Keith Farrand
Contact: info@farrandfarms.com
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Want to keep up on the latest things that are growing on at Farrand Farms? The man with the greenest thumb in Kansas City will help you with all his latest tips and share insight and info right here at Farrand's Notes. If you have some special questions or would like to suggest ideas for Keith to address just send him an email on the link under his picture.
Hey! The Tomato Fair is on . . . Saturday, August 6th from 9 am - 1 pm!
Keith
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Tuesday, July 26, 2011
WOW! The Farrand Farms Tomato Fair promises great fun and all sorts of veggie excitement for the whole family.
Checkout the Cast of Characters who will be there:
Jasper Mirabile, Jr. - He'll create extra special and truly unique tomato dishes right before your eyes!
Larry Moore - We all love his KMBC 9 News presentation, but most of us haven't experienced the excitement he brings to the garden.
Toby Tobin - Don't miss this opportunity to exchange ideas with one of the most knowledgeable gardeners in middle America.
Lenora Wuattoux, The Herb Lady - She'll treat you to a special herb beverage and visit about infused oils.
Chef Aubrey - She'll cook straight from the garden
Chef Chris Montemore - He'll be making 2 of your favorites: catsup and marinara sauce. That will be fun!
Tomato Contests - Are you ready for this?
1. The Big - by weight
2. The Best - the gem of your garden!
3. The Ugly - must be appropriately named
4. The Junior - the heaviest grown by 12 year old and younger gardener
Salsa Contests: Mild and Hot
All entries must be submitted by 11:30 am on Tomato Fair Day!
The Boy and Girl Scouts can earn badges and join the fun on a Scavenger Hunt in the Demonstration Garden!
The Tomato Fair is family friendly, too. Kathy from Raytown Parents as Teachers will have little people activities.
Other notable guests include:
The Master Gardeners - great resource for plant problems
Steve from Hummert - to help you with lawn care questions
Julia Graves, volunteer with the Department of Conservation - animals in the garden?
Alisa Smith from Jackson County Health Department - good gardening body mechanics
Becky form Windswept Worm Farm - the Compost Queen!
Enjoy local musicians in our Tomato Experience Area!
Harvesters will be here too! Bring your extra produce to help those who are not as fortunate.
And Guess What? We are suggesting only a $3 donation per person (ages 13 and older)- 100% will be given to the Saint Luke's Women's Heart Center. Let's do some good!
Other Good News
The Tomato Demonstration Garden is awesome this year. We have planted 4 of each tomato variety we raise and all are clearly labeled. We have not once applied any type of organic or inorganic chemical to the trial plants. We applied 12-8-8 dry fertilizer in mid-June.
We have the same problems you may be experiencing. Blight is present. Horn worms can be found. Check it out. It is a real look at what we all face daily in the home garden.
Lots of questions about tomatoes are coming our way:
1. Why won't my tomatoes ripen?
That's really pretty easy to answer. The weather and extreme heat actually suspend or slow normal ripening periods.
2. We are getting a lot of blooms but no fruit. Why?
Blooms fall off because they are not pollinated. Tomatoes, and most other vegetables will not pollinate during high heat (usually temps about 90 degrees and above).
3. My flowers seem faded or washed out in color. Will fertilizer help?
Nutrition is always important, but it is not the solution. Here again, the extreme heat causes the plant sugars to fade out quickly. When we begin to get consistently cool nights, the colors will become intense once again. Usually, we can expect the prettiest colors of the year from early September until late October.
Important Hint: DO NOT apply any organic or inorganic pest or disease controls to your garden in the heat of the day! Even the safest controls can burn and stun a plant (and sometimes even kill them) under high heat conditions like we are experiencing right now. Apply your controls in the very early morning or late in the evening to avoid injury.
That's it for now. I'll be looking for you at the Tomato Fair on Saturday, August, 6th!
Keith
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