The sweet taste of family treasures

Heirloom tomato festival set for Sunday at Rogowski farm, By Lily Sussman PINE ISLAND - There are more types of tomatoes than cherry and those big round red ones typically in the supermarket. Tomatoes can have red and white stripes, can be tasty when yellow or ripe when green. On Sunday, Aug. 19, the Rogowski farm in Pine Island will host its third annual Heirloom Tomato Festival. The rain or shine event, lasting from noon to 5 p.m., will bring competitors, producers and sellers together for a day of music by The Lamberts, Pinecone Fletcher and Fetish Lane, shopping from local vendors and the highly anticipated tomato tasting. Heirloom plants are typically grown from seeds which families have passed down over generations through open pollination. Unlike genetically modified seeds, one heirloom seeds can be different from the next and react differently to nature’s elements. This results in products with varying taste and form. “Genetically engineered (seeds) may be resistant to certain kinds of bug damage,” said Rogowski farm employee and event marketer Brad Morrison. “But what they forget is (heirlooms) offer taste better.” On top of taste, many choose to eat heirloom and local products because they fear the pesticides and preservatives on many of the mass-produced brands are detrimental to health. “The farm is run as green as we can,” said Morrison. Though the farm is not certified organic, a lengthy process through the United States Department of Agriculture, no pesticides are used and the Rogowski farm is “Certified natural.” The Rogowski’s have been farming Pine Island’s fertile soil since the 1920s and recently have been recognized for their innovative methods. Notably, current owner Cheryl Rogowski was awarded the first national Glynwood Harvest Connecting Communities Farmers and Food Award in 2003, the Orange County Environment Award in 2004 and was the first farmer to receive the MacArthur “Genius Award,” also in 2004. The Rogowski families has used the various awards to expand their farm, which their Web site estimates bears 250 products, a long cry from the one-crop-onion-farm it was in 1995. The diversification proved a successful new way for family farms to thrive and enable land preservation. The Sunday Heirloom Tomato festival, costing $10 for adults and $5 for children, is a chance for locals to explore the natural environment learn about their food and support local agriculture industry. Morrison said holding the festival was only natural as heirlooms are, “Part of the picture.” Plus, he added: “Nothing says ‘Summer,’ like a perfect tomato.”