Attack of these Killer Tomatoes

(CLICK PICTURES TO ENLARGE AND ENJOY)

But seriously, these are killer tomatoes and so many different varieties too, even without including the life-changing Sungolds that may or may not be a large part of my reason to leave Rockefeller Plaza for the Rockefeller Estate.  Before we slice into the names and flavors of this year's colorful crew, let's discuss what defines an heirloom variety, a term so often flaunted around at summer markets.  Unfortunately this term, although commonly used to describe specifically bred vegetables, is missing one standard and widely-accepted...

Pic of the Week

(CLICK PICTURES TO ENLARGE AND ENJOY)

Continuing our conversation on the Asteraceae family, a sunflower is another great example of a Pseudanthium.  These greenhouse grown sunflowers are doing much better than the field sunflowers which I believe has to do with our ability to control a lot of the variables effecting plant growths such as wind, water, weeds and pests to a certain extent.  Additionally, controlling all of those factors helps us maintain a more consistent soil.  This variety of sunflowers are called...

False Flowers: There's Power in Numbers

(CLICK PICTURES TO ENLARGE AND ENJOY)

Back in May, right before I started working full time on the farm, I helped the terrace team plant some Dahlias.  We buried the...

Acting "as if"

"How I live my life, that is my teaching"

- Mahatma Gandhi

(CLICK  PICTURES TO ENLARGE AND ENJOY)

One of the beautiful things about farming are the moments of intense thoughtfulness that come with each task.  A goal is set i.e. prep a bed,  pull a bed, seed a bed, etc., the proper tools are gathered and the task is mapped out, then the work begins.  In these moments there is the need to find balance and focus.  Wandering thoughts come and go trying to break my concentration, thoughts of the future, reminders of the past, yet it's always important to come back to the task at hand and ensure that I am doing what I need to do and to do it well.  Recently I was working in the greenhouse in the late afternoon, there is something incredible about this "4 O'Clock" sun that puts a golden glisten on everything it touches as you can see above.  I've found that my best work gets done extra early in the morning and extra late in the afternoon.  Even if I'm having a sluggish midday and I think that I'm too tired to do good work, all of a sudden the sun begins its descent and a newfound energy arises in me.  This must be the nocturnal cityboy in me acting up again.  This particular afternoon, I caught myself in a familiar thought, something that I remember motivating me throughout my basketball days practicing alone late at night when all the coaches and players were home and it was just me and the game.  I started thinking about...

Growtown Motown

(CLICK TRAILER TO WATCH AND ENJOY)

The more I search, the more I find.  Last week I went down to Brooklyn for a screening of The Greenhorns, a film being shown around the country discussing the emergence of young farmers in America today.  A manifesto of sorts, the film looks to create awareness and empower the idea of change by exemplifying some of what is currently being done in the world of locally sourced food.  While there I met many people interested in food, farming and working on other projects of their own including...