Business is Growing at East Street Farm Stand

Farmer Dave admits that this year's crop of tomatoes wasn't his all-time best.

But it is still awfully good.

David Dumaresq's crop was honored among the top tomatoes in the state recently at the commonwealth's 26th Annual Tomato Festival. His Cherokee Purple tomato placed 9th in the Heirloom category, while his Mountain Spring tomatoes placed 10th for Heaviest at a whopping 1.57 pounds.

"It wasn't quite as well as we've done in the past," said Dumaresq, who operates the East Street Farm Stand in Tewksbury, as well as a farm stand and several fields in Dracut. "The last few years we've had two third places and even a first place."

Dozens of tomato farmers from the Bay State area congregated at Boston City Hall Plaza on Aug. 23 to compete in the Tomato Festival. While the festivities included tomato tasting, recipe demonstrations, and information on nutrition and local farms, the main event was a friendly contest that pinpointed the best locations to shop for organic tomatoes in the Bay State area. With more than 98 entries and 228 farmers' markets from throughout the commonwealth represented, competition was fierce for the tomato growers.

Judges for the event consisted of food critics, local chefs, cookbook authors, grocers, and state officials -- people who know tomatoes on a professional level.

Tomatoes entered into the contest were judged on a point-based system that considered flavor, firmness/slicing capability, exterior color, and shape. Tomato trophies were awarded to the winners of the four contest entry groups: Slicing, Cherry, Heirloom, and Heaviest.

Dumaresq will admit the accolades are nice, but it's not what drives him – not what pushes him to work long hours in what many believe to be a dying industry. For the answer to that question, a visitor to one of Dumaresq's farm stands only needs to ask him questions about produce … then step back and watch his eyes light up, as the philosopher farmer waxes poetic about the subtle variations in tomato strains or which crops will be ready for harvest after the first frost of the year.

But Dumaresq's pride and joy is the Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program. The CSA is a cooperative, in which members pay $500 upfront to receive a share of the harvest from the fields in Tewskbury and Dracut. Members stop by the farm stand once a week to pick up a large box of fruits and vegetables. It works out to be about $25 per week over a 20-week cycle.

"It really is a good deal for the members," said Dumaresq. "I'd say what they get would easily cost $35 or $40 in the store."

What is included in the boxes is picked fresh and it varies depending on what crops are in season and being harvested.

"We started out doing the CSA at a farm stand in Lawrence four years ago," said Dumaresq. "We had 160 people. This is the second year we've been doing it in Tewksbury."

The Tewksbury CSA has 200 people this year and there is already a waiting list for next year. There are, however, slots still open in the winter CSA, which is a shorter season and features colder weather crops, such as acorn squash, butternut squash, pumpkins, carrots and beets.

The CSA is a win-win. Consumers get a fixed price on fresh produce, free from market volatility and Dumaresq gets a steady income stream that he can count on and plan around, safe from the whims of Mother Nature.

Dumaresq is a rare breed in the 21^st century, a first-generation farmer. After studying philosophy in college, he served two years in the Peace Corps, where he taught agricultural techniques. After his two-year tour was complete, the opportunity arose for him to take over a field at Brox Farm in Dracut, where he'd worked as a teen.

"I had the chance to go back for a third year (in the peace corps) and then this opportunity came up," he said. He began leasing land in Dracut in 1997 and in Tewksbury in 2003.

For more information, log onto FarmerDaves.net.