HOMER — At Happy Opossum Farm, west of Homer, the Miller family’s 400 tomato plants are producing fruits with romantic names, rainbow colors and unusual shapes. The old-fashioned heirloom varieties are not often seen, but are growing in popularity around the United States thanks, say their fans, to the colors and shapes and, most of all, that they taste like real, old-fashioned tomatoes.
Paula and Mike Miller and their children, 17-year-old Johnathon and 8-year-old Ping, grew a few varieties for their own use, but two years ago decided to grow for the Mount Vernon Farmers Market. They grew 100 plants last year, but this year have more than 1 1/2 acres of tomato plants.
Why heirlooms?
“Not many people have them and they taste better,” said Mike. “We were growing them for ourselves, and we thought we’d just expand. Kenyon College did a survey at the market last year, and the two things people said they wanted more of were heirlooms and variety, so we tried to match that.”
The Millers’ customers like the unusual colors and shapes.
“We’re conditioned to seeing tomatoes that are tennis ball or baseball size and shape,” said Mike. “You won’t find anything like these [heirlooms] at the grocery store.”
Customers enjoy the names of the varieties, too. There are large green and purple Cherokee Purple tomatoes; small, yellow and nearly hollow Gourmet Yellow Stuffers; Green Zebras; Amish Paste; Japanese Trifele; Black Krim; Moonglow; Purple Russian tomatoes and the others among the 17 varieties the Millers sell. Customers enjoy the colorful display at the Saturday market on the square too.
“It’s like a still life,” said customer Lois Hanson. “It’s stunning. All the colors and shapes ... it looks like a Flemish painting.”
“We get a lot of compliments on the display,” said Mike.
On Saturday mornings, Johnathon and Ping help restock the baskets of tomatoes, make change and answer questions. The entire family has researched the varieties so they can explain their tomatoes’ histories to customers.
“This year the kids are really involved,” said Paula. “Johnathon has worked many long hours in the garden, and he’s learned a lot, too. He’s a quiet kid but he’s really enjoying talking to customers and sharing what he’s learned. It’s nice to see that.”
Russ McGibney and Dan Shifflet, the owners of Sips, invited the Millers to display their wares in the restaurant.
“We wanted to educate people about heirloom varieties,” said Shifflet.
Tomato season is growing short. Mike, who is a wildlife officer with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources as well as a tomato farmer, said peak season is August, and the growing season is now on a “downward trend.”
“But we’re already planning for next year,” he said.
