The Tomato King

David with slicers and heirlooms.

"If you can't grow tomatoes in August, well, you should just give up on them." - overheard at the Shendandoah Valley Produce Auction in Dayton.

Just as that farmer said at the auction, at this time of year, just about everybody who grows tomatoes is probably enjoying the bounty of their efforts.  But during my agribusiness internship, I'm seeing something that is really boggling my mind at Public House Produce.  Here's a photo of David with a partial harvest from last week. 

He added a clarification on Facebook about the quantities that are coming out of the farm just now:

Several lots of Public House tomatoes at auction.

"...since last Thursday, four of us have picked tomatoes five different times, and as of today, we have harvested 3,200 pounds of tomatoes! Mel and Andi picked 1,200 pounds today (Wednesday) alone."

Mel added that there were still two rows to pick, and they were loaded. 

It's pretty amazing to think about all those tomatoes, and to know that there are a lot more than this coming to market just now - not to mention what goes on in the imagination about where this produce will end up in the market - downtown restaurants, Wegmans supermarkets, etc. - not to mention local Page County establishments such as West Main Market, Circa '31 at the Mimslyn, and the Victorian Inn ("the Vic" as it is known locally).

Some of these institutions are buying other produce as well, and as I mentioned earlier this week, the pasture-raised chickens are making their way into these kitchens (a neighboring farm, "Willow Grove," also a Page County Grown member, raises chickens this way too, also supplying local restaurants.)



Heirloom "Pineapple" tomatoes.



It is already well known around Page County and the larger Shenandoah Valley region, but this heirloom Pineapple variety is worth another mention.  During a tasting at Public House last summer, visitors voted them the best of the varieties that were shown.  The Vic has them as a feature for one of the appetizers - which inspired my neighbor to say, "That's the best tasting tomato I've had in a very long time."

Seriously, 3,200 pounds of tomatoes, though...that's a lot.  And to think, we're not quite halfway through the season. 

Maybe what the farmer really meant was:

"If you can't grow tomatoes in August like Public House Produce... ."  :-)