2008 Woodie Awards
The Beauty of Ugliness
Ilan Tokayer
Issue date: 10/15/07 Section: Arts and Culture
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One of the most magical experiences of summer and early autumn in the New York area is spending time in a local farmers' market. Even in Manhattan, farmers' markets allow even the most urban Americans a taste of summer fresh from the nearby countryside. Farmers from all over upstate New York, Long Island, and New Jersey come to farmers' markets to share their fresh summer produce with us, bringing treats that are not usually available in the local Pathmark.
One specialty of New York area farmers is their tomatoes. Taste a farmers' market tomato and you'll see why. Whereas most commercially produced tomatoes are harvested before they are fully ripe and mature off of the vine, farmers bring the best, freshest tomatoes which they harvest at the peak of ripeness.
The most intriguing tomatoes that don't get enough credit are a group known as heirloom tomatoes. Heirloom tomatoes are loosely defined as open-pollinated tomatoes whose seeds have been passed down from farmer to farmer for generations and not commercially bought or genetically engineered. Many of the hundreds of varieties of heirloom tomatoes that we have today come from Amish or Mennonite farmers who have been passing the same seeds down since tomatoes were first cultivated by Americans. Ironically, Amish and Mennonite farmers have been switching to more modern and economically viable species and small farmers and farmers' markets are really what are keeping many heirlooms in cultivation
In a generation that has grown used to seeing redder and rounder tomatoes engineered by corporate farmers who are interested in shipping and marketing, heirlooms may look a little startling for a number of reasons. Simply said, they're ugly. In fact, one commercially popular heirloom is known as the UglyRipe. They are usually not round, and are often ribbed or pleated. Sometimes they have small holes in them. Another unique feature is the array of colors of heirlooms, from pink to yellow, green, purple and even black. Some even are multicolored or zebra-striped. They have interesting names like Brandywine, Black Crim, Mortgage Lifter, Green Zebra and Mr. Stripey to match their odd looks (just to name a few).
One specialty of New York area farmers is their tomatoes. Taste a farmers' market tomato and you'll see why. Whereas most commercially produced tomatoes are harvested before they are fully ripe and mature off of the vine, farmers bring the best, freshest tomatoes which they harvest at the peak of ripeness.
The most intriguing tomatoes that don't get enough credit are a group known as heirloom tomatoes. Heirloom tomatoes are loosely defined as open-pollinated tomatoes whose seeds have been passed down from farmer to farmer for generations and not commercially bought or genetically engineered. Many of the hundreds of varieties of heirloom tomatoes that we have today come from Amish or Mennonite farmers who have been passing the same seeds down since tomatoes were first cultivated by Americans. Ironically, Amish and Mennonite farmers have been switching to more modern and economically viable species and small farmers and farmers' markets are really what are keeping many heirlooms in cultivation
In a generation that has grown used to seeing redder and rounder tomatoes engineered by corporate farmers who are interested in shipping and marketing, heirlooms may look a little startling for a number of reasons. Simply said, they're ugly. In fact, one commercially popular heirloom is known as the UglyRipe. They are usually not round, and are often ribbed or pleated. Sometimes they have small holes in them. Another unique feature is the array of colors of heirlooms, from pink to yellow, green, purple and even black. Some even are multicolored or zebra-striped. They have interesting names like Brandywine, Black Crim, Mortgage Lifter, Green Zebra and Mr. Stripey to match their odd looks (just to name a few).