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Tomatoes
Think
greenhouse tomatoes are not as good as field grown? Try
one of our tomatoes, and we believe your opinion will
change. Compared to field tomatoes, which are battered
by wind and rain, and broiled by the sun, our tomato
plants live a life of absolute luxury! Heated in the
winter, and cooled and shaded in early summer, the
greenhouse climate is maintained in the comfort zone of
the plants. Not too hot, and not too cold, but just
right! They are watered multiple times daily, and with
each watering, all of the macronutrients and
micronutrients the plants require are supplied in a form
readily absorbed by the plant roots. The pay-off from
these pampered plants is harvests of delicious,
nutritious tomatoes, which are never picked green but
only when they are vine-ripe for best flavor!
Our
tomatoes are not sprayed, fogged or treated in any way
with any form of pesticide. We do not even use products
that would be approved under a certified organic
program. No insecticides, no fungicides, nothing –
EVER! We achieve control of insect pests by
continuously scouting for the presence of pests, and
when indicated, releasing beneficial insects which prey
upon the pests. Problems with fungal diseased are
avoided by meticulous sanitation within the greenhouses,
timely pruning of spent leaves and maintaining constant
air movement with fans that run 24 hours a day.
We
take pride in delivering a product which is an
unfortunate rarity in today’s modern markets, tomatoes
which actually taste like TOMATOES! We’re sure that you
will enjoy them.
Lettuce
Iceberg
lettuce, which was developed specifically to survive
railroad shipment from the west coast to the east coast,
has long been the most popular lettuce in the U.S., and
is probably the variety of lettuce with which most
consumers are the most familiar. Unfortunately,
however, of all the lettuce varieties, Iceberg lettuce
is easily the most deficient in both nutrients and
flavor. Butterhead lettuce, in addition to offering a
more distinctive flavor, is also a good source of folate
and vitamins A and K, and contains the anti-oxidant
compounds of beta-carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin
(USDA).
Our
Butterhead lettuce is greenhouse grown. Each lettuce
seed is planted in a 1-inch foam block. After the seed
has germinated, the seedling - still in the foam block -
is placed in a channel, which is basically a square tube
with holes provided for each individual plant. A
nutrient rich solution flows continuously through the
channel, bathing the roots and feeding the plants. When
the plant is harvested, it is removed from the channel,
and the long roots are trimmed, but not completely
removed. The plant is then placed in a plastic
clamshell, which acts as a ‘mini-greenhouse’, providing
each plant with its own moist microenvironment. We
label it as “living lettuce” because the roots, which
are packaged with the plant, are able to continue
supplying the plant with moisture, allowing the leaves
to remain fresh and crisp for an amazing length of
time. If the clamshell is placed in the refrigerator,
and opened only when the consumer wishes to harvest
leaves from the plant, the lettuce will remain crisp and
flavorful for days.
We
are committed to growing our lettuce without the use of
pesticides. Although the greenhouse structure does
provide some level of protection, we are not immune from
occasional bouts with the same pests that can afflict
any other grower. As with our tomatoes, we must
constantly scout for pests, and release beneficial
insects when necessary to control pest insects which
would otherwise damage or destroy the crop.
It’s
also important to note that the chance of our lettuce
being contaminated with something such as E-Coli (as has
occurred in some organically grown crops) is extremely
remote. Compared to field grown crops, our greenhouse
lettuce is grown in a relatively pristine environment.
The greenhouse, of course, prevents contact with any
wild or domestic animals, and the ventilation intakes
are even filtered to prevent or reduce the entry of
insects. Pathogens which may exist in the soil are of
no concern since the plants are never in contact with
soil. At harvest, the plants are always packaged in the
clamshells before being removed from the greenhouse. In
fact, each plant is touched by human hands only when we
transfer the seedlings to the growing channels, when we
harvest (with clean hands), and when the consumer enjoys
it! |
