Subject Eye

Erika Belle, Tomato Farmer:

"When tillage begins, other arts follow. The farmers, therefore, are the founders of human civilization." - Daniel Webster

I always longed for something of my own to care for and nurture: to have and to hold, in sickness and in health. So I bought a young tomato plant.This is perhaps the closest I’ll ever get to being a farmer. It’s hard to be a farmer if you live in an apartment. Here is my assessment of growing the tomato plant and my journey to initiate some cultural refinement. 

Tomato plant purchased at Home Depot: $6.95

Planter: $25.00

A second planter when the first one broke: another $25.00

Miracle Grow plant food (1 lb. box): $4.95

Hermes Ribbon used to hold up listing plant: $0.

Wallet purchased from Hermes (box and ribbon included): $1,165.00

Time spent watering and grooming the plant (4 months at 3 minutes a day): 366 minutes (or 6 and 1/10^th hours)

Psychic energy, if one decides psychic energy is quantitative, used while worrying about yellowing leaves and Hurricane Irene survival: 3500 cubic feet or 99.1089631 m3

Driftwood used to hold up listing plant: $0.

Trip to the Jersey Shore to find the piece of driftwood to hold up the listing plant (gas, tolls and dinner): $78.75

Tomato plant yield: Three 1½  inch tomatoes

Cost of this experience: Priceless (or $1305.65, not including NY State sales tax and the 3500 cubic ft of psychic energy)

My tomato plant and its support system.

Crop yield at cost of $435.22 each. The plate is from Housing Works.