Pomykala Vegetable Farm - Bob & Jane

Welcome to the farm!

We are a small family operation on the Lake Champlain Islands in northern Vermont. We grow fruits, vegetables, herbs and flowers on 70 acres in Grand Isle. We are Bob and Jane Pomykala (that's us, on the right) and we started farming in 1977 and have been at if ever since. We love what we do.

June 20th, 2007

Strawberries Are Here!
Our pick-your-own operation is open daily from 8AM to 6PM. Price is $2 per pound. There is a sandbox for the young ones for when they get tired of eating and getting sticky with red strawberry juice. Bring your own containers,or we can sell you one of ours for a reasonable price.

These berries are some of the best tasting we have ever grown - it's a good year for strawberries. We are currently picking these varities: Mira, Evangaline, Canoga, Seneca, Darselect, and Jewel

THIS WEEKEND!! SPECIAL EVENT FOR YOU MY FRIEND!!

5th Annual Strawberry Social Benefit
Donations to support the local Grand Isle/North Hero Volunteer Rescue Squad
When: Sunday, June 24th, 2007
Time: 1:00 PM till 4:00 PM
Where: Pomykala Vegetable Farm, Grand Isle, VT
Why: Our local volunteer rescue squad is there when we need them, lets show our appreciation!
Live music by Pot Luck Trio
Event support by Seb's Ice Cream in South Hero.
Come have some strawberry shortcake and catch up with your neighbors!

Strawberry Shortcake

Chocolate Dipped Strawberries

Strawberry Smoothie

Strawberry Sundaes

Fresh Strawberries

May 13th, 2007

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!!

A tribute to my mother, the strongest, most amazing mom I know. Who else's mom can run a cultivating tractor? Yes!

March 30th, 2007

This map will add a dot for every visitor to this site. We think that's cool.

You have been marked on my profile map! Click to zoom-in.
You have been marked by Pomykala Farm! Click to zoom-in.

Also, we have been up and running in our outside seed greenhouse for a few weeks now. This year we experimented with grafting our early tomatoes, slicing the stalks and placing one variety of plant onto another variety of root. (COBRA Tomatoes onto MAXIFORT Tomato rootstock). The purpose of this is to get the best performing plant and roots, and get the benefits of both. Just like is standard with fruit trees. Unfortunately, we didn't have the best success, and will be growing just the Cobra's in our tomato greenhouses.

Also, we are interested in talking to anyone interested in working on our farm for this season. We've added a link at the left. We offer rewarding physical work with a team of fun people, and all the free veggies you need! Plus monthly WEED QUIZZES, courtesy of Jane.

Feb 19th, 2007

Happy Valentines Day! (well, a few days late, sorry) Here's the latest and greatest:

We've started our 2007 tomato seeds. It sure feels crazy planting tomatoes in February when there is three feet of snow on the ground outside. It was 7 below zero this morning. But in the tomato seed room, a balmy 75 degrees! (I just checked the thermostat). It also feels good, starting the annual cycle. From this point on through November, there will be something to water or plant or harvest every day. Below are some photos. I think you can even click on them to see full size.

Feb 2007 - The Seed Houses Sleep	Feb 2007 - Jane and Roxy the Dog Enjoy -5° F
Feb 2007 - The Season Starts Here! Tomato Seeds	Feb 2007 - View from Faywood Rd

Feb 1st, 2007

We're currently ordering our seeds for the upcoming spring. Definitely the most optimistic time of the year, when what we have to guide us is the shiny seed catalogue photos. We start growing our tomato seedlings inside the house in February, and get the greenhouses up and running in March.

I just read The $64 Tomato by William Alexander. He calculated that each of the tomatoes he harvested from his hard-earned vegetable garden cost him a lot more than it would of at the local supermarket. Anyone who has ever tried to grow anything outdoors will empathize as he battles poor quality soil, bugs, disease, deer, spreading weeds, and ultimately spraying his apple trees after trying so hard to raise organic fruit. His personal tale of graduating from a home gardener to "gentleman farmer" is a great read. Page 259:

"It surely is no accident that the Old Testament places the origins of humanity in a garden. Who can deny that his or her heart quickens at the sight of the first seedlings of spring peeking out from under the soil? First, there is the sense of wonder (and relief) each time a seed sprouts, a feeling of, "Wow, I did it! I guess I didn't plant the seeds too deep/shallow/close together/far apart/dry/wet/early/late." Then, to watch the miraculous: one tiny seed becoming, with the addition of nothing but dirt and water, a twenty-foot cucumber vine, bushels of tomatoes, thirty-pound watermelons; seeds no larger than a speck of dust-a speck of dust!-turning into tender, bright green lettuces."

The Vermont Vegetable and Berry Growers Association Conference is this month.
Hope to see you there! Details:

VERMONT VEGETABLE AND BERRY GROWERS ASSOCIATION
2007 ANNUAL MEETING: MONDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2007
Capital Plaza Hotel and Conference Center, 100 State Street, Montpelier
(802) 223-5252 www.capitolplaza.com

Check out the full lineup of speakers. Bob will be talking about grant money available for good farming practices, and Ben will be showing a film and talking about his recent Peace Corps experience with agriculture in Southern Africa.