BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT
FRESH FROM THE FARM
Hunziker Farms prepares for active and robust farmers markets
STORY & PHOTOS BY MICHELLE WULFSON
It ’ s mid-March and Brian Hunziker is joined by his son in planting rows of Celebrity , Early Girl and Better Bush tomatoes under a warm sun . Spring is just arriving and the duo are kicking off the first wave of the season ’ s planting for Hunziker Farms .
“ You ’ ve got to know your market , and that ’ s what we try to do , we try to stick with what we know will sell ,” Hunziker said , plunging his hand into the freshly tilled soil to plant a tomato starter , adding that Heirloom tomatoes will be going in the ground the next week .
Tomatoes make up the majority of Hunziker Farms ’ business at the local farmers markets , the unmistakable rich red color and acidic flavor of their homegrown tomatoes sets them apart from any grocery store find . It also makes the tomatoes a top priority for shoppers at the Saturday morning market in downtown Huntsville .
“ Most tomatoes you get in the grocery store are called nitrogen charged , so they ’ re going to pick them green , they ’ re going to put them on a truck , nitrogen charge them , which turns them pink , then they ’ re being shipped . By the time they get to the grocery store , because of the demand of produce that people need , the color is what sells the eye , so if it ’ s red and ready , it ’ s going to sell no matter if it ’ s been chemically changed or not . It ’ s going to sell because they think it ’ s ready , but technically what you ’ re eating is what they call a half-ripe tomato ,” Hunziker said , describing the end result as a hard and mild flavored fruit .
A few heads of lettuce , kale , cabbage , brussel sprouts and celery are spread out among neighboring rows , they ’ re all that remain after February ’ s heavy frost that killed off a bed with 600 heads of broccoli . Across the way , potato leaves are just peeking out from under heavy layers of hay lain as a protective warm blanket .
“ This has been a weird year with weather ,” Hunziker said , looking out at the bare land before him , though he ’ s happy with what was able to survive .
14 | HUNTSVILLE LIVING | MAY-JUNE 2021