Hello everyone! 🍅
Early in the morning, before the sun rises high, we already start harvesting my parents’ tomatoes plant. I can still feel the cold air while we walk toward the farm. Since our farm is far from the main road, we cannot easily bring everything to the vehicle. That is why we use a horse to carry our harvest.
After picking the ripe red tomatoes, we carefully load them into sacks and place them on the horse. Watching the horse slowly walk while carrying our hard work feels humbling. Step by step, we bring the tomatoes to the area along the rocky road where the elf vehicle can reach. From there, we transfer everything again, this time into the elf truck. The tomatoes are placed in sacks to keep them secure during transport.
When we arrive home, my work continues. We wash the tomatoes thoroughly. This is very important for me because we want them clean, shining and free from dirt and sprayed Pesticides.
Please, when you buy tomatoes in the market, make sure to wash the, very well before cooking or eating.
After washing, we do nut rush the packing. We lay the tomatoes in our traditional bamboo drying and let them air dry. We arrange them properly and leave the, there until they are completely dry. This prevents moisture from causing early spoilage.
When the tomatoes are no longer wet, we start weighing them. Each pack contains 20 kilos. We carefully place the tomatoes into thick cellophane bags. Seal the, properly and prepare the, for delivery in the market. We wholesale each 20 kilos pack for 800 pesos.
From early morning harvesting, horse transport, truck transfer, washing, drying, weighing and packing, every step requires effort, teamwork and hard work. It is not just about selling tomatoes. It is about proper handling and making sure quality produce reaches the market fresh and clean. Also, we make sure to classify it base on the sizes and prices.
Thank you for reading and supporting my story! This is my own picture, edited in Canva. Have a nice day everyone.