#platedehaiti

[seedkeeping]

Plate de Haiti is a vermilion red, apple-shaped tomato that has been associated with Hispaniola since the 1550s. In 1793, the Creole refugees who fled the successful uprising of enslaved people in Haiti brought this tomato with them. It was reintroduced to North America in 1992 when Norbert Parreira (France) shared the seeds with tomato connoisseur Dr. Carolyn Male, who shared them with Dr. William Woys Weaver, who later shared the seed and its history with me. We grow this tomato at Pentridge Children’s Garden in West Philly so the kids can learn about, taste, and pass on a piece of Caribbean heritage. #platedehaiti #platedehaititomato #heirloomtomato (at Delaware County, Pennsylvania)

[seedkeeping]

My Earliest: Plate de Haiti Tomato (a fly on the wall of the Haitian revolution - speaking of independence) and Thorburns's Terra-Cotta Tomato (1893). Both from the Roughwood Seed Collection. #platedehaiti #platedehaititomato #thorburnsterracottatomato #thorburnsterracotta #solanumlycopersicum

[seedkeeping]

Yep, Plate de Haiti Tomato is still going at Pentridge Children’s Garden in West Philly, and it tasted good too. It’s December. Talk about micro micro climates - these plants have the benefits of the urban heat island effect, and are insulated by being right next to a heated building with a sunny brick wall. We planted an olive and a pomegranate tree nearby (with @phillyorchards) for that reason (with winter protection). This heirloom tomato pre-dates the uprising of enslaved Africans in Haiti. Seed available soon as a fundraiser for the garden. #platedehaiti #platedehaititomato #pentridgechildrensgarden #westphilly #seedkeeping #seedsaving

[seedkeeping]

Thrilled to see the staying power of the Plate de Haiti Tomato at Pentridge Children's Garden! This heirloom from Haiti (grown in the island before the successful uprising of enslaved Africans) outlasts all other tomatoes in the garden. Might be able to make another sauce! Will certainly keep more seeds for our seed sale fundraiser for the garden. #platedehaiti #platedehaititomato #heirloomtomatoes #pentridgechildrensgarden #seedkeeping

[seedkeeping]

I love Plate de Haiti not just for its illuminating story (it was grown in Haiti before the uprising of enslaved Africans, and brought north after the revolution), but also because it is so prolific! I harvested 30 fruit today from 7 plants! It is a great sauce tomato, and is great for seed production. #platedehaiti #heirloomtomato #saucetomato #seedkeeping #seedsaving #seedstories

[seedkeeping]

Snapshots of our day at Kutztown seed farm on Friday: Plate de Haiti Tomato; Ba-Ye-Qi Sorghum; Greengage Tomato; the first big seed crop harvest of the year where we had to employ tetris car packing skills; Buena Mulata Peppers; team seed in the Calendula; toad in the straw. #roughwoodseedcollection #seedsaving #seedkeeping #platedehaiti #greengage #buenamulata #teamseed #heirloompepper #heirloomtomato #seedfarm

[seedkeeping]

Plate de Haiti, aka Hispaniola Tomato. According to William Woys Weaver, this tomato has been associated with the island now home to Haiti and the Dominican Republic since the 1550s, and was brought to North America by the Creole refugees in 1793 fleeing the uprising of enslaved people in Haiti. It was introduced again to North America in 1992 by Norbert Parreira (France) to Dr. Carolyn Male, to Will, to Seed Savers Exchange. Now we are growing it at Pentridge Children's Garden in West Philly so the kids can learn about, taste, and pass on a piece of Caribbean heritage. #platedehaiti #heirloomtomato #pentridgechildrensgarden #williamwoysweaver #roughwoodseedcollection

[seedkeeping]

Had such a nice time at Pentridge Children's Garden in West Philly today. We pulled very sweet over-wintered carrots and planted and learned about the histories of Horace Pippen and the Fish Pepper; Plate de Haiti Tomato and the Haitian Revolution; Paul Robeson Tomato and the Russian tribute; the Black Peanut from Seagrove, North Carolina; the pre-Incan Yacon Blanco and Yacon Morado; and the Aztec food Dahlias. In this bed pictured, we imagined a version of the three sisters of the Indigenous North Americans (corn, beans, squash) that Dr. George Washington Carver might have planted. We came up with sorghum, black eyed peas, and sweet potato. We hope the peas climb, the sweet potatoes sprawl, and the sorghum stands tall!