One Day Event For Gardeners at the Sustainable Mountain Agriculture Center, Berea, Ky
Some years ago a group of gardeners and others would gather at the SMAC for a weekend to share and discuss all aspects of gardening. One of the most enjoyable activities was being able to share/exchange many varieties of garden seed. This gathering now is a ONE Day event and will be held on October 3rd from 9:00 Am until 4:00 pm at the Sustainable Mountain Agriculture Center.just outside of Berea, Kentucky. Folks are encouraged to bring their own lunch, water, a folding chair and any seed you might be interested in sharing. This is a very informal time for meeting and making new friends and sharing a one on one conversation or participating in the group. So whether you are a new gardener or a seasoned gardener, there is so much to learn in an informal gathering such as this.
For information about and directions to the Sustainable Mountain Agriculture Center (Dr Bill Best's farm): www.heirlooms.org
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Choptag Tomato Tasting
If you are anywhere near Cincinnati this Saturday, you must attend Choptag's annual tomato tasting. I'll be there with tomatoes!
Here's the information I received:
It’s time to start a new thread for the 8th annual CHOPTAG Taste Fest.It will be held on Saturday Aug 22nd starting at 1pm. It will be held at our usual location, Paxton Ramsey Park in the Loveland, Ohio area. (Eastern side of Cincinnati)http://www.miamitwp.org/recreation/parks/paxton/paxton.htmCome prepared to have a good time, share tomato stories, eat good food and enjoy some of the world’s best tomatoes.Remember, everyone is welcome, with or without tomatoes. Gary will have some spreads and others will have a variety of good eats.Looking forward to seeing everyone.Directions to the park:If you are coming from the North, Down I-75 or I-71 you’ll want to take I275 East to exit 54 (Wards Corner Rd). Using the CENTER lane turn LEFT off the exit. This will put you in the right hand lane on Wards Corner Rd. Turn RIGHT at the 1st street, Loveland-Miamiville Rd. Go about 7/10 of a mile and turn RIGHT on Price Rd. The park is at the top of the hill, about ½ mile, on the right. If your coming from the South up I-71/75 take I-275 North to exit 54 (Wards Corner Rd). Turn Right off the exit. Stay in the right hand lane. Turn RIGHT at the 1st street, Loveland-Miamiville Rd. Go about 7/10 of a mile and turn RIGHT on Price Rd. The park is at the top of the hill, about ½ mile, on the right. For those coming from Indiana on I74 use I-275 through Kentucky continuing to exit 54 (Wards Corner Rd). Turn Right off the exit. Stay in the right hand lane. Turn RIGHT at the 1st street, Loveland-Miamiville Rd. Go about 7/10 of a mile and turn RIGHT on Price Rd. The park is at the top of the hill, about ½ mile, on the right.
Here's the information I received:
It’s time to start a new thread for the 8th annual CHOPTAG Taste Fest.It will be held on Saturday Aug 22nd starting at 1pm. It will be held at our usual location, Paxton Ramsey Park in the Loveland, Ohio area. (Eastern side of Cincinnati)http://www.miamitwp.org/recreation/parks/paxton/paxton.htmCome prepared to have a good time, share tomato stories, eat good food and enjoy some of the world’s best tomatoes.Remember, everyone is welcome, with or without tomatoes. Gary will have some spreads and others will have a variety of good eats.Looking forward to seeing everyone.Directions to the park:If you are coming from the North, Down I-75 or I-71 you’ll want to take I275 East to exit 54 (Wards Corner Rd). Using the CENTER lane turn LEFT off the exit. This will put you in the right hand lane on Wards Corner Rd. Turn RIGHT at the 1st street, Loveland-Miamiville Rd. Go about 7/10 of a mile and turn RIGHT on Price Rd. The park is at the top of the hill, about ½ mile, on the right. If your coming from the South up I-71/75 take I-275 North to exit 54 (Wards Corner Rd). Turn Right off the exit. Stay in the right hand lane. Turn RIGHT at the 1st street, Loveland-Miamiville Rd. Go about 7/10 of a mile and turn RIGHT on Price Rd. The park is at the top of the hill, about ½ mile, on the right. For those coming from Indiana on I74 use I-275 through Kentucky continuing to exit 54 (Wards Corner Rd). Turn Right off the exit. Stay in the right hand lane. Turn RIGHT at the 1st street, Loveland-Miamiville Rd. Go about 7/10 of a mile and turn RIGHT on Price Rd. The park is at the top of the hill, about ½ mile, on the right.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
TN Agricultural Museum
A blue ribbon goes to the Tennessee Ellington Agricultural Museum in Nashville, TN. I enjoyed my visit there recently. The museum is housed in a renovated plantation barn, and filled with artifacts from a bygone era when farming was a way of life. Also on display are primitive log cabins and seasonal gardens. The vegetable garden features BRANDYWINE, RED FIG, and YELLOW PEAR tomatoes, Cherokee Trail of Tears beans, Civil War peanuts, Red Velvet okra, and other old vegetable varieties, along with many colorful annuals. Admission is free.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Max's Large Green
Very RARE tomato. This large evergreen tomato is an heirloom from Hardin County, Kentucky. Sweet and tangy fruits; skin turns amber when ripe, keeping their green shoulders. In the one pound range. Delightful fried. Very prolific! I am out of these seeds right now, but hope to have more soon.
Sunday, May 24, 2009
A very special blue ribbon goes to Kentucky’s own Julie Maruskin for discovering and promoting local heirlooms. We can thank Julie for finding Rebecca Sebastian’s Bull Bag, Butler Skinner, and Depp’s Pink Firefly. She has also selected and improved a paste tomato that is now known as Maruskin’s Andes.
Julie also conducts classes in how to grow tomatoes, and grows out many varieties every year in her own garden. Last year she grew many oxheart and paste tomatoes, along with many others. This is what she reports about some of them:
"Paste/ Italian : tried Mike's Italian, Sarnowski Polish Plum, Lusignan's Special, Powers Heirloom, and Old Man (from Sylvia Davatz in Vermont thru SeedSavers). I grew Andes out again, of course, and I liked it and Lusignan's the best, although Powers was the most productive and the fruits kept longer. For oxhearts: Burland Burdette's Indian (did so poorly I couldn't save seed), Orange Strawberry (an accidental cross or mis-labeled seed, again thru SeedSavers), Verna Orange (first prize for orange oxhearts for me, as usual). Hartford was a big wonderful surprise, and I will definitely grow it again - great red oxheart, 12-18 oz. BiColor cherry was fun, but actually seemed to be disease prone - and I grew Carbon, which was very nice, just not as productive for me as I would have liked"
This is just a sampling from her tomato garden!
I want to give Julie a big THANK YOU for finding these three terrific tomato varieties for all of us, and I hope she keeps her eyes open for more treasures :).
Depp’s Pink Firefly (right)
Rebecca Sebastian’s Bull Bag (left)
Julie also conducts classes in how to grow tomatoes, and grows out many varieties every year in her own garden. Last year she grew many oxheart and paste tomatoes, along with many others. This is what she reports about some of them:
"Paste/ Italian : tried Mike's Italian, Sarnowski Polish Plum, Lusignan's Special, Powers Heirloom, and Old Man (from Sylvia Davatz in Vermont thru SeedSavers). I grew Andes out again, of course, and I liked it and Lusignan's the best, although Powers was the most productive and the fruits kept longer. For oxhearts: Burland Burdette's Indian (did so poorly I couldn't save seed), Orange Strawberry (an accidental cross or mis-labeled seed, again thru SeedSavers), Verna Orange (first prize for orange oxhearts for me, as usual). Hartford was a big wonderful surprise, and I will definitely grow it again - great red oxheart, 12-18 oz. BiColor cherry was fun, but actually seemed to be disease prone - and I grew Carbon, which was very nice, just not as productive for me as I would have liked"
This is just a sampling from her tomato garden!
I want to give Julie a big THANK YOU for finding these three terrific tomato varieties for all of us, and I hope she keeps her eyes open for more treasures :).
Depp’s Pink Firefly (right)
Rebecca Sebastian’s Bull Bag (left)
Sunday, April 19, 2009
BONANZA of Kentucky Heirlooms!
Thieneman’s Herbs and Perennials of Louisville gets a Blue Ribbon for their selection of more than one hundred varieties of heirloom tomato plants. Tomato mentor Gary Millwood told me, "We are showcasing a large number of Kentucky Heirloom Tomato varieties, perhaps the largest number ever brought together at one time."Heirloom Tomatoes, Peppers, and Eggplants will be available. April 24th (Friday) and 25th. Gary and I will be there on Friday to celebrate the start of the Tomato Season, along with tomatoaddict Terry and other online tomato fans. Come on down!
Nursery opens at 9:00 am on both days. The weather prediction is for "beautiful."
www.thienemans.com/
These photos were taken from their website.
9120 Blowing Tree Road - Louisville, KY
Off Hurstbourne Pkwy (map on website)
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Seedsman Class Blue Ribbon
Micki in Kansas gets a blue ribbon for her work in establishing her seed catalog, Skyfire Garden Seeds. The photos are two tomatoes Skyfire offers, Earl of Edgecomb and Adelia (top).
She writes: "I have a very, very small company - a labor of love rather than a large business - just one person (with my husband's help), working in my spare time after my regular job. I'm devoted to preserving heirloom vegetables and will continue to grow out as many as I can. I also enjoy communicating with other gardeners."
Micki also wrote to me: "I'm amazed at the sudden increase in catalog requests in the last week! I hope it is not just people growing food because of the economy, meaning that I hope people really check out how to grow plants, so they succeed."
Micki is also modest. Skyfire's print catalog is 14 newsprint pages, and has over 125 varieties of heirloom tomatoes, plus other vegetables, flowers, and herbs, PLUS several mouthwatering recipes for all your produce. You can download a full catalog and order online at:
Micki receives another blue ribbon in the Animals category for her promotion of guinea hogs, "a very rare breed of pig which are in danger of becoming extinct." Guinea hogs are much smaller than a full size production breed, making them ideal for the small homestead. To learn more about them:
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