Local farmer has big goal for tomatoes

Many people grow tomatoes in their gardens, but George Howard’s tomato crop sets the bar a little higher.

The Donley County farmer has 2,300 tomato plants set out on his land northeast of Clarendon where, despite the drought and high winds, the plants are coming along quite nicely.

Howard’s tomatoes are irrigated beneath black plastic, and the plants themselves are in wire cages wrapped in clear plastic, which helps them produce more tomatoes.

“The wind causes vibration on the plastic, and that makes them pollinate and set tomatoes better,” Howard said. “It also protects them from the wind and the sand.”

Howard says his tomatoes are not totally organic but he does try to use as little chemical as possible on them. Instead of pesticide, a homemade spray made up of olive oil, garlic, and other herbs are used to deter worms, for example.

Howard has been planting tomatoes for several years but never in this quantity before. He will sell the produce at farmers’ markets in Amarillo and Borger as well as in Lowe’s Family Center here in Clarendon.

“Every year is different,” he said. “This year we’re growing Empire tomatoes instead of our usual Celebrities.”

The weather is also a challenge this year. While the lack of rain has kept down the weeds between his rows, it’s also causing him to have to water much more frequently; and the high winds have meant he has had to re-bag his tomato cages three times with plastic.

Deer have also been more of a problem this year as they search for food, but Howard has cut that problem by putting blood meal around the perimeter of his farm. Deer don’t like the smell of it and won’t cross it, he says.

If all goes well and barring any devastating hail storms, Howard says he expects to produce between 35,000 and 40,000 pounds of tomatoes this year.

And if that wasn’t enough to keep him, his family, and four hired hands busy, Howard Farms is also growing Persian melons, honey dew melons, Israel melons, peppers, cantaloupe, and watermelons.

Monday, the Howards were busy setting out 4,000 new watermelon plants under irrigation, which they expect to be ready to harvest by July 15, but like all farmers they know one thing for certain this year.

“We need rain.”