Ultramarathoning Revisited

Just a short, mid-month update. This time of year really tries my endurance and conscientiousness, much as described in last year’s post, “Adventures in Ultramarathoning“. Similar principles and struggles, mostly in the realm of, “how the devil am I going to find the time to do all of this!”

First light frost is very likely tonight; that is, within the next six hours. Tomato harvesting, at least for seed saving, is about 75% complete. Thankfully several relatives and neighbors have been helping with the harvest, and with finding a good home for the extra tomatoes. The following photos depict a pickup truck, loaded down twice, representing maybe 20% of the extra tomatoes this season. “Extra” referring to those in excess of what I need for seed saving.

Regrettably, with such a late start in 2022, nearly all of the extra tomatoes have started ripening in October, and I have no opportunity (time, personnel, energy) to try to get these to market. So it’s a “Free for All”. There is a lot of poverty in this small town of 1,300, so resentment doesn’t enter the equation. I would have to drive 30 minutes to take them to the nearest farmers market, and neglect the hundreds of hours of urgent work while making the trip.

Here’s just a glimpse of what it looks like indoors, where I am eyeballs-deep into processing tomatoes for seed saving.

Significant changes since the above video was taken two days ago, including spillover into the shower and the office of batches of tomatoes waiting for me to get to them.

Between the numerous invasion of deer recently, the hailstorm on October 1st (see previous blog post), and much unavoidable trampling while harvesting, vines in the tomato patch are looking well paste their prime. And with frost pending, the following videos will likely be the last weekly videos of living tomato vines for the season.

Tomato Patch 12 Weeks After Transplanting Completed

Tomato Patch 13 Weeks After Transplanting Completed

I hardly know where to begin with all the wonderful, beautiful, intriguing new tomato varieties that I have been harvesting and tasting over the past couple of weeks. Below are just a few teasers.

Fleur de Reagir

Diamante

Early Ssubakus Aliana

Lithium Sunset

How I wish I could keep up with it all!

I have harvested at least 10 Domingo tomatoes weighing in at over 1.5 lbs. But this has not bee the biggest of the year. That honor goes to the variety Diamante, with the heaviest coming in at 1.936 lb

Hopefully much more than teasers to blog about at the end of October!.

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First frost of fall – a very light one. Remnants of hail damage can also be seen in the following photo: shredded, dried leaves all over the weed barrier fabric.

First Frost of Fall

All tomatoes need for seed saving have now (October 17th) been from the main tomato patch. Left to harvest: the overflow section, rows 17 and 18, which contain 187 tomato vines representing 119 varieties. Harvesting in this section is only 3% completed. I have a large tarp ready to cover the vines when serious frost is forecast to hit next weekend following the first low pressure to come into this area in several weeks.

The weather here has been absolutely wonderful every day since September 13th, with highs ranging from 70 to 84°F, and lows ranging from 41 to 60° officially — though my thermometer recorded 37° last night. Plenty of sunshine, very little wind, and so pleasant to work outside, harvesting tomatoes for seeds.

Now the real work begins: processing about 700 more batches of tomatoes for seed saving. Ultramarathoning every day — just too bad my body forces sleep upon me. Is there an “anti-hibernation” pill that can keep me fully awake and alert, 24-7, until Spring returns?