You say tomato, I say “that doesn’t look like a tomato.”

Right next to the washer and dryer in the Kurlbaum’s basement, thousands of tiny heirloom tomato seedlings reach for their grow lights. This is the genesis, and 2 months, multiple trips to grocery stores, restaurants, city markets, and a sizable profit later, Kurlbaum’s Heirloom Tomatoes has done enough business to help put one of their own through another semester at St. Louis University.

A tray of seedlings soaks up heat in the Kurlbaum's basement. This year the Kurlbaums are growing 35 different varieties.

“And that’s a good school,” Sky Kurlbaum, co-operator of Kurlbaum’s Heirloom Tomatoes, says.

What exactly is a heirloom tomato? Sky explains it as being the exact opposite as one of those small, red tomatoes you pick up at the local grocer for about a $1.99 a pound. Heirloom tomatoes have rich colors (varieties come in purple, green, yellow and orange) and rich tastes (tarter and not watery like their monoculture competitors).

Sky Kurlbaum displays a a tray of seedlings. In less than 2 weeks they will make the trip from the basement to the greenhouse.

With the coming of industrial agriculture, certain tomato traits — such as strong immunity and fast growing time — were kept, while others were gradually bred out. Because of the select varieties of plants modern commercial agriculture uses, the tomato became the small, round fruit we think of today.

In contrast to the plainness associated with today’s tomato, each heirloom variety bears a historical name along with its unique appearance and taste. This year 35 varieties are sprouting under the Kurlbaums’ grow lights, including Fourth of July plants (known for being ready by the fourth under normal climate) and Brandywine plants (a slow maturing breed that after 100 days yields giant beefsteak fruit).

Back in the basement, Sky is training two apprentices who will be working for him this season. Kim Crowley is a recent college graduate and sociology major who is interested in the in the urban foods movement and Tim Graham works with computers and became interested in tomato farming after he started experimenting with making his own salsa.

Sky shows them how to carefully weed out the unsuccessful or small sprouts and how to transplant the healthy seedlings for their trip to the greenhouse. Absolute care must be taken not to snap the plant’s thin, fragile stem. On their premier attempt, both apprentices complete a successful transplant. In less than a month, these tiny plants will leave the greenhouse and be planted on about one acre on the Kurlbaum’s farm.

A quick look at the operation after the greenhouse looks something like this:
•    About 2000 plants will make it into the ground this season
•    Each plant will yield about 6-8 lbs of fruit
•    A little less than 12,000 lbs of fruit will be collected in total this season

From left to right: Liz, Sky watch and help their apprentice Tim Graham complete his first tomato transplant. After experimenting with making his own salsa, Tim decided that he wanted to learn more about tomato farming.

After the greenhouse Sky uses a more hands-off approach. He’ll allow his family and a few hired hands to help plant and then harvest this year’s crop.

“For about two or three days during planting I’m the least popular guy on the farm,” Sky says, referring to his love for growing, cultivating, and selecting seedlings, but not the labor involved in planting and harvesting. Sky stays involved with the planting and harvesting, keeping them organized and routine, albeit from the sidelines.

Liz, Sky’s wife and fellow co-operator, is responsible for the marketing side of the business; she originally worked for South Western Bell and spent most of her childhood selling apples and peaches grown on her family farm in Kansas City, Kansas.

Liz sells the family’s heirloom tomatoes to local Kansas City restaurants such as 1912 Main, 40 Sardines, and the Grand Street Café on the Country Club Plaza, routinely calling chefs and making sure they are satisfied with the produce and that business will continue in the future. If she ever needs to coax a restaurant into paying a slightly higher price than they would for other tomatoes, she need only remind the hesitant restaurateur that other fine dinning establishments will be eager to buy what is about to be passed up — and that usually does the trick.

Reporting and Photos by Bryan Dykman