In Honor - Ruth Viste & Heirloom Tomatoes
- Sarah Brenner
- May 5
- 1 min read
As you get ready to plant your veggie gardens, don't forget to plant an heirloom tomato or ten. One of our neighbors, Ruth Viste, who passed away a couple years back, made herself world famous with her love of tomatoes knowing that in the summer garden, there is nothing better.
The article below from August of 2004 written by Star Tribune food writer, Rick Nelson was passed around today by Mary Anne Wise (Cultural Cloth Founder) to those of us who knew Ruth. In her email, Mary Anne said, "I thought: it is so terrific. With her Tomato Fest and her love of heirloom varietals, Ruth really was ahead of her time. I think: this 22 year old article should live somewhere online 'out here’ - - - - but where?"
That comment made me think: I'll post it to our Farm News page as a start. We are big fans of heirloom tomatoes up here on the big hill, and I wouldn't be surprised if some of Ruth's varieties are still being planted.
Now, if it would just warm up... Love from the Farm, Sarah.
Oh--I forgot to mention a clever acronym I learned from Ruth: SABLE--Supplies Aquired Beyond Life Expectancy! Easily applied to yarn, fabric scraps, thead, patterns if you're a crafter like Ruth; in my case, it's more likely to be assorted jars, boxes or containers that would be SO USEFUL for "something"!
HOW DID I MISS THIS POST??? My introduction to the amazing Ruth Viste was at a Tomato Tasting at the Waterfront Cafe in Maiden Rock. Ruth was talented, opinionated, quirky and brilliant in so many ways (at a Memorial Service after her passing, I compared her to the poem "The Blind Men & the Elephant"). From books, to movies, to gardening, cooking, music, to creating rag & hooked rugs, quilts, socks and sweaters, Ruth was never idle. She would start heirloom tomato plants for me: my favorite was the Green Zebra, hers was Pink Ping Pong because it was fun to say outloud. She taught some of us how to knit socks, and we had a monthly knitting breakfas…