Yo what's up haulms?

Today, man what a day, it has stopped raining every ten minutes, and the temp is in the high 70's and the Springfield like sky that would have made Homer happy. I have been digging new potatoes all day today. Making food is lots of hard work, so come and hang out at Kennett Squares Farm Market this Friday with me or Big D and Amy on Sunday at Headhouse. 

I love digging potatoes,  not grabbling them, but really digging them. I love potatoes because they have there own lexicon. Grabbling is the act of digging 'new potatoes' while not digging up the entire plant. so you dig in rob some new spuds and let the plant keep on keeping on. Haulms is the English term for the green above ground part of the potato and new potatoes, does not mean that I genetically modified them, it means (with most varieties) that when the Haulms flower you can dig the spuds and eat the best thing that comes out of the ground.

Also potatoes make me feel like a Hobbit, maybe because my feet are filthy, or my brain is sun baked. I love the hard work and smell of the soil and how every time you turn the soil and there is this mass of tubers and my 4 year old niece standing next to me yells every time, like she is opening a birthday present. 

Here are some of the prizes of the day. Starting in the upper left hand corner is a new one for me, it is called Inca's Gold. BOOM! this is a long season storing spud, but I lifted them now. The plants where about 4 feet tall and the root system is massive. The flesh is bright yellow and the skin is yellow with stripes of purple. The ones on the bottom is purple viking, this wonderful looking spud is pure white on the inside and purple and pink on the outside. This potato really needs a new marketing rep. it should be called purple haze or at least techno viking. 

The one in the upper right hand corner is Ozette. OK, so Spanish explores picked up this potato in Peru and took it with them as they traveled up the coast, they gave it to the Makah Indians in Washington State and some how it ends up in my dirty little hands.

Later

so long Mr. Jackson

I am not sure I want to farm in a world without

Michael. 

Odd little fellow, but just watch the video and enjoy.

Man that is a great song.

Mache pit

So my buddy was in from Colorado this week and besides all the drinking and fishing, I gave them a farm tour,  My friend said he reads my blog and wanted to know why the punk rock farmer.

So here is the story.

It all started on a summer day while on summer break, and shopping with my mom I bought a cassette tape for my brand new Miami vice inspired tape deck, it was teal green with gray and orange buttons, Very cool.

When we got home I took my new Suicidal Tendencies tape to my bedroom and pugged it into my player. The tape started playing and I was never so scared in my life, so I turned it right off. It was pure evil and I needed to take it to the basement.

So life goes on and skate boards and punk rock filled days, then in 88 Youth of Today released Your not in this alone. The band was really in  Vegetarianism and Hare Krishnaism. In the liner notes they had info about PETA and books by Peter Singer. I read Animal Liberation and became a Vegetarian, we all go thru weak points in our lives. 

Back then Health Food stores were the only places that you could find Veg. food. Then I started running into organic veg.  

I started my own garden and tried every thing I read Elliot Coleman and then started working for Tim Stark of Echerton Farm. ( I think I was a hippie then, but I never stopped playing the Misfits and Minor Threat. )

I still skate, I still play punk rock and I still farm, some just more than others.

Later 

Tomato Tim

p.s. I just could not bring myself to post a picture of my devil lock hair cut.

BIG OUT TO MY CREW

660 tomatoes in one hour and 45 minutes. Jacob wanted use to plant six more, just to keep farming evil. Big thank you to Claire, Cintra, Lyla, Jacob, Tim, Holly, Rob, Meg, Raph, Kara And Amy.  What great friends to come out and help us get our tomatoes in the ground, Finally. After we planted we retired to our place for some of Walt's fried chicken (banging) and some local beers and some chimney swifts. 

Later

I touched the BOSS.

WOW what a week, Tomatoes have really opened up a big world for me. 

Or southeastern Pa is becoming the next LA. I mean Sarah Reese is our gossip girl right? 

But last week I saw Danny Bonaduce at our plant sale in Chestnut Hill. 

Just watch that clip, I mean was the entire country on drugs? maybe I missed something.

Then I run into to Carson Kressley from Queer Eye, no real tomato connection, but what the F@#$.

I was going to add a link but the intro to Queer almost made me vomit.

So I am at the 110th Devon Horse show, or some horse shit like that, and I start talking to this redhead named Patty about organic heirlooms and the farm she has in Dirty Jers, Then I tell her about my 172 varieties of heirloom tomatoes I am growing, she ask me for a card, and one for her husband. so I get out 2 cards, and she is like, "you have to meet my husband" 

Yeah fucking Bruce Spingsteen. No shit, I gave him a card and shook his hand and talked to him.

He looked just like he does in this video, white 80's shirt thing goin on, not so much with bee bopping, but who has time for bee bopping any more.

Big out to Gayla

Thank You so much Allison and all my new Friends for a great day of selling plants and hanging out in such a great garden. The Spring Gardens.
I love Philly and all of its great spaces for people to grow. I able to trade some pepper plants for some really cool beans, but my spanish is shit, so I do not know much about them. But I will let you know.

   Next, if you have not been to the Chestnut Hill Garden Fest. You are missing out, not just great green vendors like the cat, but the Organic Mechanic . No he does not work on cars, he works on your soil, and as things are going, investing in your soil will have better returns then the stock market. It was a cool day, but the beers keep Mark and I warm. p.s thanks Amy and David for helping out.

The last shout out goes to Gayla of You Grow Girl, for her glowing post. The Happy Cat was very HAPPY. We went on a tour of Winterthur, had some good food at Sovana and then had Mexican ice cream. Thank you everyone. 

Well back to the dirt.

Later

Thats so Techno Viking

Motown philly going on.

3 red heads  (big D, Colleen and Amy) at the Head House

Market which started last Sunday.  When people ask me where this 

market is, I just tell motown philly is back again.  Boys to Men

                                                        What else can I say. 

Transplant season is in full swing. 

Don't miss the Tomato

Revolution at the Kennett Square 

Farmers Market this Friday! We will

also be at the Chestnut Hill Garden Fair

this Sunday. We have over 70 varieties of

tomato, pepper and eggplant. Oh yeah there

is a beer tent too.

Later