Favorite Farmer Friend Auctioning Farm

Hi,

My favorite farmer friend is auctioning his farm. There is an article in the Chicago Tribune today outlining their story.

The Titus family are rather reserved, so it took them a few years to warm up to me. Later, they told me how often I was the biggest sale of the day. I would buy 60-80 pounds of tomatoes, 60-120 ears of corn, several bunches of basil (which they would cut fresh for me) and miscellaneous vegetables. They could never believe I was feeding a family of 3-6 people. Of course, what I bought and preserved did feed us for the year.

Titus family were my best source for reasonably priced heirloom fruits and vegetables: purple and pink interior potatoes, several types of tomatoes, interesting melons, white unsweetened corn for fresh made tamales, interesting squashes and their honey. Often my car was stuffed to the gills where it appeared I was opening a fruit and vegetable stand.

After an event in September, 2001, I bought quantities of their purple and pink potatoes. When cooked the purple gave a blue-ish hue and the pink well a reddish hue. For a while, I went to the extra effort of serving red, white and blue potatoes. I did notice people didn't quite groove to the blue, so those were what I ate.

As much as I will miss Titus' produce, it also means I have to drive further away to buy what I want. I learned a lot about the business end and economics of farming from Tony. I'm going to miss our seasonal contact.

I wish the Titus family well.