PRODUCTION OF TOMATOES
 The Barhams specialize in heirloom tomatoes and trust
tomatoes.
They sell two varieties of cherry tomatoes, dasher and cupido. They also
sell seedless cucumbers. The other seasonal vegetables and produce
available at this time are squash and bell peppers (red, orange, and yellow).
All the produce offered is grown in the Barhams greenhouses and he tomatoes are available from October until July.
 The heirlooms and trust tomatoes are delicious!
Because of the
values and farming methods of the Barhams, the tomatoes are natural and
safe. Because there were no written organic standards
for greenhouse hydroponic tomato production when they started their
tomato crops, they did not get an organic certification. However, they
are grown using basic organic standards and are chemical and pesticide
free. Barhams will go as far as calling them ALMOST organic tomatoes until some of the rules are changed to accomodate this growing style! The tomatoes
are pollinated using bumble bees and they can't be sprayed with any
harmful chemicals. The crops are protected
using pesticide and chemical free yellow sticky tapes and strips and
using beneficial insects.
 The tomatoes are pollinated with bumble bees from Biobest and the beneficial insects used in the pesticide plan also come from there. There are several predators that have been developedto protect the greenhouses from the most common pests such as whiteflies, thrips, aphids, and spidermites. Along with the help of an insect screen that encloses the greenhouses, no harsh chemicals are
necessary.
Also, Barham Farms practices official GAP guidlines (GOOD
AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES) and that everything is done right at
their own facility, thus decreasing the chances of contamination and
disease. They utilize good handwashing techniques, and keep all
work areas clean and neat.
 Because of strict guidelines followed, no visitors are allowed inside the greenhouses. There is a packing
house in between their greenhouses where they have a walk-in cooler and
an area for washing, packing, and hand sorting the tomatoes.
The tomatoes are washed in a 2-stage chlorination bath that has
been approved and tested by Mike Casteel and Dr. Mark Sobsy of the
Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering at the Universtiy
of Chapel Hill, NC . The studies that were done proved that the
naturally occuring microbes found were decreased as much as
99.7%. Then the tomatoes are allowed to air dry rather than dried
by hand to prevent bacterial contamination.
 The
tomatoes are grown in perlite rather thatn soil. This also helps to
decrease bacterial and disease problems. Everything that is used is
kept clean with the use of chlorine treatments or a disinfectant called oxidate
(ZEROTOL) to clean all of the tools, trays, and floors, and
equipment. The houses are also cleaned out and disinfected
thoroughly at the end of the growing season. The perlite is also dumped
out, removed, and replaced with new perlite each year . Another thing
that helps with cleanliness and insect prevention is that the the
houses are surrounded and protected by the insect screen.
The tomatoes are sold at local grocery stores, at the farm, and now,
online to you.
Click on the photos to see larger images:
View of propagation house. We grow our tomatoes from seed and transplant into our larger greenhouses.
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Young plants recently transplanted into large greenhouses.
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Recently transplanted plants with green tomatoes growing.
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Plants with ripening tomatoes on the vine, almost ready to pick.
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We use drip irrigation to grow our tomatoes hydroponically.
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Plants with green tomatoes not quite ready to be picked.
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Plants with vine-ripened tomatoes ready to be picked.
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Fruit has been picked and carried to the packinghouse.
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The packinghouse is located between the 2 greenhouses.
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The fruit is first washed in a two-stage chlorination system to reduce
normally occuring microbes by as much as 99.97%. This is simply
an added step to insure that the tomatoes are of the highest quality
before being packed.
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In addition to being cleaned, the fruit is also graded automatically in the system based on size.
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After being washed and graded, each "grade" (i.e., fruit size) is
allowed to completely dry before being packed into appropriate boxes for purchase and
shipping.
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Julian Barham (owner and operator of Barham Farms) was recognized as a
"River Friendly Farmer" in 1999. The local Soil and Water
Conservation District presents this award to farmers who practice
outstanding efforts to protect water quality through best management
practices.
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