Some of us in this world are “tomato people,” and I’m one of those people. I love growing tomatoes, eating tomatoes, and sharing tomatoes with others.

I’ve been growing amazing tomatoes for nearly two decades. Friends still rave about tomatoes I’ve given them over the years.

Launching Tomatoberry Farm is a dream come true for me because I can share my love of tomatoes with my community, AND, because now I have the space to grow way more varieties than I’ve ever grown before. Even trying to narrow it down to 50 varieties is hard though!

I’m super excited to grow varieties from local breeders like Wild Boar Farms and Bene Seeds. And I’m planning to save seeds from heirlooms varieties to create strains that are better-adapted to our hot climate. My dream is to develop a strain of Brandywine that consistently produces fruit in the Sacramento Valley.

I learned how to grow tomatoes from my mom, an avid organic gardener and backyard composter. She always makes a wish before eating the first summer tomato, and to this day I text her whenever I pick my first tomato to assure her that I made my wish! Now I’m teaching my own daughter how to grow tomatoes — she loves to help me plant seeds and look for worms.

Our region’s hot summer climate is perfect for growing beautiful, deeply flavorful tomatoes, yet the tomatoes you’ll find in local grocery stores are often disappointingly bland and mealy. The truth is that it’s challenging to grow great-tasting tomatoes at scale – they don’t ship well when ripe, so your best option is to buy your tomatoes in season from a local farmer.

Tomatoberry Farm is located on a small-but-mighty half acre in Woodland, California. In addition to tomatoes we also grow herbs, peppers, flowers, and winter squash. The farm is supported by the Center for Land-Based Learning, a non-profit organization that trains beginning farmers.

I’m excited for you to try my tomatoes!