He thinks his tomatoes have a more natural flavor than the hydroponic varieties. The Philpott tomatoes will be higher-priced than the Mexican imports, more in line with hydroponics. As with any farming enterprise, tomato growing has its challenges. The biggest one, said Philpott, is getting a uniform size in the fruit so that it will be acceptable to the chain grocery stores. White flies also pose a problem, and Philpott uses organic sprays to keep them in check.
Pollination is another painstaking operation.
Philpott has to pollinate the tomato flowers by hand, at just the right humidity. What's more, each blossom is viable for only three days. Once the vine starts growing, so does the workload. To accomplish this, Philpott suspends the vines from greenhouse trusses using wires, hooks and string. Philpott got into the tomato business when he was seeking a career change.