video : Field Trip
Tomato Farmer
By Meredith Arthur, Eric Slatkin, and Blake Smith
Brad Gates of Wild Boar Farms was described to CHOW by the organizers of Slow Food Nation as “OBSESSED and growing, no question, the best tomatoes in the Bay Area.” So good that Alice Waters serves them at Chez Panisse. Feeling nostalgic for the end of summer, we joined Brad at his farm and learned how to choose the right tomato, what it takes to grow a new variety, and the perils (and joys) of the business.
Great story. I met my wife over tomatoes and dogs. We love heirloom tomatoes and would like to know where the Brad Gates tomato farm is located. Growing tomatoes in the Bay Area is a challenge. We grow our 100 plants in raised boxes on the banks of the Sacramento River in Red Bluff CA. Tomatoes love the warm to hot nights here.
Brad is just awesome and if you ever have the chance to meet him in person you'll see just how passionate he is about growing the best tomatoes around. And honestly...I have never had a better tomato than the tomatoes we enjoyed on his farm. I wrote a post and included some pictures from our trip back in August.
http://blog.foodzie.com/2008/09/our-v...
Great video! I really enjoyed that and he seems like a genuinly good guy. How could you not be happy with wiggly jiggly maters?