subscribesubscriber servicescontact usabout ussite mapBuy a Classified
Fri, Nov 27 2009 
Breaking News:  Office closed  November 25, 2009 11:27 am

Resources

print this story   Print this story
  Post to del.icio.us

Photos


Alex Tingle, second from left, shows off the fruits of his labor with the rest of his team: from left, his mother, Kathy Fields; his FFA advisor, Ryan Thomas and Burlington processor Millard Long.
Submitted / Special to the Daily Times


Published August 25, 2008 10:22 am - A 15-year-old sophomore at West Jessamine County High School has turned an FFA project into a tomato-growing operation that will reach the shelves at top retailers this fall.

Teen’s tomato trade touted


Special report
Special to the Daily Times

FRANKFORT

A 15-year-old sophomore at West Jessamine County High School has turned an FFA project into a tomato-growing operation that will reach the shelves at top retailers this fall.

Alex Tingle of Nicholasville will be the focus of promotional efforts related to a restaurant partnership in northern Kentucky and Remke Markets, and the fruit of his labors will appear statewide in jars of salsa on shelves of more than 100 Save-A-Lot stores.

“Alex is just one more example of hard work and the support of farm families that make Kentucky Proud succeed so dramatically,” Commissioner Richie Farmer said.

“You’ve heard me talk about teamwork and Alex stands as that kind of example,” Farmer said. “He took a classroom project to the top of the retail market by networking with my team at the Kentucky Department of Agriculture and other Kentucky Proud members.”

Tingle started a major tomato-growing operation as a freshman project, working with his FFA advisor and ag teacher, Ryan Thomas.

“What Alex proposed as a freshman is one of the best project proposals that I’ve seen because of the size, scope and amount of work,” Thomas said.

“He worked many hours into the night. I would have to call him in at one in the morning, asking him to quit working and come to bed so he could get some sleep before school,” said his mom, Kathy Fields, who is a principal at West Jessamine County Middle School.

Alex initially planned to have 100 tomato plants at most and figured that he would sell at the local farmers’ market. But Thomas’ ag class didn’t sell all their plants from the school greenhouse.

At the end of the school year, Alex informed his mom he was going to bring home all the unsold plants.

“I thought he was talking about another 40 or 50 plants,” Kathy said. “It was 900 total plants, including 700 tomatoes.”

Alex planted everything by hand. He did not have a tractor. He tilled a massive garden that had been idle pasture for 13 years.

Of the 700 tomato plants, 425 are Roma tomatoes, perfect for the pulp that salsa-maker Millard Long of Boone County needs for a number of private-label products he processes.

“As soon as I saw all the blooms – flowers everywhere – I panicked,” Alex said.

The Tingles know Kevan Evans in Georgetown, owner of Evans Orchard, which also has a country store. Evans couldn’t buy that many tomatoes, but he knew Millard Long through a connection made by Roger Snell of the Kentucky Department of Agriculture.

Alex e-mailed Long, who visited the Tingles, offering to buy all of Alex’s tomato harvest and even some of his peppers.



print this story    email this story   






autoconx
Premier Guide
Find a business

Walking Fingers
Maps, Menus, Store hours, Coupons, and more...
Premier Guide
Premium Jobs

ADULT THERAPIST
LifeSkills has a full-time Adult Therapist position available for our service center in Metcalfe County. The position is...>MORE

NOW HIRING OWNER OPERATORS
Call 270-678-7379....>MORE

COMPLETE STEEL FABRICATION IS NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS
for: IRONWORKER *2-4 years experience required FABRICATOR *2-4 years experience required We offer: great retirement prog...>MORE

MANAGEMENT (KEYHOLDER) POSITION WITH LOCAL
shoe store. Exciting career opportunity. Retail experience preferred. Competitive benefit package. Apply at SHOE SHOW, 2...>MORE

EXPERIENCED DENTAL ASSISTANT NEEDED
to work 2-3 days a week in a busy dental office, emphasizing in oral surgery. Pay commensurate on experience & backgroun...>MORE

CAREER MINDED INDIVIDUALS SEARCHING FOR A HOME
We offer HOME ON WEEKENDS!!
2500 miles per week
100% no touch freight
No force dispatch to NYC. Safety &
...>MORE

ELECTRICIAN WANTED. KY LICENSE PREFERRED.
OSHA 10 hr. 10+ years exp., commercial, EOE, Drug free workplace. Job is located in Glasgow, KY. Interested applicants c...>MORE

DENTAL HYGIENIST POSITION,
part time and or as needed. Send resume to P.O. Box 1172, Tompkinsville, KY 42167.

...>MORE

See all ads

Premium Autos

LOOKING FOR A GREAT AUTO DEAL?.....
Looking to buy or sell?
Check here for the Premium Auto Section.
You can post an ad with unlimited text and
...>MORE

2002 HONDA TRIKE GL-1800
40k miles. Asking $27,000. For more info call 270-404-2959.

...>MORE

93 CHEVROLET CONVERSION VAN,
123,000+ miles., new tires, runs & looks great. Must see. $1795 O.B.O. 453-3726 or 670-8131.

...>MORE

See all ads

Premium Homes

ROOM FOR RENT IN MY HOME IN PARK CITY.
For more information call 270-749-9063.

...>MORE

2 BR, 1 BA MOBILE HOME IN THE COUNTRY.
$395 mo., $100 dep. References required, service animals only. Call 270-678-3039.

...>MORE

LAST WOODED LOT IN HIDDEN ACRES,
gentle slope, perfect for floor plans that incl. walk-out basement. City utilities available, 2.0 ac. Call 670-8486.
...>MORE

2 BR, 1 BA TRIPLEX ON IVY ST.
Deposit & reference required. 270-590-0969. Cfter 6 pm. 270-646-2938.

...>MORE

2009 NEW FLEETWOOD 28X56, 3 BR, 2 BA HOME.
Appliances, air, thermo windows, delivered, set up & skirting, list price $57,300, sale price $53,900. Goffs' Homes. 270...>MORE

1998 HORTON 14X72 3 BA, 2 BA,
vinyl-shingle home delivered, set up, skirting & air for only $16,900. Goffs' Homes. 270-789-4092.

...>MORE

2 BR HOUSE, GAS HEAT, NO APPLIANCES,
front & back porches, lots of storage. Ref. & dep. required. In Glasgow! 432-2162.

...>MORE

3 BR BASEMENT APARTMENT AND 2 BR 14X70 TRAILER.
Call 270-678-4825 or 270-547-8922.

...>MORE

2 BR MOBILE HOME IN EDMONTON
& 2 BR mobile home in Randolph-Summer Shade area, references & deposit required. Call 432-5245.

...>MORE

LARGE HOUSE & SHOP ON SMALL ACREAGE
along the Hwy. Also a cave w/springs. Call 731-925-2710.

...>MORE

See all ads


 

Community Newspaper Holdings, Inc.CNHI Classified Advertising NetworkCNHI News Service
Associated Press content © 2009. All rights reserved. AP content may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Our site is powered by Zope and our Internet Yellow Pages site is powered by PremierGuide.
Some parts of our site may require you to download the Flash Player Plugin.
View our Privacy Policy
Advertiser index