Friday, March 20, 2009

Tomato Bliss...

Welcome to our friendly neighborhood organic tomato farm. It's run by a good family friend named Jim. We love Jim. He's an organic tomato farming genius of glory.

For those of you who don't know, my father runs the church greenhouses for the LDS church in Salt Lake City...so I am most at home in a greenhouse. It's in my blood. I was raised being able to go out to the garden and pick tomatoes and corn for dinner. I didn't realize how unusual that was until after I was married. Whenever I miss my dad the most, I want to smell good clean dirt. Jim didn't even roll his eyes at my deep inhaling of the greenhouse smell. It actually smelled like a fish pond. Which I found was from an organic fish based compound he was using to naturally fertilize the beautiful greens. He's showed us a lot this week. Sometimes I almost ache for that rhythm of life that only a plant nurturer knows. So...it has been really amazing to spend some time here with Jim. Almost like being home. Plus it has been crazy fun to see my boys raking and pulling weeds. Every kid on earth should get the chance to appreciate an honest day's work on a farm. It's good for the character.

So, here's a small corner of Paradise...



It seems almost ironic that someone who drives fast for a living could also be such a calm nurturing soul. Jim worked with my husband Ace out racing fast cars for GM. Really...not the kind of macho job I would associate with the same kind of spirit who would love seeing tomatoes grow. Yet, grow they do. Aren't they getting big? I can't wait to see the finer workings of his system of growing. I did get to smell the fish juice he feeds them. Organic is the way to go! Um...for the plants. I won't be sippin' a cool glass of fish juice any time soon! Wait, unless I am guaranteed a figure like this tall slender vine...


Once they get a little bigger we will see his system for stringing up the vines and maximizing his greenhouse space. It's quite remarkable! So...I will definitely keep everyone posted. Thanks Jim for letting us invade the land of Tomato Bliss! I don't think it's something I ever want to miss again.

There you go.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

It sounds like heaven on earth on this farm!

Chef Tess said...

I miss my childhood heaven on earth so much it's unreal! You wouldn't believe the void it fills to just be out there! Jim is really doing me a huge favor letting me come and sniff the dirt!