At long last ... tomatoes

also why I haven't written since April

sunset on San Diego with friends and family

While I Was Out

This growing season has been weird. Good weird. Cool weather until just now and random starts to absolutely everything, including all the garden-and-farm-related stuff that occurred over the past three months. So it was wait, wait a bit more, then hurry up. Which explains how three months have passed since you’ve heard from me! I hope you have been keeping your hearts safe, your minds steady, your feet on the ground, and your hands busy tending the Earth or hugging loved ones.

I’m writing this while visiting San Diego with my daughter, a rising high school senior, who is definitely college-bound. I’m so proud for her, she’s put in all the work and now has many choices for her future. I’m also glad she’s firmly rooted in her community and home. The kinds of relationships and activities she’s formed are lasting bonds. The bonds that will keep her grounded even as she reaches for new horizons. I feel similarly, and eternally grateful, especially for long-time friends who help us enjoy these leaps of faith generation after generation.

So my plate is full, and so is my heart; there’s much growth happening behind the scenes. Here are a few spaces where I’ve been playing with good intentions and excellent companions.

Our Heritage Seed Farm Grows

Last year, I was graced with the opportunity to grow heritage seeds in the Oak Knoll district at an organic farm tended by the folks of Clif Family. I can’t tell you how much this means to me. (So maybe you can imagine it.)

Last year I grew about eight varieties of crops along eight, 200-bed feet of irrigated space. These crops celebrate cultures of Haiti, West and Central Africa, the Sonoran Desert, and Chihuahua, Mexico. They included the cultivated variety of corn that my grandmother enjoyed during summers in Glen Burnie, Maryland, and an open-pollinated tomato that crossed and stabilized right here in Napa County to produce a delicious beauty called Copia.

friends with good cheer and helping hands got it all started this season

Although we all got a late start to properly welcome a grove of olives that needed space and light in the district, this year I planted a selection of crops from Native Seed Search’s seed bank collection. These seeds primarily originate from the To’hono O’odham in the Southwest and Rarámuri of the Sonoran Desert and Copper Canyon in northern Mexico. To check for vigor and germination on a second-grow out, I re-planted crops I grew the year before: Jadu’i’ watermelon (Jenin, Palestine), green pigeon pea (Haiti), And to round things out, I planted Sistah Seeds’ Sea Island red okra that originates from the Gullah Geechee Nation in Georgia.

volunteers wanted and unwanted

As I hold in my hand these rich archives of history and lived experiences and release them into the soil I feel an obligation to nurture their continued resilience through cultivating more seed to share. It’s absolutely magic. I contemplate these mysteries while weeding and neither mere words nor fleeting thoughts describe my satisfaction and curiosity with the whole thing.

hope is as natural as heat

What makes the endeavor ultimately worthwhile is sharing it with friends who helped begin the process, the adventure itself, and those who will receive the bounty on the giving end… if we all make it there.

For updates on this latest journey in seed farming, follow me and friends @8linesheritageseed on Instagram. (Yeah, I’m a bit behind on my posts there, too!)

And Tomatoganza! is Here Again

Our third annual Tomatoganza! is just 1 week away. This signature event is our summer food fest, fundraiser, and taste-off to award “The Local Favorites” — the best-tasting cherry and heirloom varieties from local Napa County farms!

Now in its third year, the CIA at Copia is our host, and in their beautiful culinary gardens, chefs offer tomato-forward small bites, while purveyors bring the pairings we crave to savor well with THE most popular summer fruit.

intense flavors and friendly competition blend to reveal the local favorites

Honestly, I’m lucky to be surrounded by abundance in this county and the friendships that I’ve formed over the years. And because of these connections, the Napa County Seed Library is able to give back to the community while building an appreciation for what we have and what we can return to support each other. A big shout out to our sponsors who continue to make this event top-notch:

Adrian Causor and his crew at The CIA at Copia
Bree Duoma at Bohemian Flowers
Jess Arnsteen at Long Meadow Ranch
Brent and Brenda Hebb at B&B Gardens
Martin Podell at The Model Bakery
Bonnie and Shecky Miluso at Napa Nuts

We are really impressed with the participating farms this year and equally thrilled with the variety selections they plan to bring. Get ready to mingle with the best growers in the county and savor the finest tomatoes grown this summer:

Patrick Deasy, Stepping Stone Farm
Peter Jacobsen, Jacobsen Orchards
Ellen Chan, 5 Row Farm
Vanessa Giampaoli, Trefethen Family Winery ~ La Huerta Farm
Teresa Kao, The French Laundry
Matt Sampson, Meadowood Napa Valley
Tessa Henry, Clif Family Winery & Farm

And to add to the impending joy, we have the BEST local purveyors to round out the experience:

Minerva Gonzalez, De’Canela Bakery
Terri and Brook Penquite, Nova Terra Kitchen & Creamery
Charlie Sandy and Marcela Hernandez, Grove 45

We welcome you to enjoy all the festivities: seed saving demos, bestowed ribbons, and saved seeds to plant in your garden spaces. Nothing better than homegrown, right? Get your tickets! 🎟️👇🏾

Tomatoganza! 2025
Sunday, August 10th, 2025
11:00 am to 3:00 pm
CIA at Copia Gardens
500 1st Street Napa, CA 94559

$20/person, $48/group of 3, T-shirt $20
Free tote with ticket purchase (while supplies last)

🍅 RSVP: https://thethirdplace.is/event/tomatoganza-2025

Just as We Sow Seeds in August for Fall Harvests

If you’re envisioning a late summer and fall harvest, you can start Brussels sprouts and cabbage seeds indoors now to transplant into your soil or raised beds in late August and early September. If you don’t want to fuss with all that, you can direct sow leeks, broccoli, chard, beets, and carrots or flowers like snapdragons and pansies right now. See below for a full list of seeds to start in August in our growing zone (9b).

The outdoor seed library annexes will be closed for about a week until the average temperatures dip below 80 degrees. But no worries, you can borrow seeds from the annexes at the St. Helena Library and Napa Library during this mini heatwave and toast the peak of summer with a freshly sliced tomato sandwich. Go ahead, you deserve it.