Good morning! How's your Tuesday going?
I just got back from the garden, from checking on the tomatoes.
At this time of year, you have to keep one eye on the irrigation, another on the sun making sure they get the right amount, and a very sharp eye to watch out for bugs.
I look like a tomato detective closely examining leaves and stems.
That's because, along with the bugs we adore, like the bees that brighten our day, there are also the ones we don't want anywhere near.
Among them, the Tuta absoluta, which is what I check my tomatoes for đ
Let me tell you why...
Before continuing with the bug story, let me tell you that we are still counting some votes to see which cheese makes it to the website, we should have the result tomorrow.
Now, back to it.
The Tuta is a very small and very clever bug that, while feeding, mines the plant. It wreaks havoc on leaves and stems and creates terrible galleries in the fruit, like a tomato mole.
Sometimes you don't see anything on the outside, but inside it's making its way through. And of course, if we're not on top of it, it can silently ruin your harvest, which is the most frustrating thing.
We combat it without using strange products. We don't invade the field, we manage it. Instead of blocking nature, we put it on our side. How? With another bug that eats it, a type of predatory bug that is a natural predator of the Tuta.
We give our ally a hotel and breakfast, and it takes care of keeping the unwelcome guest at bay. This is about balance, not brute force. It's about understanding who does what, and when, so that each piece of the ecosystem plays its role without anyone getting too clever.
In the field, it's always like this with bugs. We have the VIP list and the unwelcome list. Ladybugs and bees, always welcome đ.
Others, better not even mention them.
In fact, in another newsletter, I'll tell you about some flies I detest. Today I don't even want to name them, thinking about them raises my blood pressure.
Working with nature is what I'm telling you. Learning to observe. Understanding that it's not about winning a fight, but about continuing the story without breaking it.
The field is not a fixed picture; it's a continuous line. Sometimes there's a pause due to rain or wind, but then we resume and continue, and the tomato continues, and the bug continues its rounds, and the bees continue doing their thing. It's the same movie, without cutting the thread.
And we do all this so that, when you order online, in the morning I check the orders and we go out to harvest.
We harvest on demand, from the tree and the plant to your home, in a matter of hours. It's our way of keeping our grandparents' tradition alive, working the land artisanally, and at the same time defending our fruit and vegetables at a fair price.
We do it here in Valencia and also with fellow farmers throughout Spain, who share their craft, patience, and many battles with all kinds of bugs.
If you like, another time we'll continue with the secret life of those small field neighbors.
Because with bugs here in the field, there's a lot to talk about.
The good thing about this story is that it has no end, only well-managed continuity and an occasional smile when you catch the Tuta red-handed.
A big hug and have a great week,
