There is an almost magical quality for tomatoes and a tomato farm is a place that I can close my eyes and picture myself there, I can even smell it! So when you meet a guy who goes by Tony Tomato, you really expect him to deliver. And having had tomatoes that Tony White aka St. Louis’ own Tony Tomato grew, it was just a matter of time before I convinced him to come on the show!

(A transcript of our conversation with Tony Tomato generated via AI is available.)

Becoming Tony Tomato

I met Tony one evening as a group was having an incredible dinner at a local restaurant and winery called Edgewild. There was a spread of appetizers when we walked in and the tomatoes immediately caught my eye. So when we were all introduced to Tony Tomato a bit later, he got a fantastic reception! What I didn’t know then was that Tony had undergone a lot of career volatility and stress that lead him to try gardening as a stress reliever. Next thing he knew, he was the tomato farm connection!

He had long worked with the Yellow Pages in a marketing role and that was beginning to drop off. He took up a new hobby and started growing vegetables. And on the work side, he began building a business that had an accreditation process, to help people find the most reliable, efficient roofing companies, etc but he kept hitting roadblocks and challenges.

Tony said the garden faced some challenges but as he got the feel for it, he was producing incredible tomatoes and other vegetables. He grew more than his family and friends could eat, can or anything else. There was a restaurant across the street he approached, next thing he knew, a chef from another restaurant saw the load of tomatoes and wanted in on the action. Tony said his kids were with him that night and were mind-blown at how badly the chefs wanted the vine-ripened tomatoes. He left with a good feeling, some money for the kids back-to-school

As he talked to a mentor, he laughed about how well his hobby had gotten and how he had started selling tomatoes to a few restaurants. The mentor asked why Tony was fighting it, why not go for the business that sells itself and Tony had his aha moment and that garden was en route to a tomato farm.

A Tomato Farm Focuses on Taste & Color

Specializing in the tomato niche, is an unusual one and Tony says he sources great red tomatoes all year long as well as various heirlooms, cherry tomatoes, etc. The taste and depth of color are both priorities whether looking at yellow, orange, red or deep purples. Once it’s plated, it’s something to see.

That means choosing just a handful of varieties to plant himself at various intervals so he can have a consistent supply through an extended growing season and then working with others to fill out the rest of the year. He points out this is a premium, not the tomatoes picked green and shipped in bulk to be ripened later.

Nothing grabs his heart faster than a tomato salad! Just look at this one from his @tonytomato_tomatotony Instagram.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Tony White (@tonytomato_tomatotony)

Covid Throws Curves

Working so closely with restaurants, Tony’s tomato farm was a bit shaky during the early days of the pandemic, but he saw some pivots and making them led to a range of other opportunities. He established home delivery, expanding to do produce boxes that offer a wealth of fresh produce grown locally. The boxes filled a great need with the gaps in the food supply chain.

And Tony also does produce boxes working with Operation Food Search… look at the box!

 

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A post shared by Tony White (@tonytomato_tomatotony)

Find Tony Tomato Online

Tony shares photos that will make you drool on the @tonytomato_tomatotony Instagram and Facebook as Tony’s Family Farms Tony Tomato. And he has an email newsletter that includes a range of updates through the Tony’s Family Farms website.

The post How a Need to Relieve Stress Started a Tomato Farm / Business appeared first on Grounded by the Farm.

Last spring I bought audio & hardbound copies of a book about black farmers in the presale…. I got my copies as the book arrived at the first book stores! This book has now become a go to for me in recommending materials, but I had missed sharing it here. Knowing how many of us really seek to learn more about black history, especially during the month of February, I wanted to come back to the review it here.

Please note:  This post includes links to purchase the book on Amazon, which may result in income for the website. 

The book I’m talking about is We Are Each Other’s Harvest by Natalie Baszile. I took both audio & hard bound with me on a long road trip. Once I had “read” it, I posted a review on Amazon since many friends who have written books tell me reviews help people make purchases.

Few Black Farmers Remain

I thought I got it. As someone who has worked in agriculture for decades, I know it is too rare for people of color to be at the various conferences & events for farming. I’ve been lucky enough to get to know several black farmers though over the years, and I have learned pieces of their family’s histories and challenges during various visits.

I have watched documentaries and followed lawsuits and knew families who have been afraid of their land being stolen like their neighbors experienced. I knew black farmers faced obstacles in trying to secure loans, purchase land or equipment, get fair prices, etc. As I started my consulting business, I sought out connections with black farmers and volunteered with the National Black Growers Council (NBGC). You’ve heard interviews with some of them here, I especially think of Lloyd Johnson who shared his family’s history with me at the desert table one night and later shared his history on the podcast. I even met the author Natalie Baszile at the NBGC annual meeting.

And yet, I never had the full picture of what has happened over the years.

Researching a Book About Black Farmers

I found Baszile through the novel Queen Sugar and the NBGC and she speaks openly about her father’s desire to leave Louisiana and the racism faced there. Natalie returned to those family roots and found her novel there. She also met farmers who would inform this book. To see her create a world of sugarcane was impressive as sugarcane farmers see their reality in her work of fiction. So to see her dive head first into non-fiction, I anticipated good work, but it’s great.

Baszile has done a depth of research that astounds me. She has taken time to get to know farmers personally. She was a trusted ear for them to talk to and she had done the research with public records to put the anecdotes of individual farmers in context.

The combination of historical research and individual family’s stories makes the book incredibly powerful and I have to say, it hit so hard that I was compelled to read it in a single week, though I occasionally had to step away because the shameful reality that America has still not treated these black farm families equally is a hard reality to sit with. But I couldn’t stay away long as I wondered what came next.

She interviewed people I consider friends and yet I didn’t always know some of the trials their families had faced. Like many of us, hard history isn’t a regular when having small talk or whatever.

The only criticism I have was with the audiobook version, it is a bit harder to understand the shift in gears between chapters since there are a few different types — profiles of farms, historical perspective, essay contributors, etc. The interview parts with farmers felt best understood in print for me when I can picture the farmers and have those deeper voices and the various Southern dialects in my head rather than hearing the reading. Picking up the printed one, the difference seems much clearer.

It Leaves You Thinking A Lot

While I often think so many farmers would like to say they never benefited at the cost of black farmers in their area, it is abundantly clear many have. And because the system perpetuated it, Baszile and some of the other writers she includes in the book speak to that and the systemic issues and some of the options to chart the path forward.

She brought to me a new understanding of the importance of anti-racism work in the food & agriculture space. Thanks Natalie Baszile for writing the book I needed to read and look at. More of us need to grapple with the uncomfortable reality that is detailed in great depth here.

The post We Are Each Other’s Harvest, Detailing History in a Book About Black Farmers appeared first on Grounded by the Farm.

For so long, black farmers have been overlooked, underestimated and more by many. It is an honor to share the stories on the podcast from families have long been part of food production. Black History Month is a time to pause and look at the many contributions black Americans have had on our country, our culture and ourselves. In celebration of Black History Month, I wanted to highlight some of these farmers’ voices and showcase their accomplishments and the accomplishments of generations before.

Black History in Farming that Pre-Dates Lincoln’s Presidency

Lloyd Johnson talks through all of that as a black man who has been farming on a large scale for much of his 80-plus years in this episode. He talks about the farm’s history dating back to the days before Abraham Lincoln’s presidency as well as some of the challenges and shifts he has seen first-hand.

His wisdom and life lessons extend well beyond what it is like to be a farmer to some of the things that make it a bit different since he is a black farmer. We ask him for advice for people looking to get into farming, about the creation of generational wealth, as well as some of the changes he’s seen in the St. Louis metro area.

Mr Johnson is not on social media, but is an active member of the National Black Growers Council. For more information about  National Black Growers Council check out the linked website or connect on social media at:

• Twitter @NBGC100
• Facebook National Black Growers Council
• Instagram @nationalblackgrowerscouncil

Urban Farming & Urban Gardens a Way to Honor Black History

Empowering others to produce food for themselves and their families came to Natasha Nicholes through her family history. Her grandmother grew an amazing garden and her cooking skills always left Natasha wanting more.

She has been building a community garden, urban farm & community for years now. She started locally, growing a few plants at a condo and grew to a backyard before getting permission to plant lots on Chicago’s South Side & online. Her community lives the moniker “We Sow We Grow” meeting gardeners where they are and seeing all celebrate each other’s accomplishments and helping them manage challenges.

How to connect with Natasha

• The We Sow We Grow Gardening Chat community on Facebook and WeSowWeGrow on Instagram are primary channels.
• Following on social media you can discover virtual events to help you plan for spring & summer!
• Natasha Nicholes’ blog Houseful of Nicholes  she has a category that shares a lot of gardening information including some projects to do with your kids  she walks through basics like how to read a seed packet.

Growing Purple Hull Peas, Young Black Farmer Terren Moore Keeps Focus on the Future

Texan Terren Moore saw a lot of demand for vegetables locally while in high school. He started a backyard garden at the age of 15 & it wasn’t long until he was expanding to use more land. He’s now nine seasons into the business and investing in capital and improving the farm’s environmental footprint.

We talk about how, as a young black man, he is creating multiple income streams for the future. He explains his business that grew from his family’s love of peas and how education, hands-on experience & customer service make the difference. And he shares his grandmom’s secret for peas that he could eat every day for the rest of his life!

Find Terren on social media

• Instagram Moore.Terren
• Twitter @MooreTerren
• Facebook Moore Farms & Insurance

Ugandan Fish Farmer Produces Fresh Tilapia & Encourages Small Farms

Though Black History Month focuses on the United States, it felt right to include Jean Kaahwa in this list. His challenges may be different, but like the farmers I talked to above, he is also working hard to lift up his community. Jean farms tilapia in Uganda, in Lake Victoria and is working with farmers throughout the country.

In this episode, we talk with Jean about Uganda and the role agriculture plays in the country as well as a wealth of projects he has started as he teaches fellow African farmers how to farm fish. Fish is a growing part of many diets and is a critical protein source for many folks. We cover a lot of ground in this episode including the Ugandan landscape, smallholder farms, exports and getting youth engaged in farming.

You can connect with Africa Agri-Business Services via aagribusiness.com and the company’s social media too as well as look for Kaahwa Jean on LinkedIn.

Connect with Grounded by the Farm Online

We love connecting with listeners/readers online. You can find and follow our podcast in almost any app out there. In fact if you find a platform we aren’t on, please let us know so we can add it!

• GroundedbytheFarm.com for photos & videos, blog posts, show notes, and more. You can even get new content emailed once a week by subscribing.
• Find your favorite foods on our website 
• Grounded by the Farm Facebook Page 
• Groundedbythefarm_ on Instagram 
• Grounded by the Farm on Youtube
• @groundedbythef on Twitter 

The post Saluting Black Farmers for Black History Month appeared first on Grounded by the Farm.

Texan Terren Moore saw a lot of demand for vegetables locally while in high school and next thing he knew, he was growing purple hull peas in the backyard.

He was just 15 years old then and participating in FFA activities at high school. And although he laughs as he tells us why he signed up for an agricultural class, he admits it turned a different way and lit a spark for him!

His farming start? Growing Purple Hull Peas

Terren started a backyard garden at the age of 15. His dad was growing purple hull peas when Terren was a child, his dad’s job had pulled him another direction. Terren provided the family peas in exchange for his their support and would sell the rest. It wasn’t long til he was expanding to use more land. He’s now nine seasons into the business and investing in capital and improving the farm’s environmental footprint.

During our interview, we talk about how, as a young black man, he is creating multiple income streams for the future. And he explains his business that grew from his family’s love of peas and how education, hands-on experience & customer service make the difference.

And he shares his grandmom’s secret for peas that he could eat everyday for the rest of his life!

You may also enjoy hearing from these other black farmers.

Links Mentioned in the Show

• Episode 122 interview with Lloyd Johnson — The History of Being a Black Farmer, Johnson Family Farm Precede Lincoln’s Presidency 
• Where to find Terren Moore on social media:
  • Instagram Moore.Terren
  • Twitter @MooreTerren
  • Facebook Moore Farms & Insurance
• Where to find Grounded by the Farm on social media:
  • GroundedbytheFarm.com for photos, blog posts, show notes and more
  • Ask the Farmers Facebook Page
  • Groundedbythefarm_ on Instagram
  • Grounded by the Farm on Youtube
  • @groundedbythef on Twitter
• Video of Terren (on Facebook) — Look at Terren’s operation while he was in school

The post Growing Purple Hull Peas, Young Black Farmer Terren Moore Keeps Focus on the Future appeared first on Grounded by the Farm.

Building a community garden & the community that inspires more people to grow food in their backyard has driven Natasha Nicholes to do great things on Chicago’s South Side & online.

Family Passion for Gardening

Natasha talks happily about the sense of wonder her Granny Blackburn created for her as a child. Going to visit her grandmom would yield exciting times in the garden and great meals to come.

Now, years later, Natasha is not only creating that excitement for her own children, but by building a community garden, she’s making it available to children throughout the neighborhood. The photo below shows Natasha, her husband Shomari & their younger children to the left with some of the garden’s volunteers.

A Community Garden Growing Pride

We Sow We Grow is a community garden non-profit that offers a lot of educational opportunities to the neighborhood the Nicholes family now calls home. The garden teaches residents about plants, pests, how to provide fresh vegetables for your home and more.

There are a number of volunteers in Chicago, others who get exposure to the program and feel empowered to garden at home too! And the community has grown to support gardeners across the US too thanks to a We Sow We Grow Gardening Chat Facebook group.

Natasha says she loves how many in the neighborhood see the urban farm as a point of pride. She says neighbors even tell people in other burbs that “you’ve got to see this.”

Growing in Containers & Square Foot Gardening 

Natasha got her start 7 years ago, planting a few things in containers and once she found square foot gardening, she says she realized everyone should be doing it!

To plant a square foot garden, you learn what plants do well sharing space with each other and can grow corn along with vining plants that will use the corn plants as a trellis and the like.

A Visit to the Community Garden

Last May, I was in Chicago for work and had a chance to get to the garden with Natasha and the younger Nicholes. You can get a feel for the number of raised beds they have in this live video I shot while there and knowing they are all managed by the foot… wowzers!

Ways to Get Involved with We Sow We Grow

With the excitement and promise of gardening seeming to resonate with more and more people, the We Sow We Grow Gardening Chat community on Facebook is a great place to go for ideas and information.

The group is really active and includes both new and established gardeners across the US. Personally, I love that everyone there remembers and celebrates that joy of a first seedling, the first pepper of the season or whatever it is you want to celebrate!

You can support We Sow We Grow through PayPal donations as well as buying various products like the “Dirty by Nature” t-shirts on TeeSpring. I love mine and had to wear it last spring when I went to the garden!  

Natasha Nicholes’ blog Houseful of Nicholes includes a category that shares a lot of gardening information including making a mason jar garden with your kids she walks through basics like how to read a seed packet

Listen to the Podcast to Hear

Some of the other topics covered in this podcast includes:

• Becoming a master urban farmer / master gardener 
• Talking about tough years & good years
• Creating community & a non-profit
• Lots of people turning to gardening 
• Difference in scale farm – garden 
• Growing all the things 
• Planning to Plant 
• Where to Start 

You may also enjoy hearing from these other black farmers.

The post Building a Community Garden in Chicago and Online appeared first on Grounded by the Farm.