Time for Tomatoes!

Every day at the farm is one to be celebrated,

whether we are planting, picking, prepping the land or stealing an early taste

photo by Jerry James Stone
during his stop at our farm on his Chevy Volt Tour

And, like a parent, you don't want to have a favorite, 

but c'mon, it's hard not to be especially excited on tomato planting day! 

So, while we may have indulged in some "tomato talk" last month (in March,) 

we were really talking tomatoes on this late April morning, 

when we put 500 of our babies in the soil at the farm. 

Even Executive Chef John Toulze got into planting 

And, they truly are "our babies," since all of the tomatoes 

we planted at the farm are starts from seeds 

we planted at the greenhouse behind "the fig." 

this tray can hold up to 1500 lbs of tomatoes!

this pineapple tomato start is 6 weeks old

just one of several truck loads of tomato starts
that went from fig to farm
(and will eventually go back to "the fig" when harvested and served to you!

Planting the tomatoes is really a labor of love, 

with emphasis on both labor and love–all done by hand 

and each one carefully planted. 

 Local Landscapers works with us, overseeing planting and maintenance 

at the farm at Imagery Estate Winery.  

Matt from Local Landscapers offers these tips 

for planting tomatoes to ensure healthy and abundant plants: 

The stems of these young starts are very fragile and the moment of 

putting them in the soil is a critical one, so try not to handle the stem too much, 

in fact don't hold the plant by the stem if you can help it. 

To remove the plant from its plastic pot, spread your fingers around the stem 

as you gingerly turn it over and "dump" the plant into your hands.

Gently steady the plant by holding the leaves 

as you get it into position for planting.

Here are some other tips about planting tomatoes.

Seems appropriate that Executive Chef John Toulze 

would plant the first tomato of 2013 season.

We are looking forward to when he gets his hands 

on this red gem once it is harvested! 

first tomato planted for 2013

can't wait till John is doing this
(photo from last summer)

But, of course it is these "sugar plum visions" dancing in our heads

that inspires us as we work. 

tomato watermelon salad photo by
Steven Krause for
Plats du Jour: the girl & the fig's Journey Through the Seasons in Wine Country

Check back next week for a rundown of some 

of the varieties of tomatoes we are planting,

including some new ones not tried before.  

Out of the 800 plants we have, there will be a rainbow of tomatoes.

What are some of your favorite tomatoes?