Black Beauties darker than ink. Ananas Noire beefsteaks streaked red and green. And long trusses of rare Date Fruit Yellow grape tomatoes strung like vines of gold.
Carmel Bella Farm bursts with so much stunning color, walking the grounds or scrolling through owner Lisa Canepa Troutner’s mouth-watering Instagram feed feels like visiting an art museum. A very delicious art museum.
Troutner, 33, actually is an artist, one who has woven together her passions for farming and art — and epic iPhone photography — since planting her first garden in Aptos at age 19. She began gaining a following at local farmers markets after she started Carmel Bella Farm in the coastal mountains of Carmel Valley in 2013.
Her specialty is rare heirloom tomatoes — 150 varieties of them — and she’s in expansion mode. Troutner recently purchased 10 acres in Sandpoint, a mountain town in northern Idaho, to expand Carmel Bella Farm and its seed shop.
Q How did this all begin?
A I grew up very indulged in nature. My mother had a garden strung with blackberries and lemon trees. My father owned a masonry and supply yard business, so my brother, sister and I were always playing in dirt piles. My grandmother, Rita, was an heirloom tomato farmer in Croatia. She came here in the 1950s, and I remember wandering through her gardens and marveling over her gorgeous stained-glass art that graced her Santa Cruz home.
Q Which came first — Instagram or tomatoes?
A I really got into the tomato world in 2013. I saw the garden as a way to feed my family, as well as art. I thought, “How can I share this?” So I started the Instagram in 2016. That sparked a passion and interest in photography. At the time I started taking these mosaic-like images of fruits and vegetables, inspired by my grandmother’s art.
Q What’s the secret to growing beautiful tomatoes?
A Companion planting is so beneficial and beautiful. In my tomato garden, I often have borage, basil, French marigolds and sweet alyssum to bring in pollinators. You want to promote bees and lady bugs in your environment. Also, organic fertilizers, worm castings and organic compost.
If you live in a humid area you want to prune to avoid moisture between the plants. If you live in a hot environment, it’s actually important to not prune too much in order to leave a little shade.
Q Favorite varieties?
A I grow indeterminate varieties, meaning they grow all summer. I love classics, such as Brandywine and Kellogg’s Breakfast. I am a fan of rich and robust tasting tomatoes that have both sweet and acidic flavor. Blue Beauty is one I really enjoy growing for color, production and texture. While they are delicious, too, they are much more mild and sweet.
Date Fruit Yellow is a favorite cherry type, packed with sweet, acidic flavor. They’re resistant to cracking and last forever on both the vine and countertop. Costoluto Genovese is a multipurpose variety that I find shines in sauces. Rosso Sicilian is one I enjoy for stuffing and roasting.
Q Tell us about your seed business. What’s in the works?
A For years, I have been working on growing a diverse and unique seed bank by collecting rare varieties from all over the world. We offer a lot of these treasures in our online seed store. Most recently, I have been working towards breeding and developing my own seeds, which takes a lot of time and patience, but it’s very exciting.
I am fond of the classic heirloom varieties that carry beautiful history and flavor along with their name, but am equally enthralled by the newer open pollinated varieties that showcase heavy anthocyanin expressions, the pigment responsible for the dazzling blue, purple and black shades that are often seen on my Instagram page. I hope to combine the best of both these worlds through this breeding endeavor.
Q Photo tips? How do you get those perfect dew drops and stunning colors?
A Honestly, I’m just out there so often and shoot so much. I like to go out at 4 or 5 in the morning when the sun is just rising and hasn’t taken those water drops off the tomatoes yet. It’s a filtered light. I just use my iPhone. I like the ease of use and the ability to share instantly.
Q What is the ultimate vision for Carmel Bella Farms?
A My ultimate dream — I’m shooting for the stars — is to create a destination farm, a place where people can visit to learn about sustainable organic farming and enjoy delicious organic food. That’s the dream.
Five ways to enjoy garden-fresh heirloom tomatoes
- Right off the vine
- A beefsteak tomato slice on sourdough with Vegenaise, sea salt and pepper
- Sun-dried, then eaten with olive oil and basil
- Use multiple varieties to make pasta sauces, which can then be made into soups
- Salad of diced avocado, tomato and blood orange wedges with vinaigrette and basil
