The tomato tasting at the Rutgers farm yesterday

larry@stinescorner · Aug 30, 2018

Went with my neighbor to the Rutgers farm in Pittstown NJ yesterday

Its a 300 acre farm that was donated to Rutgers university,with stipulations that it be used for research and development

We are walking in now

Now its tomato tasting time!Over 120 varieties of tomatoes,,all grown and picked on this farm,

Different tents for cherry,medium sized,and large

Salt shakers,plates and forks at every table

Volunteers and members of a garden club help putting everything out,its well organized for sure

The bigger tomatoes are cut bite sized,all the varietys are labeled and displayed

under each table,,bins and bins of beautiful tomatoes

A tent with all local honey,,the producers were there,,and samples given out with little spoons.You could talk to the beekeepers and ask any question.It was amazing tasting honey of all different sources,,wildflower,clover ,buckwheat,,some honey was light,some dark

Also was a tent with peach samples ,apples,,and asian pears,,all picked at the Rutgers farm

they really grow some beautiful stuff there for sure

For the 10 dollar entry fee,,taste all you want,ice cold water coolers and cups everywhere,,and a long tour ride of the whole farm!On a wagon,,pulled by a JD!!
!

They had two JD s running continually,no waiting in line very long!

Lets go for a ride?

Many tomato patches

Many beautiful sweetcorn patches

Afield of basil

That is hops,I Had never seen it before,some of the empty spots had been harvested

We are riding through the orchards of apple,asian pear and peach trees

What do you think?

rrlund · Aug 30, 2018

The wife had a tasting at our August tractor club meeting. She donated a dozen or more plants that were auctioned off at our fund raiser in May. She took a whole basket full of different varieties to the meeting and cut them up for people to try so they'd have an idea of what they might want next year.

grandpa Love · Aug 30, 2018

That looks like a near perfect
day! Well , maybe if an old Ford
was pulling the wagon........

coshoo · Aug 30, 2018

I could have made a very nice lunch out of tomato tasting. Which was your favorite?

larry@stinescorner · Aug 30, 2018

Thats why the one driver was comically covering his face,,he was a FORD guy,,,lol

jersey6620 · Aug 30, 2018

Cool to see, thanks for posting these. I didn't know they did this, that's not far from me.
Interesting to see they are growing hops. We are a few years into growing them, didn't know Rutgers planted any. I will have to reach out.

Richard G. · Aug 30, 2018

Thanks for the photos Larry. Looks like a fun day. Did you see any Cherokee Purple tomatoes?
Those are my favorite.
Richard

larry@stinescorner · Aug 30, 2018

there was many,,but Abe Lincoln stood out to me and purple cherokee ,,but they were all good,I didnt like some of the green type,and some of the yellow were kind of bla tasting

larry@stinescorner · Aug 30, 2018

yep,,tried it,,and liked it!

larry@stinescorner · Aug 30, 2018

they are willing to answer or help in many ways,They just developed a new fungus resistant basil,,it was a very big discovery? on their part,it should be available next year they say

larry@stinescorner · Aug 30, 2018

They had printed out lists anyone could take home ,The list had all the varieties,and where you could get them.My friend saved seeds of ones he liked,in a napkin,labeled,then in a bag. Hes gonna grow some next season and give me a plant of each if they grow,,lol

larry@stinescorner · Aug 30, 2018

I took a couple of lists,if Mrs Lund wants one Ill drop it in the mail? Just let me know Ill mail it to her.

rrlund · Aug 30, 2018

Our counter tops are completely covered with coffee filters with seeds on them right now. She ferments them in some concoction for a while then dries them on those filters before she bags them up in those tiny little zip lock bags. It's that time of year.

rrlund · Aug 30, 2018

Thanks Larry,but I doubt there's anything she doesn't already have. We went to some heirloom seed swap this spring and there was nothing there that she doesn't already have. She has well over 1000 varieties of seeds in her possession.

larry@stinescorner · Aug 30, 2018

What is her favorite?

rrlund · Aug 30, 2018

Whatever's on her plate at the time. lol
She'd got odd colored and misshapen things that a lot of people won't even try,but she sits here eating them all. A few years ago she didn't even grow anything that I could identify as a tomato. I asked here after that to please plant something big and red that looked like a tomato for me to eat.

grayrider · Aug 30, 2018

That looked like a fun day, I would have enjoyed tasting the
tomatoes or as we call them down south , ?maters?.

larry@stinescorner · Aug 30, 2018

I would like to meet her. I planted over 40 plants in our backyard,,,some people think Im nuts.Its nice to know there are other nuts out there too! lol

rrlund · Aug 30, 2018

I think she has 47 plants here at home,plus some in my son's garden and she has our niece growing some so she can get the seeds back from her. It's gone from a hobby to a full time obsession.

WI Dan · Aug 30, 2018

I would love to learn a thing or two from your wife Randy. Tomatos are fun and easy to work with.

johnlobb · Aug 30, 2018

Larry, I met her in Oakley. We had a real nice talk about tomatos, and I learned a lot about fighting off blight. I have canned 62 quarts this year off my 9 plants, and for canning, I really love the Amish Paste tomato. It's the first year I have grown it, and it's a nice firm meaty tomato that the skin is pretty thick and comes off in usually only 2-3 pieces.

larry@stinescorner · Aug 30, 2018

I need info on fighting off blight it was bad this year in nj

WI Dan · Aug 30, 2018

What is blight?
Is that where the lower leaves turn yellow then brown and flake off? I get that all the time.

Hay hay hay · Aug 30, 2018

Interesting you would mention misshapen. My wife grows a lot of tomatos and several are heirloom varieties. Many varieties produce very ugly, funky shaped tomatos that would never sell in a store, But they are delicious! I understand why we buy pretty produce,... but.

dahlin · Aug 30, 2018

Larry you Sir are a lucky man I would have loved it there. we grow all of are own tomatoes from seed and have had a good crop this year but we have a very short growing season so days to maturity are important.

larry@stinescorner · Aug 30, 2018

Do these look like Amish paste?I grew them,,when I bought the plants,they were labeled as San Marzano.My friend Jim says they are not San Marzano,,but may be Amish Paste or Roma,I dont know,,they were thick walled and not juicy,but did make a good sauce for spaghetti..lol

larry@stinescorner · Aug 30, 2018

I had good luck with Early Girl,,its 57 days,its not a big tomato,but tasty and produced a lot

larry@stinescorner · Aug 30, 2018

yes,,and it keeps going up the plant eventually all the leaves could die

john in la · Aug 30, 2018

I wonder how many of those seeds will breed true with all the different varieties they had growing in close proximity of each other.
Tomatoes will cross pollinate. It does not effect this years fruit but the seeds will be a cross.

larry@stinescorner · Aug 30, 2018

I really cant answer that,,he did choose open pollinated ones ,not hybrids,,Im not sure,,we should ask Mrs Lund she will know .I dont know much about the seed saving because I never had a place setup to grow my own seedlings inside.

Ande · Aug 30, 2018

Yep, Roma's are great canners, I have 6 plants at my farm and they are full of them

SweetFeet · Aug 30, 2018

Larry,
Looks like a blast... nothing better than
summer fresh tomatoes... and a ride behind a tractor.

Kickinbull · Aug 31, 2018

A neighbor this spring gave us a couple of Cherokee sets. We don?t care for the taste. They are high acid, sweet and full of water. Makes a mess of tomato sandwich.

larry@stinescorner · Aug 31, 2018

Thats why this tomato tasting was to me such a great idea,,,each person can find the one they like.It was lots of fun and interesting.To me they were all good,,just some better than others,,,lol

The tomato tasting at the Rutgers farm yesterday

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