From Marilee, of Marilee's Farmstand:

Seeding is Believing

We are known for our tomatoes – and with good reason.

It started small. A few heirlooms here and there, raised alongside the potatoes. We were a big potato farm, and tomatoes and potatoes like the same soil.

But tomatoes give you something above ground – shiny, colorful, warm. The opposite of cold and dirt-covered spuds.

The Colors and Scents

At first, I was drawn to their aesthetic beauty – the wild colors, the smell of the plants. A friend of mine, a flower farmer, got me hooked. She handed me a pack of seeds for Green Zebra and a stunning Japanese variety I’ve never been able to track down again. That was the beginning.

Now we grow many, many more. Each one’s different. Not just in color or flavor, but in how the plant behaves.

* Black Krim is short, early, but disease-prone.

* Cherokee Purple looks similar, but lasts longer and resists more.

Some love heat and drought. Some crash if you breathe on them wrong.

It’s farming. You never know who’s going to surprise, or fail you.

We treat them like family – we love them all, but some years certain varieties steal the show. Brandywine in a cool summer might be unbeatable. Another year, it could be Striped German or Mr. Stripey coming in hot heat.

What To Expect This Season?

We never speak too soon. We’re superstitious. But when tomato season really kicks in, it’s like a checkered flag dropping at Indy.

An Heirloom Must

Heirlooms must be picked ripe. The colors may mature later - and fool you - but without ripening you’ll end up with tomatoes that taste like those in the supermarket.

Fun Fact

All those bumps on an heirlooom? It means it got many bees visiting them. Evidence of open pollination.

Inside Tip 📌

Follow the Instagram page for real-time tomato updates – what’s peaking, what’s perfect for cooking, and what’s almost gone.

And at the stand, we keep things fun – signs, QR codes, tomato talk all morning. What works best in sauce. What to slice for sandwiches. What to eat straight out of the box. The conversation’s half the fun.

Contact

Marilee's Farmstand

About

This card was written by Marilee Foster, a sixth-generation farmer, artist, and author, deeply connected to the soil and the environs of Sagaponack, New York. She runs Marilee’s Farmstand and co-owns Foster Farm and the Sagaponack Farm Distillery with her brother Dean.

Lead-in Image

Marilee's Farmstand / Instagram