FRESH FROM THE FARM
A monthly column on sustainable agriculture, humane husbandry & artisanal food production
Originally published in Northside San Francisco June 2006
Elston Family Farm tomatoes still in season
Nothing says summer like a red ripe tomato. When I was a kid growing up in the South, we’d pick them from our garden or bring them home from visits to my grandparents, whose friends always seemed to show up carrying paper bags full of the homegrown variety. Nowadays I buy my tomatoes from the Elston Family Farm at the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market. Father-and-daughter team Dennis and Mary plant 1300 “Trust” tomato plants in their two greenhouses down in San Miguel, about 200 miles south of San Francisco, staggering the planting 3-4 weeks apart so the tomatoes will ripen at different times. Every Saturday from mid-March through early July, they make the 6-hour round trip to the farmer’s market to sell their tomatoes, which are a runaway hit. Early in the season they might load up as many as 800 pounds a week. Later on it dwindles to 500 pounds, which often sell out in the first 3 hours the market is open.
Like many farmers these days, the Elstons grow their tomatoes according to strict organic principles but haven’t gotten officially certified because it’s cost prohibitive. Dennis waters the plants every day, while Mary prunes them once a week and does all the picking. They use organic fertilizers and spray garlic oil on the plants to keep away pests like aphids, which can suck the juices from the tomatoes and transmit diseases to the plants. The result is luscious, organically grown beefsteak tomatoes that tend towards the sweet side. Pass the salt and pepper, please.
The Goods – organic tomatoes, cucumbers
The Markets – Ferry Plaza Farmer’s Market on Saturdays (in season)
Fun fact - Neither Mary nor Dennis likes to eat tomatoes!
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