesis of today’s supermarket tomatoes.

Each variety is truly unique, exhibiting a special taste, color, texture or shape. They are ideally suited to being grown by the small farmer living close to their end market. Many varieties do not travel well because of their thin skins and have a shorter shelf life than conventional tomatoes.

In this article ...
Advantages and Disadvantages
Varieties to Plant
Customers
Pricing Your Produce
Seed-starting Tips
Timing is Important
Resources

Lately, the term “heirloom” has taken on other meanings.

In addition to the old-time varieties, a growing number of new varieties are being developed by plant breeders.

These new varieties are aimed at the home and market grower, and they too are included in the inclusive term “heirloom.”

Tony Vinci, head of tomato research at Johnny’s Selected Seeds, has his own favorite definition of the term.

Some Popular Tomatoes
Everyone
Current Tomatoes
© David Liebman
has their favorite tomatoes, so this list may not include some of your own personal choices. I am basing this on my own experiences and those of my customers.

Black Prince
The variety is grown commercially in Russia and is apparently quite popular there. The fruit is a very pleasant, reddish-brown color; the size and shape is similar to a rounded egg. Good yields and fairly early. Indeterminate.

Brandywine
An Amish heirloom from the late 1800s. Usually found in the short list of best-
tasting tomatoes. A potato-leaf variety with large fruits ripening late in the season. There are many strains of Brandywine being sold, as well as different colors. Compare the information on the different types to make sure you know what you’re getting. Indeterminate.

Cherokee Purple
Considered by many to be one of the better-tasting tomatoes. The medium-sized fruit is purple-brown in color. The fruit frequently shows green shoulders. Indeterminate.

Green Zebra
The outstanding visual appeal of this tomato is a big selling point. The dark and light green striped fruit develops a yellow blush when it is ripe. The fairly early fruit is about the same size as the Black Prince. Indeterminate.

Stupice
Very early potato-leaf variety with good tolerance to cold, good flavor and high yields. The fruit is small—only 1 to 2 ounces. I found that because the fruit is a “regular red” color, the small fruits are less in demand later in the season when they are competing with equally tasty, larger-fruited varieties. Indeterminate.

“Ours is pretty simple,” he explains. “We consider a variety an heirloom if it owes its present existence to the seed saving of amateurs. At some point, the variety must have fallen out of the seed trade or it had never been in the trade and was kept alive by seed savers.”

Whether they have been developed only recently or been around for generations, all heirloom tomatoes share one characteristic: They are open pollinated.

The seeds of open-pollinated plants, as opposed to hybrids, can be saved—the resulting plants will share the same characteristics as the parent plants. The vast majority of tomato varieties available to consumers and the bulk of commercially grown tomatoes are hybrids.

TOP

Advantages and Disadvantages of Heirlooms
Despite the advantages, heirloom tomatoes may not be suitable for every grower. Before jumping headlong into growing heirlooms, it’s important to understand the pros and cons of this specialty crop.

Pros
The main benefit of heirloom tomatoes is taste. Heirlooms are eating tomatoes, pure and simple.

Each one is different. Some are meatier, some have fewer seeds and some taste a bit salty or spicy.

Bruce Lefebvre, chef at the well known The Frog and the Peach Restaurant in New Brunswick, N.J., can’t get enough heirlooms. “The variety of colors, textures and flavors is amazing,” he says. “I just wish the season was longer.” His feeling is representative of most chefs who understand that taste sells.

©Karen Keb Acevedo

Over the years, breeders of many of the hybrid tomatoes have put taste on the back burner as they emphasized uniformity, durability and extended shelf life. The result is that many hybrid tomatoes are bland and simply don’t deliver the full palette of taste that heirloom varieties do.

Another benefit of heirloom tomatoes is their color. These tomatoes seem to cover the whole spectrum of the rainbow, including stripes and blushes.

This allows the customer to differentiate heirlooms from conventional, red tomatoes and gives value-added “eye appeal.” There are colored hybrid tomatoes, but not nearly as many as the heirlooms.

In addition to superior taste and color, add a vast range of sizes and shapes, and you have a truly unique product to offer customers.

Of course, it’s not all rosy when you grow heirlooms. There are some disadvantages to keep in mind before making your decision to convert.

Con
In many cases, heirloom tomato plants are less vigorous than their hybrid competitors—they usually produce less fruit and are more susceptible to diseases such as blossom-end rot, septoria leaf blight and early blight.

Resources
If you want to experience the vast range of heirloom tomatoes, your best bet is to start your own seeds.

Several of the best sources of seed have online catalogs in addition to their print versions. Many of the sites also have valuable descriptions and other planting information.

Totally Tomatoes
www.totallytomato.com
(800) 345-5977
Very large selection of heirloom tomatoes as well as peppers and some other
vegetables.

Johnny’s Selected Seeds
www.johnnyseeds.com
(877) JOHNNYS
They don’t have a very extensive selection of heirlooms, but they do have many of the most popular varieties, as well as a large selection of other types of seeds.

Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds
www.rareseeds.com
(417) 924-8917
Extensive listing of heirloom tomatoes as well as many other unusual and heirloom varieties of vegetables, herbs and flowers.

Sand Hill Preservation Center
www.sandhillpreservation.com
(563) 246-2299
Extensive listing of heirloom tomatoes as well as many other unusual and heirloom varieties of vegetables, herbs and flowers.

Marianna’s Seeds
mariseeds.com
(615) 446-9191
Extensive listing of heirloom tomatoes, peppers and eggplant.

Internet

Gardenweb
www.gardenweb.com
The forums on this site are very helpful and some, particularly the tomato grower’s forum, are quite active. You can search their archives, post questions and learn from the vast community of gardeners and market gardeners.

New Farm
www.newfarm.org
This site has a wealth of information for new and experienced growers, including price information, lots of articles and forums. You can become a member for free, post questions and search archives.
Their thin skins do not hold up very well to travel or storage, and they are not always uniformly shaped or sized. Potential customers may shun unusual varieties that don’t fit their idea of what a tomato should look like.

TOP

Varieties to Plant
Though there are a few universally favorite heirloom varieties, it’s a very subjective matter. Read through catalogs, search the Internet and, most importantly, speak with your potential customers. Chefs may not always be able to give you the names of specific varieties they like, but they will be able to describe what characteristics they desire in a tomato. Some chefs may like to emphasize color; others may have size requirements (like no cherry tomatoes) or want just large, beefsteak-type tomatoes.

The overwhelming majority of heirloom tomato varieties are indeterminate. Indeterminate plants keep growing throughout the season, providing continuous fruit production until frost kills the plant.

Determinate types will stop vine growth after the plant flowers. They are smaller, bushier plants that concentrate their fruit production, typically in one large, single crop.

With heirlooms, some of the very early bearing tomato varieties are determinate. Therefore, if you want to get a large number of tomatoes out to the market very early and then switch to a different crop later in the season, a determinate-type tomato may be a good choice.

Some indication of popular varieties can be gleaned from seed companies. According to Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, a large supplier of heirloom tomatoes, their best-selling tomatoes include such popular varieties as Pink Brandywine, Cherokee Purple, Paul Robeson and Green Zebra. Their No. 1 selling tomato in 2006 was Cherokee Purple.

When considering varieties to plant, don’t forget to consider small-fruited tomatoes. These include the cherry, currant and pear tomatoes. They come in a vast array of colors, shapes and sizes. They can be sold by the pint or by weight and they offer a beautiful mix of color.

Another factor in choosing a variety is the maturation time. A tomato that matures in 75 days compared to 90 days will give you tomatoes two weeks earlier. Planting a vast number of late-maturing varieties will give you a large crop when everyone else has tomatoes, resulting in more competition.

TOP

Customers
Selling heirloom tomatoes can be a double-edged sword. Some consumers have a hard time buying tomatoes outside their regular experience. For them, a tomato is round and red.

So, if it’s yellow, orange or green and it doesn’t look like a conventional tomato, it isn’t going home with them. You may be able to sell these customers a few heirlooms, but probably not at a price much above that of standard, red tomatoes.

To maximize your profits, you need to identify a market that will not only embrace heirlooms, but actually be excited to find a regular supply. You can try an upscale farmers’ market or perhaps start a CSA.

Want to Know More?
If this article on heirloom tomatoes has simply piques your interest in old-time fruits and veggies, check out Popular Farming: Heirloom Farm, from the editors of Hobby Farms magazine.

In this fact-filled issue, you can discover companion planting, learn how to start and save seeds, cook with heirlooms and more.
Want to go organic? Pick up a copy of Popular Farming: Organic Farm to learn all about how to grow organic.

Both of these issues are available by calling (800) 738-2665 or purchase online.
Personally, I have found a receptive market with “white linen” restaurants—establishments where the chef has a large degree of decision-making ability and generally appreciates high-quality, local produce. Since fine restaurants are able to charge a premium price for their dishes, they will usually pay the grower a fair price.

Begin by checking all the restaurants within a reasonable driving distance from your farm. Your best bets will be fine dining restaurants in or near cities that have an affluent population. Other worthwhile locations to investigate are college towns and towns and cities with corporate headquarters or concentrations of entertainment, such as theater.

Chain restaurants will generally not buy local. They are obligated to purchase from a wholesaler and their menus are not determined by their chefs. Likewise, most hotel restaurants will not be able to buy local.

TOP

Pricing Your Produce
Pricing produce is always a big challenge. Because price is dependent on so many variables, it is difficult to set hard-and-fast rules. Every year I learn more about my customers, the competition and the value of my produce. All these factors, and more, go into setting a price.

One thing is certain: Heirloom tomatoes will command a higher price than conventional tomatoes. In fact, in some instances, you may not even be able to unload your conventional tomatoes, while still getting a good price for the heirlooms.

Avoid the temptation to lower your prices to encourage sales. In most cases this will not trigger additional sales. (After all, how many tomatoes can a restaurant use?) The primary result will simply be that you bring home less money for your hard work.

To help set your price, keep your eyes and ears open. See what tomatoes are going for in your neighborhood market and specialty grocery stores, visit nearby farmers’ markets, go to online forums, and talk to chefs. Take into consideration the quality of your produce and the service you provide. Tomatoes may be going for $2.99/lb. in your local upscale specialty supermarket, but they are almost certainly not local and they were probably picked early, before they were able to develop their full flavor. If your quality far surpasses what is available at local stores, you can comfortably charge more.

Also, if you are able to offer something unique, you can charge more. Show a chef an awesome rainbow-mix of cherry tomatoes that nobody else has and you can probably nudge up your price. Chefs like having unique, locally grown produce to offer their customers. It also helps them to differentiate their restaurant and attract patrons—that is, if their patrons value locally grown, unique food.

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Seed-starting Tips
Start your seeds around the middle of March, give or take a few weeks depending on your planting zone. Good results can be expected from one of the soil-less seed starting mixtures available in most garden centers.

I find it best to moisten the mixture beforehand. To do this, put some of the mixture in a separate container and add water.

Mix and wait for half an hour or so while the mixture absorbs the water. Fill a shallow planting container to a depth of 11/2 to 2 inches and distribute the seeds evenly on the surface. Cover the seeds with about 1/4-inch of the mixture and gently firm the surface.

Depending on the variety and the temperature, seeds will germinate within 7 to 14 days. As soon as they have sprouted, move them to a place where they can get good light—either on a sunny windowsill or under a grow light.

If starting under a grow light, make sure the light is no farther than 6 inches from the seedlings or they will become tall and leggy. If you place your seed starts on a windowsill, remember to turn the seeds daily to keep them from bending toward the light.

Once the seedlings sprout a second set of leaves, it’s time to transplant them from the starting tray to individual pots. Gently loosen the soil in the seeding tray and separate individual plants. Fill the pot loosely with moistened starter mix and use a pencil to make a hole in the center. Insert the seedling into the hole up to the second set of leaves; this may require the slight twisting or bunching up of the plant’s root as they can get very long. Gently firm the soil around the seedling and moisten once you have finished transplanting.

By early May, you can start hardening-off your transplants. Plants should be introduced to progressively longer periods of sun and wind over 7 to 10 days so that they will thrive once they are transplanted outside.

When planting your seedlings in the ground, make a shallow trench and lay the seedling on its side. Bury the entire plant up to the first set of leaves. This buried stem will produce roots, which will greatly improve your plant’s ability to obtain water and nutrients.

Before you set out your plants, however, make sure you have some sort of support in place. They may start out small, but many heirloom tomato plants can grow 6 to 8 feet tall (and more). Regular tomato cages will not offer enough support. Many different trellis and cage options exist, including tying the plants to stout wood stakes, metal fence posts, hog panels or wire mesh. Fencing can also be used to support tomato plants. (Read “Support Systems,” an article on building trellises and tomato cages.)

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Timing is Important
While you can sell a quality product any time of year, it’s certainly easier to find buyers for your produce when no one else has what you’re offering. If you have early tomatoes, customers will beat a path to your door and you will be able to charge top dollar.

Consider investing in a small greenhouse. In many instances, a greenhouse or hoop house will pay for itself in just one year. By offering heirloom tomatoes early in the season, you will instantly gain access to chefs who would like to be your customers. Nurture this relationship. As you gain credibility as a grower, you will be able to add extra crops and feel more comfortable reaching out to additional customers.

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This article first appeared in the July/August 2007 issue of Hobby Farms magazine. Pick up a copy at your local bookstore or tack and feed store or buy one online.

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Growing and Selling Heirloom Tomatoes
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Reader Comments
Heirloom Tomato farmer finds beauty in the Ugly.
NPR (National Public Radio) Mr. Tim Stark (Athur,
“Heirloom:Notes from an Accident Tomato farmer”)
August 8, 2008 MILISSA BLOCK, host.
John, Ford City, PA
Posted: 11/11/2009 8:13:50 AM

Will be selling first batch of heirloom tomatoes at the local farmers market in the morning. Thanks for the advice. At an upscale market in during early May heirlooms were selling for 8-9 dollars per pound. Now that the season is in I was going to ask 5 dollars per pound. Some of of my tomatoes weigh in at or just over a pound. Esp the Black Krim, Brandywine Caspian Pink and the Mortgage Lifters.
Robert, Memphis, TN
Posted: 6/30/2009 1:21:35 PM

I appreciate the advice...I am growing and planning to sell alot of heirlooms..will let you know how they do, I personally would pay alot extra for a tomato that was colorful and tasted sooo good. Thanks. Kim
Kim, Mountain Home, AR
Posted: 6/4/2009 8:35:49 PM

Really need like to see heirloom tomato wrote about. I have grown them for years and sell them by the bushels full.
Dana, Three Oaks, MI
Posted: 5/25/2009 7:00:05 PM

>>>The reason that hybrids are in general less cost-effective than their regular vehicle counterparts are the batteries.<<<

My ideal vehicle would be a Jeep with sealed electric motors in each wheel, a pull out tray engine compartment (for extra easy maintenance) with a direct connect diesel engine and high power generator feeding a bank of batteries - don’t even have to be ultra high capacity batteries. Then the engine needs to auto-start whenever the batteries get down to a certain level. Then it must be set up with a large full wave inverter so you can have emergency power wherever you have the vehicle.

That way you would have an independently driven 4 wheel drive as well as a base to plug in a wide variety of electric tools AND be able to power your home in an emergency, without having to do the many trip servicing of a generator. Let that unit more fully earn its keep.

When I was at Southern Airways, we had a batch of 45 passenger busses/ambulance convertible that each had an alternator large enough to run a whole field hospital with ease. While we never had to run a field hospital from them, we did use that power for a number of things. Very handy.

They had an eJeep on the drawing boards for 2012, but as they are now part of Gommint motors now, we will probably never see it come to fruition.

I know it works well - LeTourneau Westinghouse used to make huge scraper pans powered that way. On that one, you held on to a grab bar in the cab and would steer by pushing buttons on the dash. Huge geared down motors in each wheel driving 8’ tall tires - you can’t imagine the power that thing had. R.G. LeTourneau was quite an innovator - Never will forget touring one of his plants in East Texas where they spun aluminum for nose cones on missiles - Plant was complete with several Chapels and R.G. was known to get on the company PA system regularly and lead all his employees in prayer. He even founded a very highly regarded engineering university there.

http://www.hobbyfarms.com/crops-and-gardening/heirloom-tomato-choices.aspx

Heirloom Tomato Choices
Heirloom tomatoes survive time. You can enjoy the history of these heirloom tomatoes as much as their enduring flavors.

By Anita B. Stone | Photos By S. Tullock

Green Zebra Heirloom Tomato
Green Zebra: green stripes and great flavor help this heirloom pretty up any salad.
For down-home taste, nothing beats fruits that have been enjoying a renaissance more than 200 years.

Most are durable, firm and thick, possess smooth skins free of ‘crack’ (seams radiating out from the stem on the shoulder of the fruit) and burst (splitting at the blossom end).

Heirlooms set fruit near the bottom of each plant; less fruit develops later, higher up on the plant. Here are 14 inspiring heirloom tomatoes:

1. Cherokee Purple, grown by the Cherokee Indians during the 1800s, blooms 80 days after planting and boasts a sweet smoky taste with a tomato ‘tang.’ Each 12 oz purplish-red fruit endures heat conditions.

2. Green Zebra: A low-acid, 2-inch round fruit is the sweet-tasting Green Zebra, a tomato stippled with dark green strips that ripen to a yellow-gold with dark green zebra-like stripes. The fruit is great for salads.

Black Prince Heirloom Tomato
Black Prince: a “true Siberian slicing tomato,” tops in taste tests.

More...
Read Anita’s heirloom glossary and growing tips>>

3. Mexico midget is one of several varieties said to have been brought over on The Mayflower in 1620. The round sweet red ½” fruits are great for salads and are a prolific producer.
Hold on to your trellises: Check out the story behind the Mortgage Lifter heirloom tomato>>
4. Known as a “true Siberian slicing tomato,” Black Prince is rated in the top ten best tasting tomato varieties according to a national taste test. The garnet-colored fruit matures in cold climates 70 days after planting seeds. The plant is perfect for patio gardens.

5. Sugar Lump is a sweet-tasting cherry tomato of German origin, producing heavy clusters of 6 – 12 deep-red-fruits that hang like grapes, until frost. Each fruit is about ¾ - 1 inch in diameter, perfect for salads or snacking.

6. The Golden Dwarf Champion, produced in 1898, is a 4-5oz fruit used in breeding. The upright plant is excellent for container planting.

7. Introduced in 1923, the Abraham Lincoln is a red sweet tomato that produces clusters of round 1 – 3 lb. fruits 80 days after planting. Abe’s favorite is used for making ketchup, tomato juice and slicing.

8. Box Car Willie, named for the King of the Hoboes, offers a smooth red color with bright orange undertones. Each 10-16 oz. fruit makes a great slicing tomato. The plant produces a heavy crop in 80 days with old fashioned flavor.

Yellow River Heirloom Tomato
Yellow River: thin-skinned, sweet and great for canning and sauces.

9. Arkansas Traveler is a sweet mild-tasting fruit that matures 90 days after planting. Introduced at the University of Arkansas in 1960, the late season producer offers abundant 6-8 oz. rose-pink tomatoes.

10. Long Season Peach produces 8 -oz yellow-pink hearty fruits that keep from 1 – 3 months in storage after ripening 95 days after planting.

11. Yellow River is a thin-skinned old British sweet fruit, producing 1-1/2” yellow plum-shaped fruit used primarily for canning or sauces.

12. New Big Dwarf is a 1919 cross of ‘Ponderosa’ with ‘Dwarf Champion’ and produces large 1# deep pink on 2” bushy plants, great patio plant.

13. German Queen is a rate large-leaf plant, producing sweet, pink 2-lb. meaty beefsteak fruits for slicing.

14. Amana Orange is a large fruit named for the Amana colonies in Iowa. It is a sweet, tropical-like fruit flavor beefsteak that grows to two lbs with a 5” diameter.

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Heirloom Tomato Choices
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We love the Sungold cherry type tomato. Grows easy. My wife has found her new love — named Golden Rave. It is yellow skinned, medium thickness flesh and sweet taste. Very few make it from the garden to the house!!
steve, Elk, WA
Posted: 10/26/2009 3:51:37 PM
I can’t wait to try some of these varieties. I have been enjoying Cherokee Purple this summer and look forward to new varieites.
Patti, Vincennes, IN
Posted: 8/3/2009 6:06:21 PM
theres nothing like fresh tomatoes. Where can i find some of these heirloon kinds?
mary, Leoti, KS
Posted: 6/29/2009 6:56:14 AM
Good info in this article. I have grown most of what you listed. My favorites for taste on your list are Cherokee Purple and Abraham Lincoln. Just a note tho, the is “Abe Lincoln”, “Abraham Lincoln” and “Original Abe Lincoln” tomatoes advertised. “Original Abe Lincoln” is the “true” heirloom. Some other ones not mentioned that are most excellent for flavor and also resist cracking and puckering, are Marglobe, Large Red (Shaker seed),Oxheart, Amish Paste and Opalka. While Marglobe and Large Red are more of a beefsteak type, The Amish Paste and Opalka are considered a paste tomato. However, they are most excellent for fresh eating and they are LARGE. Oxheart is somewhere in the middle in terms of classification. It is a moderatly large tomato, oblong and very meaty....a good all-purpose tomato. Check out the following seed houses to find these tomatoes:
Pine Tree Seed Co.
Southern Exposure Seed Exchange
Seeds of Change
R.H. Shumway
Totally Tomatoes
Gretchen, West Lebanon, NY
Posted: 5/28/2009 7:02:48 AM

http://www.hobbyfarms.com/crops-and-gardening/growing-sweet-potato-14925.aspx

Growing the Sweet Potato
Sweet potatoes need and deserve some respect due to the claim that they are the most nutritious vegetable grown on the planet.

by Rick Gush

About the Author

Rick Gush is an American small farmer and freelance writer based in Italy.
Sweet potatoes are surely one of the most misunderstood vegetables. Often confused with yams, usually thought of as just a holiday-dinner side dish (never mind the degrading marshmallow accompaniment), sweet potatoes are frequently referred to as “easy house plants for kids to grow in their schoolrooms.” Hummph!

Somebody needs to hire a public relations rep for this vegetable. Somebody needs to let America know that this non-yam is one of the most versatile and nutritious vegetables in the world. Somebody needs to cultivate a little pride in the fact that this is one of the few vegetable crops actually native to our soil. And finally, somebody needs to clear up this business whereby sweet potatoes are confused, even officially, with yams. Sheesh!

Sweet Potatoes vs. Yams
Real yams are native to Africa. Sweet potatoes are native to the United States. (Actually, the vegetable’s most ancient ancestors came from South America.) People say the confusion between sweet potatoes and yams started when African slaves used their word for African edible roots, “nyami,” to describe the edible roots that were native to North America. But while both sweet potatoes and yams are edible roots, there are many differences between the two crops:

* Yams are a common crop in many parts of the world, and although popular in Africa, the Caribbean and Pacific islands, they are almost never grown in the United States.
* Yams are monocots (grasses), of the Lily family and the genus Dioscorea. Sweet potatoes are dicots (broad-leafed plants) of the Morning Glory family and the genus Ipomoea.
* Yams are dry and starchy, and far less nutritious than sweet potatoes.
* The tubers known as yams are generally larger (up to eight feet long, and weighing 100 pounds) than those of sweet potatoes, which average less than one foot in length and weigh less than one pound each.
* The active ingredient for many birth-control pills is derived from yams. Sweet potatoes have no such effect.

The ridiculous government labeling rule that allows some sweet potatoes to be labeled as yams came about when orange-fleshed sweet potatoes were first introduced in the 1950s. Marketers in Louisiana, where the orange-fleshed varieties were first grown, wanted to distinguish them from the traditional yellow or white-fleshed types then grown on the East Coast. The USDA was amenable, and now allows the orange varieties of sweet potatoes to be labeled as yams, although that label must also contain somewhere, at least in small print, the words “sweet potato.” In general usage, including most U.S. cookbooks, the names yams and sweet potatoes are interchangeable, and the orange-fleshed varieties are now the most popular type for home cooking.

Nutritional Value

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size -
1 Large Sweet Potato

Amount per Serving
Calories: 185
Total Fat: 0
Protein: 3 g
Fiber: 5g
sodium: 18 g
Cholesterol: 0
Carbohydrates: 43 g

Percentage of RDA
Vitamin C: 73%
Vitamin A: 785%
Vitamin B6: 20%
Calcium: 5%
Potassium: 632%
Folate: 10%
Magnesium: 9%
Iron: 4%
Copper: 20%
Niacin: 5%
Sweet potatoes are an amazingly nutritious vegetable. A medium-sized sweet potato is virtually fat free, cholesterol free, sodium free and provides more than the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of vitamin A, along with high levels of protein, fiber, complex carbohydrates, vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin B6, folic acid, potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron, copper, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin and beta carotene.

In fact, there are many who claim the sweet potato is the single most nutritious vegetable grown on the planet. While it is often ignored in the United States today, during the first two centuries of European settlement in North America, sweet potatoes were prized by colonists and European royalty alike, prescribed by doctors as a perfect food for children, and highly valued by mariners who were concerned about scurvy and food storage.

Although most nutritional calculations are based upon the measurements of cooked pulp, the edible skins of sweet potatoes are highly nutritious and are eaten with enthusiasm in many households. The skin does in fact contain even higher amounts of many of the sweet potato’s legendary nutritional elements such as beta carotene.

Markets for Sweet Potatoes
Sadly, the market for sweet potatoes has been shrinking lately. However, the nutritional value of the vegetable, the relative ease of culture and the strong storage and shipping capacity of the crop, are factors that argue for a near-future resurgence of the crop. They also indicate that sweet potatoes marketed directly to consumers in non-Southern states through farmers’ markets and organic produce outlets should find ready customers.

Over the last few decades a marketing push has concerned the development of new, less-sweet types of sweet potatoes that can be used for making chips and fries. But for non-agribusiness growers, the future now lies in consumer education. At farmers’ markets, the farmer can talk directly to the customer about the particularly nutritious nature of sweet potatoes; this will likely be the key to future success.

Growing Sweet Potatoes
American Indians on the Eastern coastal plains and the Mississippi River delta were growing sweet potatoes when Columbus discovered the New World, so it’s no real surprise that North Carolina and Louisiana are now the leading producers in the United States. But Mississippi is a large and proud contributor, Georgia grows a hefty amount, and as usual, California produces a fair share too.

Growing Sweet Potatoes in Developing Countries

* There are 850 million people that are undernourished worldwide; over 60 percent live in rural environments where intensive western-style agriculture is not possible. One ray of hope is the sweet potato.
* Sweet potatoes can produce more useable calories per acre than any other major food crop.
* All parts of the plant are edible, and the crop can be used for feeding both farmers and livestock. The plants survive weather calamities like typhoons, and the roots store well underground until harvested.
* With 133 million tons in annual production, the sweet potato now ranks as the fifth most important food crop in developing countries.
* There is great hope and expectation that consumption of more sweet potatoes could alleviate or reduce the chronic vitamin A deficiencies in the diets of many poor people in Asia and Africa.
* China grows about 85 percent of the world production of sweet potatoes, while the United States only produces about one percent.
* The sweet potato is an important secondary food crop for many Kenyans, and is an important security crop during frequent maize-crop failures.
* The rural Vietnamese consider sweet potatoes their third most important staple crop, after rice and maize. The greens are usually used as feed for pigs, the tubers are eaten fresh, and dried chips are stored for future consumption.

Sweet potatoes like warm weather, sandy soil and a long growing season. They are planted around May and harvested in October. The tubers form best in loose, well-drained soils. The crop has a relatively low nitrogen requirement, as excessive nitrogen fertilization produces heavy top growth but less underground tubers.

In most commercial operations sweet potatoes are not irrigated often, but depend on regular rainfall during the growing season. Well-drained soil is essential, as soggy soils will not produce good tubers.

Most sweet-potato growers produce their own transplanting cuttings from seed potatoes selected from the previous year’s crop. The small seed potatoes are planted about two inches deep in the seeding beds when the soil temperature reaches 65 to 70 degrees F, usually sometime in March. Some growers cover the rows with plastic film to warm the soil and encourage earlier sprout production.

By April, the sprouts are large enough (12 to 14 inches tall) to take the cuttings. Cuttings should be taken at least two inches above the soil; using “clean” cuttings (instead of rooted cuttings) helps guard against the spread of diseases from the seeding bed to the field. These rootless cuttings will develop roots quickly when planted four or five inches deep in warm soil. Growers often continue taking cuttings and transplanting them to the fields throughout April, May and June. Plants are planted a foot apart in the fields, with rows being constructed on slightly raised beds about three to four feet apart.

Weeding, Feeding and Watering
As the crop starts to grow, farmers usually need to do some surface weeding in the rows before the vines cover the beds and shade out the weeds. If any irrigation or fertilization is done, it is usually performed during the early stages of crop growth to encourage a robust young root system and thick vines. When the plants start getting larger, growers often pile soil up around the stems, in much the same manner as regular potatoes are “hilled.” This practice goes well with later weeding work, provides more loose soil for tuber formation, and also seems to help reduce sweet-potato weevil problems.

Sweet Potato Pests
The main pests of sweet-potato crops are insects, nematodes and diseases that affect the roots. Fusarium wilts cause vascular systems to collapse and become unable to transfer water and nutrients up from the roots. Root-knot nematodes cause deformed roots and tubers. The sweet potato weevil is an insect whose larvae can feed inside stems, where damage is relatively minimal, but they can also infest tubers, which is a serious problem. Weevil-damaged tubers develop bitter substances that prevent the tubers from even being used as animal fodder.

Chemical control of these pests is difficult, as active chemicals can seldom reach pests living within the soil. But most of these sweet-potato pest problems can be overcome by good sanitation and cultural practices, including the use of disease and weevil-free seed potatoes for transplants, rotating fields planted to sweet potatoes to discourage yearly pest carry-over, and using rootless cuttings for transplants.

Sweet Potato Pride

Many regions of the world are particularly proud of their contributions to the art and science of growing sweet potatoes.

* The National Sweet Potato Information Center at Tuskegee University in Alabama is a monument to the incredible work of George Washington Carver, who encouraged Southern farmers to plant sweet potatoes because the roots help restore nitrogen levels in the soil. He also developed 108 ways to use the crop, including the production of vinegar, starch, flour, molasses, ink, laundry starch and shoe polish.
* Sweet potatoes are recognized as North Carolina’s state vegetable. The website (www.ncsweetpotatoes.com), which boasts of this fact and North Carolina’s preeminence in the field, recently won first place in the National Agri-Marketing Association’s annual competition.
* Vardaman, Mississippi, calls itself “The Sweet Potato Capital of the World.” A huge Sweet Potato Festival is held each November there to celebrate the root and local producers.
* The sweet potato gave its South American name to a musical instrument, the ocarina, which is a small hollow wind instrument shaped like a sweet potato.
* The adventurer Thor Heyerdahl was one of many who theorized that Polynesian seamen reached Peru in balsa rafts. Heyerdahl built and sailed the Kon Tiki to prove that Polynesians had carried sweet potatoes back to the Pacific islands.
* In New Zealand sweet potatoes are considered a local native crop. The Maori people are particularly proud of their sweet-potato heritage and cultivate several hundred different ancient varieties of what they call Kumera.
* Japan has been growing sweet potatoes for more than 250 years now, and many annual festivals commemorate this notable vegetable. Roasted sweet potatoes are often sold on the streets and many unusual products are made from the tubers, including jelly, ice cream and beer.

Moving sweet-potato cuttings and seed potatoes from one county to another in sweet-potato growing areas (particularly within Louisiana and North Carolina) is often illegal, due to the high value placed upon preventive practices. Keeping pests out of a growing region has proved to be a far more successful strategy than any post-infection treatments.

Varieties
There are two main types of sweet potatoes: dry flesh and moist flesh. In general, the older varieties on the East Coast are of the yellow, dry-flesh type, whereas, the newer varieties grown in Louisiana are of the orange-flesh, moist type.

Beauregard is the predominant variety now grown in Louisiana, and will produce satisfactory yields over a wide range of soil types. Another popular variety of the moist-fleshed type is the Centennial, which was also developed in Louisiana.

The Jersey and Jewel varieties are representative of the drier yellow-fleshed types, and are still commonly grown in North Carolina and other eastern areas. In the 1960s, California growers faced a serious virus problem called Russet Crack Disease. The University of California at Davis started a breeding program and now provides virus-free stock to growers. Most Southern states have similar university-based sweet potato breeding programs.

As is the case with many other crops, new sweet potato varieties appear frequently and take the place of older favorites. New growers will want to contact local extension and university programs to get the latest variety news. Older varieties are not only difficult to find, they usually have less resistance to pests and disease and frequently produce lower yields.

Harvesting Sweet Potatoes
Healthy sweet-potato vines should produce a bushel of sweet potatoes from a row 25 to 30 feet long, with an average yield of 320 bushels per acre. The first tubers should be ready for harvest in late August, and the harvest usually continues until early November.

Most of the increase in tuber size occurs during the last three or four weeks before harvest. Potatoes that remain in the soil continue to grow and increase in size until the weather cools. Surprisingly, one problem new growers sometimes have is that they fail to harvest before the potatoes become too large for market preferences.

During the actual harvest, it is important to make every effort to minimize injuries to the tender skin on the roots. Undamaged potatoes will sell better and have a much longer storage life. Automatic harvesters are sometimes used, but they cause excessive skin injuries, so a majority of the sweet potato fields are ploughed and then the tubers are harvested by hand.

One harvesting key is to not allow freshly harvested sweet potatoes to be exposed to the sun for more than an hour. Growers often shade the harvested boxes of potatoes with cut vines while they remain out in the fields. At the late end of the season, growers are careful to harvest before frost kills the vines, because if the crop remains in the field after a frost, the roots may begin to decay.

Newly harvested sweet potatoes are not very sweet. They require one or two months of storage and curing before they will develop the sweet, moist taste customers expect. Freshly harvested sweet potatoes can, however, be candied or made into pies, and many growers sell part of their crop in this uncured green state.

Sweet potatoes are best cured by storing them in a humid, dark and warm (80 to 90 degrees F) room for a week or so before being moved to temperature-controlled (ideally, 60 degrees F) long-term storage. If the temperature in the storage area is too cold, the tubers will develop a hard center, but if the temperature is too hot, the tubers may shrivel and sprout.

The Future of Sweet Potatoes
Although fresh, home-baked sweet potato consumption is decreasing, scientists are not ready to give up on this vegetable, and are trying to find new varieties that will fit better into our modern, fast-paced lifestyle. The U.S. Vegetable Laboratory, among others, is developing light orange, yellow and cream-colored sweet potato breeding lines for new uses. These new varieties are bland in flavor and lower in sweetness, but they are perfect for making potato chips and french fries.

But purists among us continue to bemoan the dwindling popularity of a vegetable that is so obviously good for us. In 1992, there were perhaps 130,000 acres planted to sweet potatoes in the United States. Of that acreage 50 percent of the crop went for processing, 25 percent was used for making french fries, 12 percent went toward production of potato chips, and the remaining 13 percent was targeted for the table-eating market. Since that time, the table-eating fraction and overall acreage has dropped further. For instance, in Alabama there were over 5,000 acres planted to sweet potatoes in 1990, but by the year 2000 that figure had dropped to less than 3,000 acres. Surely it is darkest just before the dawn.

This article first appeared in the August/September 2003 issue of Hobby Farms magazine. Pick up a copy at your local newsstand or tack and feed store. Click Here to subscribe to HF.

http://www.hobbyfarms.com/crops-and-gardening/edible-weeds.aspx

Edible Weeds
Eliminate invasive plants: Eat a weed! From autumn olive berries to milkweed, try some of these delicious edible weed recipes.

By Tom Meade

Try an edible autumn olive
© Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources - Forestry Archive, Bugwood.org — autumn olive berries
Among common weeds, autumn olive, Japanese knotweed, and milkweed are some of the most pernicious.

And delicious!

Incredibly invasive, they’re hard to kill. So, if you can’t beat ‘em, eat ‘em.

Russ Cohen is the rivers advocate for the Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game, and the author of the book, Wild Plants I Have Known and Eaten, published by the Essex County Greenbelt Association in northeastern Massachusetts.

Autumn Olive Berry ... Fruit Leather
He leads foraging walks throughout New England. During an orientation chat before each walk, Cohen generally serves strips of “fruit leather,” made of the dehydrated pulp of autumn olive berries, with no additional sugar or other flavoring.

Russ Cohen has several edible weed recipes
© Tom Meade
Russ Cohen holding a poor man’s pepper plant as he takes a break on a foraging walk.
It tastes fabulous, fruity and sweet with a touch of tartness. And autumn olive berries have 18 times more lycopene than tomatoes.

The powerful antioxidant is believed to help in the prevention of heart disease and prostate cancer.

Though Cohen uses a $60 dehydrator to make his fruit roll-ups, a cookie sheet in a warm oven will also do the trick with autumn-olive pulp puree.

In its liquid form, the puree is a perfect topping for ice cream, pancakes, and johnnycakes.

After the first frost, autumn olives are super-sweet treats, eaten out of hand right off the bush.

The invasive alien’s bright-red berries are flecked with gold, and they are generally found along the road and in abandoned gravel banks.

Japanese Knotwood ... Asparagus’ Cousin?
Another invasive alien, Japanese knotweed, is virtually indestructible.

Weeds can be tasty!
© Chris Evans, River to River CWMA, Bugwood.org

Get Wild!
Wild Plants I Have Known and Eaten by Russ Cohen

Staking The Wild Asparagus and Stalking The Blue-Eyed Scallop by Euell Gibbons

Foraging New England by Tom Seymour

Wild Edible Plants of New England by Joan Richardson

Invasive species recipes from The Invasive Plant Atlas of New England’s (IPANE).
In the spring, its shoots taste like fresh asparagus lightly sprinkled with lemon juice. The shoots are best when their first leaves are still huddled together in the shape of a spear tip, and the shafts are crisp enough to crack off. Steam them for only a minute or so, add a little butter, and have a feast.

During a walk at the Tower Hill Botanic Garden in Boylston, Massachusetts, Cohen said the tender tips of Japanese knotweed also make a tasty pie used instead of rhubarb.

Related to buckwheat, Japanese knotweed is one of the last plants to blossom in late summer - early autumn in New England. Honey bees use its nectar, mixed with goldenrod nectar, to produce a honey as black as motor oil with a strong, distinctive flavor. It’s good for sweetening baked beans and for brewing unusual beers and mead.

Milkweed Meals
During his walk at the botanic garden, Cohen had high praise for milkweed, a plant that offers three opportunities for harvest:

1. when its shoots first emerge in spring
2. when its flowers begin to bud in early summer, and
3. when its seed pods first appear.

Like Japanese knotweed, the shoots of milkweed taste a little like asparagus. The flower buds are nutty and sweet, a little like pesto. Young seed pods taste like intensely flavorful green beans.

The key to cooking any of the milkweed parts, Cohen explained, is to immerse the parts into water that is already boiling. The sudden immersion into boiling water shocks the bitterness out of the plant. Boil them for seven minutes.

After boiling, use the milkweed in omelets, casseroles, soups, or by itself with a sprinkling of butter or good olive oil.

Other yummy weeds:

* Barberries in cookies
* Beach plums, in preserves and pies
* Dandelion leaves in salads, blossoms in wine, roots instead of coffee
* Jerusalem artichokes instead of potatoes
* Lamb’s quarters, steamed or fresh
* Poor man’s pepper leaves in salad, seeds for spice
* Sheep sorrel in tangy salads
* Stinging nettle in a spring-tonic soup
* Wild violet blossoms in salads or atop desserts

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About the Author: Tom Meade is a writer, beekeeper and vegetable gardener in Rhode Island.

http://www.hobbyfarms.com/crops-and-gardening/edible-landscaping.aspx

Edible Landscaping
Try mixing beans, greens and tomatoes with ornamental plant for edible landscaping that can add interest to your garden and your table.

By Susan M. Brackney

It’s time to toss out one of gardening’s last unwritten rules.

© Jan Day

You know the one: Hide the vegetables out back, and give the strictly ornamental plants top billing along walkways and in front of the house.

There’s a new aesthetic taking shape—edible landscaping.

The conscious mixing of utilitarian plants like beans, greens and tomatoes with ornamental ones is blurring the old lines between the plants we really use and those we grow simply for show.

The concept isn’t exactly new. After all, we’ve all seen fancy cabbages and kale in cool shades of purple and teal mixed with the requisite mums of spring and fall.

Still, while they’re technically edible, those brassicas probably look better than they taste. Palate-pleasing and just as attractive are heirloom varieties of kale, Swiss chard, collards and other hardy greens that readily accentuate annuals like cheery pansies and Bachelor’s buttons, and they look good on a plate, too.

© Jan Day
Incredible Edibles
for Beginners
Even creatures of habit can make new habits.

If you continually relegate your vegetables to the same rigid rows in out-of-the-way plots, you might want to ease your way into the edible landscape.

One simple way to start? Add a bountiful border of salad greens to your existing annual and perennial garden beds, or add a surprising dash of color with dwarf peppers and tomatoes.

For a well-defined, more formal-looking landscape, make sure the soil is level and well-cultivated before direct seeding, and use small garden stakes and twine to cordon off the edges to be planted.

What types of edibles you’ll plant will depend in part on what established ornamental varieties you hope to accent.

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With its profusion of chocolaty-purple leaves, red Romaine lettuce deftly sets off a bed of nasturtiums in full flower, for instance.

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And the ruffled look of Royal oak leaf lettuce or striking, crimson beets can add real drama to that tired stand of day lillies.

Edible selections can just as easily serve to soften hard edges in the garden and add a little sophistication to the most pedestrian of annual beds.

Present in edible landscapes largely for the texture of their foliage, fern-like carrots or feathery dill, when grown in wide bands or solid patches, really dress up the dwarf ageratum, marigolds, coleus and other annuals they surround.

Of course, those carrots along with lettuce, spinach and other cool-weather veggies will, ultimately, go to seed when the weather turns hot, but even when allowed to bolt, the remaining vegetation still can serve to shade out many summer weeds, translating to less time with the hand cultivator and hoe.

Easy to grow and somewhat heat-tolerant, Swiss chard is another good choice for edible landscape beginners. With vibrant stems of fuschia, red, neon orange and pale yellow, Bright Lights Swiss chard is a must-have for splashes of high-impact color.

If you prefer especially tidy planting beds year-round, you can always pull up any spent spinach and lettuce plants and replace them with a few heat-loving peppers such as the bushy Tabasco chili. Growing up to 4 feet tall, Tabasco chili pepper plants produce pale-green pods that range from a warm orange to the pepper’s trademark fire engine-red.

If space is a little tight, you might try something smaller, like the more compact Thai dragon chili pepper. Pretty and prolific, the Thai dragon chili grows to about 2 feet tall.

Tomatoes are another good bet for those new to the edible landscape. A couple worth noting are Yellow pear—an extremely productive and sweet-tasting heirloom cherry that will need to be caged or staked—and Red robin—a dwarf cherry that reaches just 8 to 12 inches tall and packs on tight clusters of tiny-but-serviceable red fruits.

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In the right climates, some veggies can add a little winter interest and, as it happens, many vegetables and herbs can solve specific problems in your garden beds.

For example, because it will smother competing plants, lettuce sown thickly between established perennial flowers can cut down on the need to weed around them.
Hungry for more?

Check out a few ideas (and recipes?) using weeds>>

Don’t miss our recipes featuring garden-fresh herbs>> Whether it’s to save on trips to the grocery, to grow more produce from less space, to try out new varieties, or to break out of a gardening rut, there are plenty of reasons to create new landscapes that are as luscious as they are lush.

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Getting Started
Before you break out your shovel, make a list of the produce you’re sure you’ll actually use.

After all, some purple kohlrabi or mammoth red cabbages may look stunning when paired with those Oriental poppies, but what good are they if you’ve never gotten the hang of preparing them in the kitchen?

In addition to your personal preferences, you’ll also want to consider the preferences of the fruits and vegetables you wish to grow. Most will require at least six hours of full sun each day and at least 1 inch of water per week, and most everything will perform best when grown in well-draining soil that’s rich in organic matter.

Not sure about your soil quality? You can contact your county extension office to arrange a soil assay; amend your edible landscaping beds accordingly.

Fresh compost, worm castings or sea kelp meal are just a few organic soil-building options, if needed.

Also, before growing any produce in close proximity to your home, barns or outbuildings, it’s a good idea to have the surrounding soil tested for harmful levels of lead, dioxin and other harmful contaminants. Should you find a problem in a particular area, plan to stick with only ornamentals there.

As with traditional ornamental beds, the most prominent edible landscapes offer a variety of plant heights and habits, bloom times, colors and textures, but deciding just what should go where can be a little overwhelming.

Before you start any seeds or head for your favorite nursery, grab a pencil and sketch pad. Trying different ideas on paper first will save wear-and-tear on you and your plants.

Because they’ll take up the most space, start with fruit or nut trees, berry-laden shrubs, and trellises for pole beans, peas and other climbing vegetables. Make a note of the height and spread of different varieties at maturity, then plan to fill in the gaps with medium- and small-sized plants.

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Trees to Try
If you’re located in a warm climate, you have many fruit- and nut-tree options at your disposal:

* dwarf lemon trees
* miniature oranges
* peaches
* and even pomegranates, almonds, and figs

They all can be shaped into attractive topiaries or espaliers by more advanced landscapers.

Northerly gardeners have some toothsome choices, too, including:

* apples
* pears
* sour cherries
* mulberries
* persimmons
* paw paws

Unless you have room for multiple trees, look for “self-fruiting” varieties, which can be planted by themselves and will bear fruit via their own pollen.

Both well-suited to beginners, most apple and pear trees usually require at least one other variety to be growing nearby for cross pollination. Among the easiest fruit trees for beginners to grow, pears like the New Century Asian pear are hardy to zone 4 and are at least partially self-fruiting.

Another way to get the most out of your growing area? Opt for a dwarf or semi-dwarf tree that will produce normal-sized fruits on another, smaller tree’s rootstock. While dwarf trees usually grow to between 8 and 15 feet high, semi-dwarf trees can reach 12 to 20 feet tall.

For gardeners with more room to play, the American persimmon tree is certainly worth a look. Typically hardy to zones 4 through 8, the American persimmon features blue-tinged leaves that contrast well with its orange, apricot-like fruits.

Another handsome producer, the paw paw tree grows well in Kentucky and Virginia, zones 6 and 7, respectively. It bears mango-sized fruits reminiscent of the Cavendish banana.

There’s at least one highly productive tree to avoid in the edible landscape: the black walnut. To prevent competition from forest understory, the tree releases juglone, a chemical that is toxic to many plants. As a result, getting other plants to grow alongside or underneath a black walnut tree can be tricky.

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Shrubs and Climbers
Black raspberries, currants, gooseberries and even blueberries are just some of the woody shrubs that work well when mixed with ornamentals and, with the exception of blueberries, which prefer slightly acidic growing conditions, they shouldn’t need any special treatment in loamy soils.

Just what will they need? Plenty of space.

Many berry-producing shrubs will grow up to 5 or 6 feet tall, but dwarf and semi-dwarf varieties are sometimes available.

For camoflaging unsightly spots or providing a little extra privacy, you can train sweet potato vines, sugar snap peas or climbing beans up a few teepee-style poles or along a high fence or wall.

Featuring deep-red and red-and-cream-colored flowers respectively, Scarlet Runner and Painted Lady are just a couple of runner bean varieties that will thrive in cooler climates or in spring or fall gardens.

Gardeners with very hot summers—especially those in the South and Southwest—will have success with East Asian long beans like the Taiwan black long bean and the Chinese red noodle bean.

True to its name, the Taiwan long bean boasts lime-green bean pods about 40 inches long with black beans inside. Nearly as dramatic, the Chinese red noodle bean produces crimson pods up to 18 inches long. (And, unlike other brightly colored bean varieties, when cooked, these pods will retain much of their color.)

For a more long-term privacy screen, gardeners in mild climates can trellis grape vines; before committing to a particular variety, contact local vintners to arrange a taste test and to find out which varieties will thrive in your area.

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Fruits and Flowers
Not all fruits need be born of vines and shrubs.

A perennial favorite, strawberries can be used to cover large, low spots, but the usual running varieties won’t stay in one place for long.

For a more low-maintenance solution, you can plant alpine strawberries, which don’t reproduce by way of runners. What’s more, unlike June-bearing strawberries, alpine strawberries produce fruit all summer long; the berries are much smaller than those of running strawberries, but they’re flavorful and sweet. Bordering a bed of Shasta daisies, baby’s breath or yarrow, the alpine strawberry’s glossy green leaves and bright scarlet berries really pop.

Herbs such as chamomile, thyme, rosemary and oregano may have understated flowers, but they bring an impressive range of foliage textures and colors to the table.

Pair them with silvery lamb’s ear, dusty miller or caladium for a bold effect.

Even asparagus has a place in the edible landscape. Long after its tasty spears have gone, asparagus sends up arching, feathery plumes that can make a perfect backdrop for sunflowers, coreopsis or black-eyed Susans.

Some of our traditionally ornamental plants also have culinary value. Case in point: The flowers of calendula, sometimes known as pot marigold, are edible and make a somewhat spicy addition to fresh salads.

So, too, do nasturtium blooms and leaves, which grow nicely next to many varieties of basil. (Incidentally, if you plan to harvest any basil leaves for use in salads or sauces, once the plant is allowed to flower, its leaves will turn bitter. To maintain good flavor, simply pinch off any flower buds.)

Blending herbs, vegetables and fruits with tried-and-true ornamentals may feel a little bit rebellious, but it definitely has its rewards.

The unexpected combinations of color and texture range from pleasantly surprising to downright breathtaking. Best of all, edible landscapes don’t just feed the gardener, they feed the soul.

About the Author: An avid gardener, Susan M. Brackney is also a beekeeper, HFH’s Garden Grit columnist and author of the forthcoming book, Plan Bee: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About the Hardest-Working Creatures on the Planet (Perigee Books, 2009).

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Edible Landscaping
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Reader Comments
Carol in ON, this winter I am planting 200 blackberry plants in our front yard this will still leave about 50 feet of yard but will make a much more productive use from it. I also plan to add a small orchard on one side and a couple dozen blueberries in half barrels on the other side. In the future I would like to put in another 500 to 1000 blackberries in the back yard behind the garden area.
Paul, Boyd, TX
Posted: 10/25/2009 8:12:48 PM
People interested in edible landscaping might want to take it a step further & look into permaculture. I think it’s a fastinating concept
wendy, round rock, TX
Posted: 10/4/2009 8:13:01 AM

http://www.hobbyfarms.com/crops-and-gardening/garden-fruits-melons-22392.aspx

Garden Fruits: Sweet Heirloom Melons
Melons are the candy of garden fruits and vegetables. Many heirloom melons are especially tasty. Find out if growing a sweet heirloom melon variety is right for you.

By Barbara Berst Adams

About the Author
Barbara Berst Adams is the author of Micro Eco-Farming: Prospering from Backyard to Small Acreage in Partnership with the Earth, New World Publishing. www.microecofarming.com
“Heirloom melons look different, that’s for sure,” said Brad Stufflebeam, owner, along with wife Jenny, of Home Sweet Farm in Texas.

Brad and Jenny grow heirloom and open-pollinated melons along with other fruits and vegetables on their sustainable small farm.

In this article:
Sharing Melons and Selling to Others
Choosing Melons for Your Patch
Growing Tips
Harvesting
“ The aromas and flavor cannot be matched with conventional commodity produce,” he says. “Many melons could be a dessert.”

Indeed, melons are the candy of garden fruits and vegetables. A vintage melon patch for unique family enjoyment or sought-after specialty market crops can be a small farm’s “candyland.”

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© Jere Gettle. Courtesy Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Co.

Tigger: This taste-test winner discovered in Armenia is so aromatic that cutting open one tigger perfumes an entire room.
There are melons with flavor hints of mango, pineapple or peach.
* There are Israeli melons that change from green to gold and French melons with ambrosia-like scents.
* The Kiwano melon has flesh that resembles lime green Jell-O;
* And then there’s Tigger, a taste-test winner first discovered in Armenia with a lemon-yellow rind splashed with red zigzag stripes. Its flesh is so aromatic that cutting open one Tigger perfumes an entire room.

Melon Memoirs
Thousands of years ago, African Bushmen relied on wild watermelons to provide living canteens of uncontaminated water. Wild relatives of our current watermelons and other familiar melons still grow in Africa, but the flavor and geographical range of melons have come a long way.

© Jere Gettle. Courtesy Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Co.

Boule d’Or: A honeydew-type once a market melon in France is a winner in classy markets.
It is believed that the seeds of the sweetest melons were saved and cultivated in Egypt at least 4,000 years ago. Around 3,000 years ago, seeds reached beyond Egyptian borders via trade routes, and most likely arrived in Europe when North African Moors brought melons to Spain during their occupation from 711 to 1492.

Melons and cucumbers were planted in Haiti when Columbus landed, and early European colonists and African slaves brought more melons, including watermelons, to North America.

It was not just the flesh of the watermelon that was valued; seeds also gave nourishment, especially to Africans and Chinese, over hundreds of years. Even today, Chinese medicine and Edgar Cayce, a promoter of holistic healing, recommend white watermelon seeds and a tea made from them as a remedy for mild ailments. Even the rind can be used as a healing food.

By the 1800s, a rainbow of melon varieties graced gardens and filled farmers’ patches. But like many food crops, melons eventually underwent hybridization and commercialization in the 20th century.

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They were bred for centralized agribusiness, for long distance shipability and for growing and harvesting conditions that suited larger commercial operations. When this happened, many of the vintage melons of yesteryear went by the wayside.

Conventional hybrid watermelons, as well as the netted melon Americans have come to call cantaloupe, and the honeydew became the norm in supermarkets, with a few novelties showing up here and there. But there are hundreds of worthy melon varieties available, and more being rediscovered or rebred.

Locally-grown heirloom melons make an especially inviting gourmet market crop, as they are rare in supermarkets. They need to be vine-ripened for maximum sugar content, which often takes careful hand harvesting at various times over the growing season. They do not sweeten much, if at all, after being picked. However, some can be stored for weeks or even months, when juiciness, texture and aroma may continue to improve.

Heirloom melons have also impressed Josh Kirschenbaum of Eugene, Ore., the product developer of seeds and green goods for seed companies including Abundant Life Seeds, which tests and distributes heirloom varieties.

“This past summer, we trialed over 75 different melons and over 80 percent of them were open-pollinated,” he says. “There were quite a few impressive varieties with probably just as many reasons why they were impressive. One thing that stood out was that the varieties touted as being early maturing varieties did indeed ripen at the same time as their hybrid counterparts.”

Those who trial seeds for specialty markets know that the varieties must be top quality to retain loyal customers. Vintage melons, with their great variety, are attracting customers quite well.

“Another trait I found impressive about several of the older, open-pollinated melons,” Kirschenbaum continues, “was the unique shapes, sizes and colors. I think that for some folks, all they see are the standard melons found at the grocery store. For those that are looking for something unique, there really are great choices out there.”

But what about practicality? Are they as “tough” as hybrids? Apparently many of them are. “Something else that I found impressive,” Kirschenbaum said, “was that several of the older heirloom types were quite disease resistant.”

An all-time favorite summer treat, certain melons can be pickled and preserved.

At Cedar Hill Farm in Rice, Minn., fresh honeydew slices are simmered in vinegar, allspice, orange peel, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, sugar and pectin to make a pickled melon, which are sold over the Internet. The varieties that naturally store well extend the delights of these fruits into the winter.

Sharing Melons and Selling Them to Others
When I grew my first specialty melon more than 15 years ago on my Island Meadow Farm market garden here in the Pacific Northwest (where local vine-ripened watermelons are rare), I sliced it in half and gave it to a very conservative friend. It was a small, yellow-fleshed watermelon.

“I kept it in the refrigerator for a week before I could touch it,” said my friend. “It seemed so strange to see yellow watermelon. But once I ate it, it was so delicious.”

Since then, most folks have opened up and come to expect wonderful things from the world of heirloom melons.

“We have been growing melons now for only five seasons or so,” Brad Stufflebeam says. “We started, naturally, with an interest in old varieties; our first was the now-popular Moon and Stars watermelon.”

Moon and Stars is a large, deliciously flavored heirloom watermelon with a dark-green rind speckled with bright yellow dots that resemble stars and often at least one larger yellow spot that resembles a moon. It has come to be better known by the public since it first reappeared in rare seed catalogs near the end of the 20th century.

Since its rediscovery and introduction to the general public, citizens of our country seem to want even more melon surprises.

“Most everything we grow is unusual, and educating the public is the core to everything we do,” says Stufflebeam.

Jere Gettle travels the world seeking fine heirloom seeds and contacts many successful market growers. Jere is the discoverer of the Tigger melon and he now sells many vintage melon seeds to growers across the globe. He said that the key to drawing customers to newer crops is variety.

“Customers buy more and try more when they see the wide variety available,” he says. Gettle also suggests offering recipes, serving ideas and free samples if you can. “Once people try many rare varieties, they want more!”

Another idea Gettle suggests is informing others of the heritage of the fruits.

“Give people the history of your varieties and show them that your varieties are part of our culture and not mass produced,” he says. To go even further, history can come alive at a farmers’ market or roadside stand.

“Make a historical-looking display,” Gettle says, “with baskets and wooden crates, and dress in historic or ethnic clothing. Think about the total picture; make your stand look like it fell out of the 1850s or 1950s. But whatever you do, be unique. The more the better, as long as you’re tasteful.”

Another way to let potential customers know about your specialty melons is to sign up with Local Harvest. This website connects small local sustainable farms with local buyers across the United States.

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Choosing Melons for Your Patch
When selling to customers, market farmers, including myself, usually find that a combination of familiar favorites, along with new surprises each year, can help bring customers back again and again while doubling as a testing ground for new varieties that may become future crop staples.

The initial choice of possible melons for your summer patch is huge. Books and open-pollinated seed catalogues can give you a good start. Here, other growers are happy to share their favorites to help you make your decision.

Brad and Jenny Stufflebeam use the services of an expert to help make their choices.

“We try new melon varieties every year,” Brad says. “This year’s additions where selected with the help of our 7-year-old daughter, Casaba. They include Golden Beauty, Charentais, Banana, Kansas, Orangeglo, Tigger, Ogen, Golden Midget, Boule D’Or, and Black Diamond Yellow Flesh (we expect this to be a hit … Black Diamond Red is famous around here).”

The Charentais that Stufflebeam mentions is also a favorite of Gettle’s and many others. It is considered by Amy Goldman, author of Melons for the Passionate Grower, to be the favorite melon of the French, and has a “divine scent and ambrosial flavor.”

The Charentais originated in western France’s Poitou-Charentes region around the early 1900s. Gourmet and heritage seed collectors have found it grows well anywhere in the United States where other melons grow. Gettle describes it as “top of the line when it comes to marketing, and the two- to three-pound fruit sells for about $3 per pound at many markets.”

Gettle is also very impressed with Boule d’Or (Golden Perfection). “This is my favorite honeydew-type melon that was once a market melon in France and now is a winner for classy markets. The flavor will win you over to heirloom varieties with the first bite!”

Piel de Sapo (Toad Skin) is a very rare, white-fleshed melon. Gettle likes that it comes from Spain and has exceptional keeping quality. About eight inches long and oval, it is a late-season variety. “This variety can be sold over a long period,” says Gettle, “and is good for autumn sales. With its fragrant, mellow flavor that is richly sweet, it can keep until Christmas.”

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Growing Tips
“Duplicate Africa,” say many successful melon growers. This means long, hot, dry summers with days in the 80s and nights in the 60s, and a very well-drained, fertile, sweet and light soil.

Josh Kirschenbaum, who has a degree in botany from Ohio University, gives further growing tips on how to accomplish this in North America: “Melons prefer a rich, well-drained soil. Planting in a raised bed is ideal. They also like to be fed. Putting a granular, organic fertilizer an inch or two below the seed or plant is usually adequate. Applying a liquid fertilizer that is high in nitrogen, such as Earth Juice Grow Formula 2-1-1, can get the young plants off to a good start. You might also want to side dress with fertilizer when the plants are starting to fruit. And, of course, compost is a great way to amend the soil to add nutrients.”

Though it’s possible to start seeds in pots, there are reasons why they may succeed better if direct seeded, even if it means waiting for warmer soils, or warming soils first with plastic.

“Some folks start the seeds indoors to get a jump-start on the season,” Kirschenbaum said. “To be honest, though, I have found that direct seeding when the soil temperatures have reached 60 to 75 degrees F to work better for me. Melons have a taproot that does not like to be disturbed and if they are started indoors and kept in a pot too long, growth can be stunted. Furthermore, it takes time for the plant to get adjusted once transplanted.”

According to Kirschenbaum, the pest to watch out for is the cucumber beetle. These spotted or striped insects chew on a variety of garden plants, including melons.

“For the cucumber beetles,” Kirschenbaum says, “you can physically remove them from the plant and destroy them. For small problems, an insecticidal soap will work, and for large outbreaks, rotenone, pyrethrin or neem oil works well.”

And about all that “African” heat that melons need?

“Melons need a minimum temperature of 70s during the day and 50s at night,” Gettle recommends.

But do not despair if you live in one of those coastal climates, or have wetter, cooler or shorter summers than recommended for growing.

On my Island Meadow Farm, I’ve grown shorter season varieties in the cool, wet Pacific Northwest by building a horse manure hotbed below the melons, which generated heat. Heat absorbing and releasing stones were placed around the melon plants, and I warmed the growing area’s soil with black plastic before planting, then placed each melon up higher on the stones closer to the sun than the surrounding ground.

A slight southern slope in the raised beds further warmed the area, and I used lots of fluffy, well-drained compost amended with dolomite to sweeten our native heavy clay soil.

Kirschenbaum agrees that even those in cooler climates can grow melons, and that plastic as well as cloches can have multiple benefits for growing melons.

“There are several methods to successfully growing melons in cooler or wetter climates,” he says. “For starters, to warm up the soil faster in the spring, cover the beds or rows with plastic prior to planting. This will also help dry the soil from all of the winter precipitation. Melons should not be planted without protection before the danger of frost has passed, but warming the soil can still potentially add two to four weeks onto the growing season. To combat diseases that are common in the fall and to extend the growing season, consider putting a cloche or hoop house over the plants. This will prevent rainwater from touching the leaves and will also protect the plants from cold weather.”

When considering when to apply cloches, remember that melons need to have insect pollination. If the melon patch is large and has enough varieties in blossom for a long period, it may warrant a beehive, which could produce organic melon-blossom honey—another specialty crop.

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Harvesting
Different varieties need different tests for ripeness. Many people have perfected, over time, their favorite method of knowing when specific melons are ripe.

“I have found,” says Kirschenbaum, “that melons, except for watermelons, are ripe when they fall off the vine with little effort. In other words, a very slight tug of the fruit should be enough for the fruit to come off the vine. Watermelons, however, are typically ready to harvest when the two tendrilsthat are nearest to the fruit turn brown.”

On rare occasion, some varieties appear to not fall easily off the vine until overripe, and experience teaches harvesters when to cut the fruit sooner. Some harvesters watch for a color change, such as an overall brown turning yellow, or the part of the rind that touched the soil that is white turning to yellow.

Perhaps the Bushmen learned to check the tendrils or colors to know when their wild melons were ripe. Since the original varieties in wilds of Africa, melons have never lost their appeal across the globe and throughout history.

In ancient Egypt, Napoleon’s soldiers strengthened themselves with melons. From there, as melons pushed on to the green gourmet gardens of France and then to America, young lads risked punishment for stealing from melon patches at night.

It’s no wonder locally-grown vintage melons are becoming popular again after a few decades of commercial hybrids. They are certainly a customer draw on Brad and Jenny’s Home Sweet Farm.

“We want to make food exciting, and that helps to get kids and families to eat real food, getting back in touch with agriculture.” Brad says. “They begin to realize what they have been missing. It’s not just organic; it’s local, it’s beyond organic. Providing old-fashioned nutrient dense food is exciting. We want everyone to taste and see the difference.”

And what better way than with a candyland of sweet, aromatic melons!

This article first appeared in the September/October 2005 issue of Hobby Farms magazine. Subscribe to Hobby Farms today!