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THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Farmers
Continued from A1 purple Brussels sprouts and other high-end produce for about 20 restaurants in Philadelphia, including Vetri, Osteria, and Zahav, and 50 more in New York such as Thomas Keller’s renowned Per Se and Daniel Boulud’s trendy eateries. Then there’s his fast-growKATHLEEN MALONE-VAN DYKE / AP MARY ALTAFFER / AP ing circle of celebrity chefs, the glossy spread in a nationCarl Paladino, left, a tea party candidate for governor of New al food magazine, and a push York, is in a statistical tie with Republican Party-backed Rick to host his own cable-TV seLazio in a new poll. The primary election will be Tuesday. ries showing how food gets from farm to table. And on Sept. 23, Culton’s more elaborate produce will go on the block at Sotheby’s “The Art of Farming” auction, featuring 23 organic growers and sustainable-food proponents Martha Stewart and Bette Midler, among others. campaign months after Lazio By Michael Gormley In some ways, the glitzy ASSOCIATED PRESS and has been treated as a side of Culton’s widening ALBANY, N.Y. — Tea party fringe candidate by many, of- world — his trademark offactivist Carl Paladino, run- ten ignored by Lazio as he beat wardrobe now includes ning for governor in New tried to focus attention on that $2,000 Armani jacket, on York on a wave of voter an- Democratic nominee Andrew loan from an upscale restauger, has pulled into a dead Cuomo, who has no primary rant — is a commentary on heat with Republican Party opponent. America’s unending mania designee Rick Lazio days beBut in recent months, Pala- for all things lavishly food-refore Tuesday’s GOP primary, dino has gained in the polls. lated. according to a poll released He has pushed his plan to cut Attention is now heaped Saturday. state spending 20 percent not just on the superstar The Siena College poll also and cut taxes 10 percent chefs who run gourmet resshows the five-way race for along with some unconven- taurants but also on the farmattorney general in the prima- tional social policies and a ers who supply them, espery is still bunched up with promise to stop the proposed cially with the growing popuState Sen. Eric Schneiderman mosque near ground zero. larity of the “eat local” moveand Nassau County District “A heavier-than-normal Re- ment. Attorney Kathleen Rice lead- publican turnout upstate will But friends say Culton’s key ing the pack. But 29 percent likely hand the nomination to to success is not the colorful of Democrats were undecid- Paladino, who leads upstate hats or the skateboard, but ed. 53 to 32 percent,” said Siena’s his authenticity and his devoThe poll also shows that Steven Greenberg. However, tion to his Lancaster County Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gilli- “a heavier-than-normal down- soil. brand has a commanding lead state suburban turnout will “He’s very charismatic, against her primary opponent, likely make Lazio the Republi- very articulate, very passionwhile most Republican voters can nominee, as he leads ate — I think it’s a bit of a Shoeless Tom Culton with his ax. Left, he remain undecided in whom there 55 to 30 percent.” surprise to people,” said brings Rouge vif d’Etampes pumpkins they want to take on DemoPaladino has had to use lit- Aaron Matzkin, a photograin from the field, planning soup by day’s cratic Sen. Charles E. Schum- tle of the $10 million he pher and partner in the TV end. Below, he shells Flageolet beans er. pledged to use of his own for- project, who met him at the that he had gathered in his hat. Paladino, a Buffalo develop- tune as he fought Republican Headhouse a few years ago. er, had 42 percent of Republi- leaders over months who had “He has this great happy-gocans’ support for governor in tried to deny him a chance to lucky childlike attitude tothe Siena College Poll to 43 speak at this summer’s rau- ward life, but once you start percent for Lazio, a former cous GOP convention. talking to him about what he congressman. That is a statisInstead, he petitioned his does, he certainly knows tical tie in the survey with a way into the primary with what he’s talking about. He’s margin of error of plus or mi- 30,000 Republican signatures passionate and articulate. nus 4 percentage points. and started his own taxpay- He’s not blowing smoke.” However, 15 percent re- ers party for a second line, After all, even a farmer mained undecided. which threatens the future of whose produce is featured in The poll shows Lazio with the Conservative Party, Bon Appétit magazine, as Culcommand of New York City whose leaders have backed ton’s crops were recently, still and his home base of Long Lazio. has to deal with the humbling Island, with Paladino getting The Siena poll questioned hard work and unpredictable strong support from upstate 615 likely Democratic voters weather that go into urging Republicans, whose turnout and 610 Republican voters tiny seeds to sprout into a in GOP primaries is more reli- from Tuesday through Thurs- bounty of fruits and vegetaable. Paladino started the day. bles. “I do hustle from the time I wake up in the morning,” said Culton, standing amid rows of potatoes on his lush 53-acre tract in Silver Spring, outside Lancaster, in his usuThat prompted a tart re- al work getup of straw boater, So much so that Culton of- ers that Vetri was the hottest them,” said Cavanaugh, who sponse from Palin on Friday. ascot, and bare feet. ten has the longest line at the restaurant in the city. was tickled with the French The former Alaska governor “It’s the nature of the busi- market. A 2007 phone call led chef- pumpkins that Culton said in her own Twitter mes- ness. You can’t sit back and “He is a good salesman. He owner Marc Vetri to send his dropped off recently. sage that “Arnold should wait for the world to come to won’t let you go until he gets chefs to the Culton spread, Culton’s farm is one of JACKSON, Ky. — A gunman have landed” so she could ex- you.” his point across about what where they started purchas- 5,400 remaining in Lancaster enraged over how his wife plain to him her state’s multiHard work is in Culton’s he has to offer,” she said. ing Italian artichokes and oth- County. Most don’t have the cooked his eggs in rural east- billion-dollar budget surplus. bloodlines. His family has Culton’s coming of age coin- er hard-to-find delicacies. cachet or high profile of Culern Kentucky shot five people California has a $19 billion been in the Lancaster County cided with a decade of rapid “It’s things they can’t get ton Organics, and many are dead with a shotgun before budget deficit. — AP area since 1740. But Culton change in the restaurant busi- from anyone else than me,” struggling. killing himself, a relative of Organics has replaced the ness, and he was quick to Culton said. Some have mixed feelings two of the victims said. barely-scraping-by staples pick up on the trends. Three years later, Culton about the notion of the farmTrooper Jody Sims of the that his mother and grandfaFrom local chefs, he now sends a refrigerator truck er-as-rock-star. Kentucky State Police said ther grew there — such as learned that restaurants were once a week to New York with “We have two different that Stanley Neace, 47, killed tobacco and carlooking for high- produce. A new visitor to his kinds of farmer, those that five people in two mobile rots — with Flaer-quality pro- farm last October — TV’s Top are celebrities and the poor Staff photographs by homes around 11:30 a.m. SatBOULDER, Colo. — Fire geolet beans, duce and more Chef head judge and Craft res- schlubs out there without the Michael Bryant urday, then went to his home managers were confident Sat- R o u g e vif variety than taurants impresario Tom Colic- heirloom tomatoes,” said and turned the gun on him- urday that they had stopped a d’Etampes they were get- chio — is a customer. Ann Karlen, director of Fair self. wildfire burning in the Colo- pumpkins, and those purple ting from large distributors. “It was cool,” Culton said of Food, which connects PhilaSims said that when state rado foothills from spreading, Brussels sprouts. Not your After a few trips to France, the visit, even as he acknowl- delphia chefs with farmers in police arrived about an hour but people who live in the typical Amish market fare. he began growing heirloom edged he didn’t know a lot Southeastern Pennsylvania after the gunfire began, they blaze’s path still did not know Reinventing the family crops. Then he cold-called res- about Top Chef. and runs a stand at the Readheard a single gunshot and when they would be able to farm was not something he taurants. His first major “get” Chef-owner Sean Ca- ing Terminal. “I believe all found Neace’s body on the return to their homes — or had planned to tackle at such was the venerable Le Bec- vanaugh of Lancaster’s John are vital to our region. But do porch of his home in the mo- what remains of them. a young age. Culton, a Hemp- Fin, which bought small table J. Jeffries called Culton “the farmers have to be celebribile home park outside JackThe fire has destroyed at field High School graduate grapes from 75-year-old vines new standard” for organic ties? Could we instead have son in Breathitt County. least 169 houses and is burn- who did not attend college, that Culton says a French po- farming. As the restaurant’s deep respect for the work Sherri Anne Robinson, a ing on a 10-square-mile area was only 20 when his mother liceman gave to his grandfa- main supplier, Culton offers they do and pay them a fair relative of two of the vic- in canyons five miles west of died in 2001 and he took over ther. dozens of unusual varieties, wage?” tims, said witnesses to the Boulder. By Saturday, about the family business. In the meantime, the unusu- Cavanaugh said. Currently, Culton works 20 shootings told her that half the blaze’s perimeter had Almost from the beginning, ally attired young farmer be“He doesn’t just grow toma- of his acres with only his Neace became enraged fire lines built around it to he knew he would have to be- came a Sunday fixture in the toes or squash or onions. He 78-year-old grandfather and when his wife did not cook keep sparks from spreading come what he called “the ulti- crowded Headhouse, where grows 15 different kinds with one hired hand. For the first his breakfast to his liking. the flames to the area be- mate hustler.” He said: “As a he learned by asking custom- different characteristics to time he was able to put some Robinson said that when his yond. businessman you got to have money away last year. wife fled to a neighbor’s trailCrews hope to have the fire that mentality, unless you have “I don’t want it to comproer, Neace followed and shot fully contained by Monday a trust fund. You’re either in mise my relation to the land,” his wife, his stepdaughter, evening with the help of debt to the bank or working he said of the relentless pitchand three witnesses. Robin- calmer winds and the efforts your butt off. I was raised that ing. “When I go to the beach son said he allowed a young of about 1,000 firefighters you don’t want to be in debt to for two days, my heart is girl to flee. — AP from 20 states who have the bank.” here. You love your land so been digging those lines. It It helps enormously that much you want to be here.” has cost $4.9 million to fight Culton is a bundle of perpetuThat said, Culton goes back the fire, among the most de- al energy — his joints jangle to digging up potatoes — his structive in the state’s histo- as he talks enthusiastically grandfather driving the tracry. — AP about his passions, whether tor while he steers the plow. it’s working the land or his There are some monster tuSACRAMENTO, Calif. — Sunday-night soccer matches. bers that he picks up to show Flying over Alaska on his Elsewhere: Friends say his high-enervisitors. way to a trade mission in Competitive eater Joey Chestnut, gy, attention-grabbing persoSuddenly he shouts to his Asia, California Gov. Arnold also known as “Jaws,” na is simply who Tom Culton grandfather to stop, and he Schwarzenegger couldn’t downed 47 burritos stuffed is, and not a tad contrived — pulls a cell phone out of his help but take a lighthearted with beef, beans, and green not that the sideshow isn’t pocket. It is a call from Culjab at the state’s former gov- chile in 10 minutes at the great for business. ton’s alternate universe — a ernor. New Mexico State Fair in Al“Tom is a fun guy; he enterrestaurant that loved the His Twitter message Thurs- buquerque on Saturday, beat- tains the customers,” Katy French carrots that he recentday night said he was “look- ing the previous record of Wich, Headhouse manager, ly delivered. ing everywhere but can’t see 331/2. The prize was $1,500. said with a laugh. “He’s goofy, “It’s nice to hear,” Culton Russia from here,” a refer- Chestnut, of San Jose, Calif., but very serious about farmsays, then goes back to doing ence to an infamous remark won the annual July Fourth ing and the products he what he does best. from Republican then-vice hot dog eating contest at New brings to the market. He presidential candidate Sarah York’s Coney Island for the loves to talk about the varietContact staff writer Kathy Palin during the 2008 presi- fourth year in a row this sum- ies and their place in differ- One of three Oberhasli dairy goats gets a kiss from the boss. Boccella at 610-313-8123 or dential campaign. mer. ent cuisines.” kboccella@phillynews.com. Culton has plans to make his own artisan goat cheese.
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