Veteran gardeners return each year to Heirloom Fair

It's been a tough year for local gardeners, says Jerry Johnson, director of the Garfield Farm Museum where growers from five states will gather this Sunday, Aug. 23 for the 20th Annual Heirloom Garden Show.

Cool weather and heavy rains delayed, or in some areas ruined, the summer growing season, and Johnson says he fears that some growers may not have much to exhibit this year. But that won't discourage most of his "regulars," who'll be bringing their produce and personal expertise to this year's show.

Jimmy Doyle of Tinley Park will be back with his "best in the world" Jimmy's Chiles, several rare varieties of peppers and tomatoes, and his homemade hot sauce.

Bill Aldrich, editor and publisher of Chicago Gardening magazine and an expert home gardener, will also be there with some great-looking produce from his own garden.

The Natural Garden of rural St. Charles will show perennials, ornamentals, and plants that are native to northern Illinois, and garden designers

Vicki and Ron Nowicki, of The Land Office and Liberty Gardens, will offer good advice for first-time gardeners, and details of their 3000 square- foot passive solar home office.

For years, Denise and Joe Cimmarrusti of Elburn have shown their homegrown produce at Garfield Farm. This year, their son Francesco, 16, will show his own heirloom hot peppers, and Antonio, 13, will bring his favorites, melons and cucumbers.

"It's a family hobby and everyone pitches in," says Denise. "We've done that since they were little, bringing them up to know where food comes from. It's not just Dominick's."

"This year we have several varieties of cucumbers. We sell the seeds to help offset our costs, and the Heirloom Show is the only place we market them. "

A certified Master Gardener, Denise formerly worked at the St. Charles Horticulture Center. Now she's a winemaker and "viticulturist," a grape-growing specialist, at the Acquaviva Winery in Maple Park. It hasn't been a good year for grapes, she says.

"The only heirloom species grown in this area should probably be wild grapes or concords. Now I'm dealing with Central American hybrids, which grow much better in this climate."

For the Travis family, sustainable farming comes naturally. Spence Farm, the "heirloom farm" that is home to Matt, Chris, and their son, Will, has been in their family since the 1830s and is the oldest working farm in Livingston County.

"We raise a lot of heirloom produce, unique and rare varieties, from Iroquois white corn to a variety of dry beans grown on this farm almost 200 years ago," Matt says.

Spence Farm produces all-organic, chemical-free produce that it sells directly to top Chicago restaurants.

"We begin our farming season harvesting wild ramps (leeks) in our cousin's woods," Matt says. "That's how we connected with Rick Bayless from Frontera Grill."

Now Travis' weekly price list goes to 60 restaurants in the city.

"A lot of those folks will be here on Sept. 27, doing a fundraiser for our nonprofit foundation," he says.

The tax-exempt Spence Farm Foundation provides heritage farm tours and school programs for thousands of visitors and students, from elementary classes through college seminars.