A Very Green Thumb in Schoharie County

Believe it on not, this was a medium-sized example in the Northeast Gardner's crop

David Laraway showing off an enormous zucchini

The tomato plants were taller than David Laraway, who grew some very impressive examples.

Under the canopy of tomato plants, which was taller than a person

By Matthew Avitabile

SLOANSVILLE — David Laraway has a talent and is especially good at both showing and explaining it. The Northeast Gardner has long been a staple of the local growing community, appearing on the Albany television channels, in local press, WSDE, and on SCHOPEG.

And this season he appears to have outdone himself.

He welcomed me to his home and extensive garden last Friday where he showed me his great skill at effectively making anything grow.

The retired Navy veteran has always been a gardener, he said, crediting his parents. He said that to them, “gardening wasn’t a hobby.” The family ate homegrown food twelve months a year..

Special credit went to his mother, who he dedicated his book of expertise to. He said that his mother went to the Grand Union with their new neighbors, where they tried to buy potatoes. His mother told them that it was a “disgrace” to buy any vegetables and had potatoes ready for them in the cellar.

Adjoining the garden are two ponds, including one that he hand-dug himself. There are also a number of fruit trees, including Golden Delicious and Macoun (Macintosh and Jersey Black hybrid) apples. Nearby are new apple, plum, and peach trees. The expert said that one of the secrets to allowing trees to grow and bear good fruit is to not add anything additional to the soil other than what is taken out.

“Don’t add anything to the soil except what you take out,” he said.

“Work with mother nature and she will work with you,” he said. If you fight her, he said “you will lose every time.”

“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”

All of his products are grown organically with no chemical pesticides. He credits a number of traditional remedies, including using copper fungicide, which can halt the growth of numerous diseases. He added that to prevent blossom end rot, the traditional remedy of adding calcium through eggshells can be supplemented with oyster shells. The treatment also prevents voles and moles from getting into the garden, as well.

“People are like plants, plants are like people,” he said.

Every year Laraway continues his family tradition of “take the best, leave the rest.” By selectively breeding, his family has six generations of plant seeds which produce the impressive fruit and vegetables displayed last week.

The results are particularly large and juicy tomatoes that are nearly seedless and have a taste superior to those you find at stores.

All tomatoes, for example, are heirloom varieties and open-pollinated. So is the corn and squash. Laraway showed squash and zucchini in both large and enormous varieties..

He said that he tried to outdo himself each year and see “what I can grow.”
This includes extensive cucumbers, as well as significant watermelons he was warned he couldn’t grow.

“They didn’t read the book,” he said.

Joining the fruit and vegetables are potatoes.

Despite the special success with several varieties, Laraway said that “everything” is fun to grow.

If it’s a challenge, he loves it, he said.

Perhaps even more impressive than David Laraway’s garden is his sense of humor and prepared products. Always prepared with a good joke and a friendly demeanor, he showed and sampled a number of delicious products. He has more types of pickles than I can list here, but included are garlic dill, hot pickles, bread and butter, crock dills, and far more. He also showed his own Schoharie County Sloughter Slaw and peach jam.

For someone well-known for his skill in the garden and the kitchen, somehow David Laraway found a way to outdo himself (and taught me some new jokes in the process).

For those interested in taking a look, and even taking pictures, Laraway is hosting a harvest sale this weekend at his home and garden at 103 Beckers Corners Road, Sloansville along with a two-family garage sale. His book on gardening, Guide to Bigger Fruits and Veggies,: Homesteaders Guide to Gardening & Canning, is available at his farmstand and on Amazon. The book is dedicated to Laraway’s mother, Pauline Laraway Shilstone, who is described as a wonderful woman and key influence.