Outdoor Indiana - July/August 2023

Tomatoes have made their mark on Indiana
By Scott Roberts, OI staff

Roger Miller views an Heirloom Tomato Festival exhibit. (Brent Drinkut photos)

What’s in a name?

“Tomato Jim” Wyant adopted his nickname after he started collecting and distributing the Indiana summer staple’s seeds about 15 years ago. He now grows 80 to 100 varieties on his Walton property in Cass County. Wyant loves the myriad tastes that gush from tomatoes of various varieties.

“They can go from tart to sweet to musky,” Wyant said. “Reds are most tart; blacks have the musky taste; pink, orange, and yellow are a little sweeter. Then there’s your yellow and pink that are almost fruity tasting.

“If you have 85 different tomatoes, you may have 85 different flavors.”

Brian D. Smith of Greenwood calls himself “Mr. Tomato Head” because before he retired, he used to take bushels of tomatoes to his job and give them to coworkers whom he thought deserved homegrown flavor.

“When I had my first bite of a tomato I had grown myself, it was like I had opened a new world,” Smith said. “It was like the Wizard of Oz when the movie goes from black and white to color—I just couldn’t believe how good it was.”

Tomatoes are considered fruits because they are a ripened flower ovary and contain seeds, but most nutritionists consider them vegetables because they are usually served as a main dish or side, and although they can be somewhat sweet, their sugar level is less than that of more traditional fruits. But no matter how they are categorized, tomatoes have made their mark across the Hoosier state, from home growers like Wyant and Smith to large companies like Red Gold, which is based in Elwood, in Madison and Tipton counties.

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C’mon in, the water is fine!
DNR swimming locations offer a variety of ways to cool off
By Scott Roberts, OI staff

Children frolic at Lieber State Recreation Area’s beach. DNR swimming beaches, pools, and aquatic centers are spread across Indiana, from Lake Michigan to the Ohio River hills. (John Maxwell photo)

Kristeen Waddell of Carmel has a big extended family of about 25 people, so when they have summer get-togethers, she needs a place that can serve a variety of interests.

Prophetstown State Park in Tippecanoe County does the trick. She likes biking on its trails and camping there, and she enjoys visiting The Farm at Prophetstown, an 1800s re-creation with livestock.
But it’s the park’s aquatic center that brings her crew back every year.

“My middle child, who is 3, can play in the kids splash area while my oldest, Jack, enjoys the slides, and the baby and I enjoy the covered beach chairs,” Waddell said. “(Last year) was Jack’s first year being big enough to do the slides, and he loved them. He and his cousins did them dozens of times.”

DNR offers 28 outdoor water-related recreation features across the state. They include aquatic centers, pools, and beaches. Each is designed to give visitors experiences similar to Waddell’s.

Outdoor pools are available at Brown County, Clifty Falls, McCormick’s Creek, Turkey Run, Shakamak, Versailles, and Spring Mill state parks. In addition to Prophetstown’s, O’Bannon Woods State Park and Lieber State Recreation Area (SRA) also have outdoor aquatic centers.

To read the rest of this article subscribe to Outdoor Indiana or pick up a copy at one of our state park inns. To subscribe, click here or call (317) 233-3046.