This is a rather amazing story of cold climate tomato production. Now we have Maine tomatoes to go with Maine potatoes.
Although I no longer buy tomatoes, I'm curious to try these that are grown hydroponically in stonewool.
I am forewarned however by this quote from the article. “They don’t make a tomato that my grandmother would have liked,” Mr. Papadopoulos said. “They make a tomato that my son would like or my daughter would like.” What an interesting comment this is about the evolution of our taste buds, or "no-taste buds" if you will.
I lived in Miami in the early '70s which was right about the time growers in Homestead switched from "eating tomatoes" to "shipping tomatoes". That was a sad day in the U-pick fields. Enter the age of grow your own in sub-irrigated planters (SIPs).
Article via NY Times
Slideshow via NY Times
An icy mixture of rain and sleet fell on the glass roof of Greenhouse Two at Backyard Farms here, but as its big blue door slid open and the warm, green, celery smell of tomato plants wafted out, it was summer.