Have you ever seen a 12-metre tomato? Come with us to the Ráječek Farm near Brno!
Matěj Sklenář
Matěj studied Biochemistry at Masaryk University, and a postgraduate degree in Plant Sciences at Wageningen University in the Netherlands, specialising in Greenhouse Horticulture. Today, he continues the work of his ancestors who built the farm from 1930 until the Germans drove them out. They were able to return after the war, however were pressured to join the collective farms and lost some of their land. Matěj's parents bought back the land and started farming it, building greenhouses for tomatoes. On the surrounding 20 hectares, they harvest leaf lettuces, kohlrabi, cabbage and other seasonal vegetables.
We arrive in Brno and park at the Sklenařs', who years ago expanded their fields with foil growers and started growing tomatoes using hydroponics. "It's a method in which the plants are not grown in soil, but in an artificial substrate such as basalt felt or coconut fibre," explains Matěj Sklenář, a twenty-eight-year-old who helps run family farm Ráječek - Farming began here in 1930.
"Tomatoes take root in the 'mattress' into which the nutrient solution is fed. The dosage is controlled by a computer which measures the amount of sunlight and detects how much water the plant needs. Compared to field cultivation, this we save up to 80% of water," adds Matěj, describing the next (eco)logical step:
"The water that runs off the substrate to a lesser extent contains nutrients and fertilisers, so we collect it and water the tomatoes repeatedly. This closes the cycle in the greenhouse and at the same time prevents the solution from seeping into the groundwater."
Harvesting under the roof
Hydroponic greenhouses ensure tomatoes ideal growing conditions. The right humidity and temperature in the covered space is essential, which protects the fruit from disease and cracking. "It does not rain in the greenhouse, so the risk of mould is reduced. Thanks to ventilation and heating, we can also adjust the climate to suit the tomatoes," says Matěj, emphasising:
"We focus mainly on prevention. We therefore use purely natural sprays without chemically active substances. And we change the substrate every year so we don't have to deal with the diseases that usually accumulate in the soil."
Tomato pests won't harm them either, because the plants are defended by predators. "We introduce various insects into the greenhouses, such as the predatory flatworm, which we first feed on dead fly eggs and then let starve to eat the dangerous pests," explains Matěj.
Routine care of tomatoes in hydroponics involves similar tasks as in the garden and balcony, except for checking the technology that controls the core processes in greenhouses, and doesn't forgive any mistakes. "Classically grown tomatoes have a certain reserve in the soil, whereas our plants depend on regular irrigation. All it takes is for the power to go out for a day and we can lose the entire crop."
You don't underline!
Surrounded by fragrant tomatoes, we learn that hydroponics significantly extends the tomato season - the harvest takes roughly from mid-April to the end of November. The seedlings grow from February onwards and reach a height of 12 metres, with the plant producing an average of 15 kg of vegetables. This equates to about 50 kg of large and 25 kg of smaller tomatoes per square metre - large growers can get up to 100 kg from such an area.
In Ráječek, however, quality is the name of the game, so the fruit are allowed to ripen to full flavour - as opposed to imported ones. "Most of the imported tomatoes are under-ripened. In practice, this means that they are harvested while they are still green and only 'finish' during transport," says Matěj, delving into biochemistry:
"An understripped tomato may turn red, but it will never be as good. The sugars are involved in the growth and flavour, which are produced in the leaves by photosynthesis and gradually flow into the fruit. If the tomato is picked too early, it will not have time to get ripe and develop its flavour potential.
Types and varieties
In terms of taste, there is plenty to compare - the Sklenars have planted four types and thirteen varieties of tomato this year. "It's not easy to grow so many varieties together, as each requires slightly different conditions," admits Matěj. "In the greenhouses they also grow test varieties. We are interested in how they taste, but above all how they behave during the season. For example, we are finding out how the tomato copes with less light, hot summers and fungal diseases."
Different varieties require a special approach, whether it's special watering or the way they are selected. "We are newly harvesting the San Marzano variety, which suffers from calcium spots - the plant does not transport calcium well into the fruit, so it turns black. We have to water them more and trim fewer leaves from them," says Matej, thinking out loud:
"This tomato is one of old varieties that are appealing in taste and shape and are important both for agriculture and for our society. On the other hand, they are less able to resist modern diseases and some growers have to resort to chemicals. In short, improved varieties are just as important as the original ones.'
Tomato as plum
From the theory in the greenhouse we move to the shop next door, where a colourful display of varieties awaits. "Try Papeletto, the square, fleshy tomato doesn't let out as much juice and is ideal for grilling or burgers. It's just as good for drying," advises Matěj, adding more tips:
"For a classic Italian sugo I would choose San Marzano, while for a tomato sauce we recommend Plum tomatoes Plumola which, thanks to their high lycopene content, offer a deep red colour. In salads, they pair nicely with cocktail tomato or with the yellow Maggino variety."
On the shelves, we also notice tomato juice, pickled green tomatoes and ketchup. "It's a kind of tomato cuvée from the surplus. For a kilo of ketchup, we use about 3.5 kg of tomatoes, which are boiled and slowly reduced for 24 hours until the sauce thickens," Matěj explains. His dad and farm manager Josef Sklenář does most of the processing. He also produces dried tomatoes or tomato dust.
Greenhouses and coordinates
Looking at the greenhouses in the middle of the fields, we get into a debate about the future - greenhouse tomatoes now fill most of the world market. Modern technology allows us to get closer to sustainability," says Matej, who is involved in farm innovation and promotes so-called precision farming not only in the greenhouse:
"The weeds in our fields are hoed by a robotic weeder, so we avoid chemical sprays altogether. The tractors work using GPS coordinates, which makes driving around the field or fertilising the beds more efficient. The soil around the area doesn't need to be tamped or over-fertilised."
In favour of technology, another argument is that one weeder can take the place of up to 15 people. "Finding labour in agriculture is a problem. People tend to be critical when they see foreigners in the fields, but the Czechs don't want that kind of work, even if it is fairly paid. Many small farmers in South Moravia are quitting because they lack successors, but also employees," says Matěj. He is a prototype of a young farmer who can inspire the next generation:
"My parents let me go off on my own, but during my studies I realised that I wanted to return to Ráječek and continue their efforts. I enjoy showing that being a farmer can be diverse - I'm constantly learning, taking care of sales and branding, and at the same time I can be in the field and create value with my hands."
Closer to the people
We say goodbye outside the shop, which meanwhile is filling up with customers from Brno and the surrounding area. "The pandemic has forced us to implement a plan that we have been putting off for a long time. In just one month we built a shop with our vegetables and ingredients from other farmers and small producers," Matěj recalls, praising the cooperation with Industra Coffeewhich runs a weekend pop-up on the farm - an original coffee venture in the historic 1924 Czechoslovak Radio building.
"We are planning several gastro events before the end of the summer. It brings extra worries, but also motivation. I'm happy when families with children come to visit us. I'm grateful that people believe in our work as much as we do and can appreciate it," Matěj concludes our trip to find tomatoes and an excursion into farming that has moved with the times. Thank you!
