Silas monitors all things ripening on the farm, especially berries and cherry tomatoes. So of course he was the first to find these little green beauties.

Cherry tomatoes in the Big Tunnel June 11.

Tomato plants give a distinct scent from the time they’re wee, and it gets more intense as they grow sturdy and climb. Even in February, when we’re watering baby tomatoes under the grow lights, that aroma brings to mind summer. Filling buckets with cherry tomatoes. Finding a beautiful Cherokee Purple heirloom with a nibble out of it, so it’s all mine to ferry home and savor with feta cheese, or cook down to sauce. Glowing yellow tomato dust from fingertips to elbows.

Like a lot of things, there’s a good deal of joy in the anticipation weeks. After all, it’s fun to poke around, spying on the green fruits. There’s no real work in that. When the tomatoes finally do burst on the scene, it’s high summer, and the harvesting gets intense all around.

Here are the tomatoes in the Big Tunnel. Jay added more clips to the string, and they’re due for another pruning.

Here’s a tomato comparison photo.

This was about two weeks ago, on May 29.

~ Stella