Shushan Valley Hydro-Farm

Shushan Valley Hydro-Farm

It’s not easy learning to eat locally and seasonally when you can simply step into any supermarket and grab some tomatoes delivered from the far reaches of the nation or the world. Most tomatoes we purchase in our supermarkets come from Florida, California, and Mexico. But if you do break down and buy one of these tomatoes in a market during a New York winter, you’ll find a hard, mealy thing with a strange, orangish, whitish, pinkish, tinge, which will make you completely forget the summer fruit of your desires. Ok, maybe that description is a bit dramatic, but most of those out of season, far away tomatoes, just  aren’t good.

It was early March and I went to Union Square to stock up on staples, munch on apple cider doughnuts and to chat and joke around with the vendors who somehow manage to be in a good mood after waking up in the wee hours of the morning, and driving to New York City on a cold, rainy and gloomy day. I was also on the quest for the next vendor to feature in this section. Once again I took notice of a stand I’ve been eyeing and curious about for months. On that particular gloomy day, their stand stood out more than usual. Within the tent, big, bright red tomatoes and sprightly greens jumped up and said “hello!” Of course as I slowly made my way to the stand I thought: “Hydroponic Tomatoes… really? Hmmm… “ I was curious and uneasy. But how could I judge without tasting and asking questions?

That first morning I visited the Shushan Valley Hydro-Farm stand, I spoke with Chad the son of the owners of the business. After asking a few questions about how they grow the tomatoes, deal with pests etc. I decided to visit their website, and do some research to learn more before returning anew.

The day before I went back to purchase some Shushan Valley Hydro-Farm products, I had a little debate while chatting online with a friend who is a chef in Los Angeles. I was telling him that I was considering doing a little story about the hydroponic tomatoes and vegetables. My friend bemoaned the idea of hydroponics due to the lack of terroir. Though I thought his opinion was valid, I couldn’t resist feeling that I simply had to give these guys and their produce an open-minded opportunity. What these tomatoes may lack in soil “characteristics or terroir,” could be rounded out with the love of the people who are responsible for helping them grow, and the irrigation, which sustains them. They also happen to be in New York State, which makes them a far more attractive alternative to those horrid far-flown fruits I described earlier. I decided to go back the Greenmarket the next day and buy some tomatoes.

On my next visit to the Shushan Valley Hydro-Farm stand, I purchased some tomatoes and basil. I made a bit of pesto with the basil, and some bruschetta with the tomatoes to see how they’d hold up mostly on their own. They were full of ripe, delicious, fragrant juice. I slid my finger across my plate, lapping up the last of the tomato juice and proceeded to devour my penne with pesto. What a delightful, late winter, local treat!

Shushan Valley Hydro-Farm is located in Shushan, NY, 60 miles northeast of Albany. That’s a four hour drive to the Union Sq. Greenmarket people! (Do the math times two...) The farm is on the site of an old dairy farm. The greenhouses are fed by fresh water from a nearby well. There are no pesticides used in the growth and maintenance of the tomatoes, herbs and vegetables. Shushan Valley Hydro-Farm uses the same good ole’ remedy for pests other organic and chemical-free farmers use, i.e. ladybugs. The tomatoes, and herbs are grown and harvested during the months of dormancy these products experience on traditional farms. During the height of the summer, Shushan Valley Hydro-Farm takes some time off to regenerate and maintain the greenhouses for the following period of production for their farm.
In addition to Hydroponic tomatoes, and basil, Sushan Valley Hydro-Farms also produce lettuces, arugula, green beans, and herbs such as dill and cilantro. –– Though their produce isn’t as cheap as what you’d find at your local supermarket or corner deli, the quality is far superior. In addition to that, the environmental impact is also far smaller. Oh, and there’s this other crazy thing the fair market price of the produce provides... It’s called a living wage for honest, local, unsubsidized farmers. The Giant Corporate farms in the world might want to try that out for size… but then again, who am I kidding?

You can visit the (Phyllis, Wayne, Betsy and Chad) Shushan Valley Hydro-Farm stand at t he Union Sq. Greenmarket on Wednesday’s and Saturdays. The market is open from 8 am to 6 pm.

Be sure to visit the Shushan Valley Hydro-Farm Website:
http://shushanvalleyhydrofarm.com/

Monday, April 14, 2008

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