staff@resthavenfarm.com

                                    Bob Braun and Zachary pose in their hydroponic tomato operation.
                                               The Brauns recently ended their first growing season.                         

    Welcome to Steson's Corner, where weekly we hope to share a bit of
what is good about the Village of Geneva.  This column is dedicated to a
man who did the same - Deputy Sheriff Gene "Steston" Gregory, who
was killed in the line of duty July 8,1998, in the place he was sworn to
protect, but which could not protect him.  Geneva will never be the same
because of Deputy Gregory...it will be better.

    One of the things I noticed while vacationing in the magnificent mountains
of southeastern West Virginia this past week was the fact that every homestead
we passed boasted a bountiful backyard garden.  When I pointed this out to
my daughters they replied that of course those people had gardens to feed
themselves because the nearest grocery store was hours away and the nearest
job probably did not even exist.  Not so fast, I offered in return.  Perhaps it is
because those people know something we here in Central Florida (where we
grow mostly houses) have missed or forgotten.  Family gardening is a time-
honored tradition that carries on because those who garden know that when
you work the earth it's like free therapy and because nothing in that grocery
store tastes as fresh and sweet as produce from your own plant-ripened plot. 

Prior to this week of time off, I visited Rest Haven Farm in Geneva, where
Bob and Laura Braun and their son Zachary know of what I speak.  The Brauns
have just finished up their first season as growers of hydroponic tomatoes and
hope to repeat the process again in a few months having gained much experience
during their inaugural run.

The Braun's greenhouse may be a tad large to qualify as a backyeard garden,
but it is (discreetly hidden) their backyard, and does produce tomatoes with a
taste that takes you back to a time before mass production, mass transportation
and chemical preservation took over the produce aisle at the local supermarket.

"We're not an organic operation,"  comments Bob Braun when asked about
pest and disease fighting within his computer controlled facility.  "We deal with
white flies, which are primarily a greenhouse bug, and some fungus from the
humidity."  Braun, conscious of the chemical effect on his crop, however, uses
pyrethrin-based formulas to combat pests, and hope that adding a vinyl covering
to the now dirt floor of his site will cut down on fungus problems next time around.

Their second season of production holds much promise for the family, who relocated
here in 1997 from Miami in the hopes of raising their son in a rural small town atmosphere
and with mom and dad working from home.  "We learned a lot in this short season," 
Braun reflects, "so that next time we'll be ready to hit the ground running."

Lessons learned this go-around, which found the Brauns months behind other
growers who began harvesting November 2003 (the Braun's tomatoes first ripened
in May 2004) include things as minor as what color gloves to wear so as to not
excite the bumble bees which pollinate the plants, to making sure there is an
automated back up generator to run the operation when the power goes out, and of
course, dealing with county and state regulations.

    First year blessings have included supportive neighbors who have helped with
everything from a "greenhouse raising" to planting, picking and promoting, as
well as late-season tomato purchases by other growers who had already shut
down their operations for the summer.

"One grower bought my entire day's crop," delights Braun, who also gained
much from interacting with local growers who had several years experience in
the business.

    Not wanting to get to over-confident in his crop-producing abilites, Braun
adds, "As much as you think you are prepared, there is so much involved that
every day there is something new to deal with."

    Braun's production abilities previously involved major on-the-road shows
featuring touring recording artists and spanning the globe.  Laura is a computer
 consultant and business analyst in the cruise industry. Both continue to jump in
and out of their professions as necessary to keep things financially functioning
at Rest Haven Farms.  Both also hope to be full-time growers withing a few years
and continually plan and work towards that end.  This fall, for example, the couple
will be utilizing a portion of the current greenhouse facility to grow strawberries
and herbs.  A second smaller, passive greenhouse may provide lettuce crops
in the future.

    Tomatoes will alsway be the mainstay here, however, with most of what they
produce being sold to area restaurants.  And these are not just any old tomatoes.
These are nutrient fed, tenderly handled, computer monitored babies that listen to
 classical music to help them grow.  Just ask Zachary, age 3.  He knows the tour
script as well as his father; although the day we visit he prefers to play with his
toy tractor among the rows and rows of towering vines. 

    "They sell themselves," says Braun matter-of-factly.  This first year, howerver,
many days harvest were donated to local food banks rather than be allowed to spoil.
 (Rest Haven Farms also provided the tomatoes for Geneva's Fourth of July
celebration condiment table.)  Next season, though, will be different.  Concludes
Braun: "This has been very rewarding for a number of reasons.  I'm actually surprised
at how rewarding it has been.  In the end, everything has really worked out pretty
well for people who didn't know what they were doing when they started."

    The Brauns are currently in the process of shutting down for this season, with a
mid-August date for replanting from seed-a time when many neighbors show up to
help and socialize.  When harvesting begins, the Brauns open a roadside stand
(run on the homor system) at the entrance to their farm on Rest Haven Road in
Geneva.  The contact number for the farm is 407-349-0111.