Bayberry Fresh is a local farm near Fort Collins, Colorado. Haydn Christensen, owner and operator of Bayberry Fresh, grows and sells cherry tomatoes to his local community. Click to subscribe: tinyurl.com/j4k...
GROWING
Haydn uses two hoophouses to grow almost 800 cherry tomato plants (Sweet 100 variety). The plants were started from seed in January and germinated in rockwool cubes. Over the next few months, they graduated to larger and larger coco coir bags, run on a drain to waste fertigation system.
Now the tomato plants are mature and trellised on a lean & lower system using Tomahooks. As the plants grow, the lower branches are leaf pruned and lowered down to rest around the base of the plants.
IRRIGATION
Every 2-3 hours (depending on heat), 2 GPH drippers turn on over every pot, keeping the plants moist, but not to wet.
SPACING
Haydn plants 2 plants per pot, leaving 2 feet between each pot and 4 feet between rows.
HARVESTING
The tomatoes are picked just before they ripen to avoid splitting but keep the flavor. Haydn and his team pick every other day and deliver every 4-5 days. For retail accounts, Haydn uses clamshell packaging. For larger accounts, the tomatoes are sold in 10-20 lb crates.
SELLING
During the busiest time of the week, Haydn does a demo in Whole Foods. He gives samples and explains his growing technique with interested customers. "Most people that shop in a major grocery store never talk to the farmer. They get really excited.... it's a valuable marketing tool."
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29 авг 2016
