Tim Stark

Tim Stark is living my dream. For the last year, my husband and I have been throwing around the idea of getting a little farm- blueberries though because as much as I love, love, love tomatoes, my last few years of attempts have resulted in either A. Lots of green unripe tomatoes on frostbitten vines, or B. One nice tomato per vine that my baby picks and eats. Tim's success with tomatoes had me wishing I could be"the neighbor" (the real one hates the tomatoes and their messy, disorganized show more fields.)

I loved reading about the restaurants he provides tomatoes for and the mouth watering creations they serve. He makes having a twenty hour work day worth while if it means feasting on delicious fresh and unique meals through out the delivery route.

I was in sympathy with his dilemma about the groundhog- I always was one to live with a little less production from my garden in exchange for wildlife in my yard. That is, until this spring when a bunch of squirrel hoodlum punks decided to eat the tips of every single bean, pea and sunflower seedling and then uproot the rest of my seedlings in search for seeds I might have hidden from them. And then chewed on every single piece of my brand new five piece wood patio set. I asked my husband to go buy a gun but then found out we actually have a squirrel hunting season where we live and it's not until the winter.

Again his comments about organic farming, the ups and downs, struck a chord. I want my yard to be pesticide free but what do I do about the fire ants that take over, driving out native species of ants and then bite my children when they go out to play.

Overall I actually learned a lot about growing tomatoes and small scale farming. Tim's story added a dose of reality to my dreams of owning a farm some day but didn't turn me off of the idea. In fact it makes me feel confident that I too could turn my dream into a reality. show less

Tim Stark is living my dream. For the last year, my husband and I have been throwing around the idea of getting a little farm- blueberries though because as much as I love, love, love tomatoes, my last few years of attempts have resulted in either A. Lots of green unripe tomatoes on frostbitten vines, or B. One nice tomato per vine that my baby picks and eats. Tim's success with tomatoes had me wishing I could be"the neighbor" (the real one hates the tomatoes and their messy, disorganized show more fields.)

I loved reading about the restaurants he provides tomatoes for and the mouth watering creations they serve. He makes having a twenty hour work day worth while if it means feasting on delicious fresh and unique meals through out the delivery route.

I was in sympathy with his dilemma about the groundhog- I always was one to live with a little less production from my garden in exchange for wildlife in my yard. That is, until this spring when a bunch of squirrel hoodlum punks decided to eat the tips of every single bean, pea and sunflower seedling and then uproot the rest of my seedlings in search for seeds I might have hidden from them. And then chewed on every single piece of my brand new five piece wood patio set. I asked my husband to go buy a gun but then found out we actually have a squirrel hunting season where we live and it's not until the winter.

Again his comments about organic farming, the ups and downs, struck a chord. I want my yard to be pesticide free but what do I do about the fire ants that take over, driving out native species of ants and then bite my children when they go out to play.

Overall I actually learned a lot about growing tomatoes and small scale farming. Tim's story added a dose of reality to my dreams of owning a farm some day but didn't turn me off of the idea. In fact it makes me feel confident that I too could turn my dream into a reality. show less

Every year since owning my own home I've grown vegetables in the backyard. My garden is not for the faint of heart. The plants start from seeds in the sun room and by mid-July I have a small ecosystem to rival a Brazilian rainforest in the yard. Carrots, bush beans, thyme, mint, rosemary, peppers, lavender, broccoli, eggplant... all manage to cohabit amiably until the tomatoes take over. Once those bad boys start sprouting all bets are off. We refer to my 6 x 9 foot patch of produce as "the show more heart of darkness" and a chicken wire fence is all that stands between us and it. Take my word for it, Pennsylvania is a primo spot for tomato growing.

Tim Stark figured this out back in 1994. He started growing his tomato seedlings under florescent lights in a Brooklyn apartment and after getting booted by his landlord took them home to the family farm in Pennsylvania. "Farm" is putting it generously - he has 2 acres dedicated to growing which, by his own account, he does not own. But what he grows on those 2 acres get shipped every week to the Union Square Greenmarket in NYC. His tomatoes have made him a favorite of chefs throughout the city.

Heirloom: Notes from an Accidental Tomato Farmer is not an account of his journey from PA to Brooklyn and back again. It's no more or less than what the title claims - a mishmash of anecdotes put together from 14+ years of farming without chemicals in Pennsylvania and selling the produce in Manhattan. (There's a whole archive of articles that didn't make the cut over at Gourmet.com). What makes these anecdotes matter is that, in addition to being a damn good writer, Stark sees himself as a farmer. And being a farmer isn't the easiest job out there these days. That edge creeps in. This isn't Garrison Keillor or some heartwarming pioneer family mini-series on the Hallmark Channel. Stark's stories are about farming in the 20th/21st century, with its ups and downs, gains and losses. He's also a bit of a crank. He complains his way through much of the book... About not being accepted by the other farmers in his area. About farmers competing with Real Estate developers for farmland. About what the government charges and the paperwork it requires before you can call your produce "organic". About readers of Gourmet sending him hate mail after the magazine published his story about killing a groundhog as he deals with an un-diagnosed lyme disease (add hypochondriac to his possible sins). Stark's crankiness is a big part of what makes his storytelling so much fun.

Full review at:
http://booksexy.wordpress.com/2010/01/04/heirloom-notes-from-an-accidental-tomat... show less

Tim Stark is living my dream. For the last year, my husband and I have been throwing around the idea of getting a little farm- blueberries though because as much as I love, love, love tomatoes, my last few years of attempts have resulted in either A. Lots of green unripe tomatoes on frostbitten vines, or B. One nice tomato per vine that my baby picks and eats. Tim's success with tomatoes had me wishing I could be"the neighbor" (the real one hates the tomatoes and their messy, disorganized show more fields.)

I loved reading about the restaurants he provides tomatoes for and the mouth watering creations they serve. He makes having a twenty hour work day worth while if it means feasting on delicious fresh and unique meals through out the delivery route.

I was in sympathy with his dilemma about the groundhog- I always was one to live with a little less production from my garden in exchange for wildlife in my yard. That is, until this spring when a bunch of squirrel hoodlum punks decided to eat the tips of every single bean, pea and sunflower seedling and then uproot the rest of my seedlings in search for seeds I might have hidden from them. And then chewed on every single piece of my brand new five piece wood patio set. I asked my husband to go buy a gun but then found out we actually have a squirrel hunting season where we live and it's not until the winter.

Again his comments about organic farming, the ups and downs, struck a chord. I want my yard to be pesticide free but what do I do about the fire ants that take over, driving out native species of ants and then bite my children when they go out to play.

Overall I actually learned a lot about growing tomatoes and small scale farming. Tim's story added a dose of reality to my dreams of owning a farm some day but didn't turn me off of the idea. In fact it makes me feel confident that I too could turn my dream into a reality. show less