Blight Bout Hits Darien Farmers Market

Heirloom, grape, beefsteak and Roma: for gardeners and consumers alike, juicy ripe tomatoes are one of summer’s most anticipated crops. But tomatoes will soon be missing from many Connecticut markets and farm stands this year, and the Darien Farmers’ Market is no exception.

A severe outbreak of late blight, a plant disease that attacks tomatoes and potatoes, is sweeping through Connecticut farms and gardens. The fungus, while of no harm to humans, is devastating to crops grown outside. What appears as brown and white spots on one tomato spreads quickly and can turn an entire plant toxic within a few days. It was late blight that was responsible for the Irish Potato famine in the mid-nineteenth century.

Officials say that late blight circa 2009 arrived in the Northeast from tomato plants grown in the South and sold by various megastores. The first case of late blight was found on a commercial farm in early July; but it's the small, organic farms that are absorbing most of the damage.

Riverbank Certified Organic Farm of Roxbury, Connecticut, a member of the Darien Farmers Market, estimates losses of nearly 90 percent of its tomato plants to late blight, said farm manager Nicole Totino.

“We only have a tenth of what our tomato plants typically yield,” said Totino. “Tomatoes are our biggest summer cash crop, and we probably won’t have any within a couple of weeks.”

Totino estimates that the farm will lose about $25,000 in sales.

Like a sunburn or a mosquito bite, there is a risk for late blight every summer. Officials suspect this year’s weather exacerbated the bout. Late blight thrives in a damp, humid and windy environment.

There are a few pesticides available to farmers to prevent late blight, but they are intermittently effective. Certified organic farms are severely limited when it comes to fending off pathogens, as they tend not to use pesticides at all.

“Copper-based sprays are certified organic, but we don’t like to spray our crops–ever,” said Totino.

The late blight is also infecting the state’s potatoes. In Riverbank’s case, the blight may have hit late enough.

“We have seen it in a few of our potatoes, but we’ve been able to salvage what’s underground,” said Totino.

With limited supply and high demand, tomato prices are steeper than usual and may get steeper. According to Riverbank Farm apprentice Stephen Strzelecki, this year’s tomatoes cost $3 more than last year’s. Officials expect the price of wholesale tomatoes will also increase.

Before we call the whole thing off, you can buy local tomatoes (or tom-ah-toes) while they’re still in stock at the Darien Farmers Market every Wednesday from 11 a.m.–6 p.m., right across from Goodwives Shopping Center.