tion,” she says. And that’s where experience has taught her so much. “The first year, I made a deal with two other people to grow tomatoes for me, and it was an absolute flop. I built my first green- house out of pvc pipe, which wasn’t strong enough to trellis the tomatoes to. SO we ended up with an ll by 50 by 4 foot- wide mass of albino tomatoes. You literally had to go swim- ming in the plants to find any produce. It was a learning experience.” Even with the green- house and the raised beds, Nat can’t grow enough tomatoes to meet her production needs. She’s contracted with other growers to “clean up” the green tomatoes from their ' greenhouses at the end Of the season. And she’s gotten tomatoes from Eric & Julie’s Farm in Bristol, Riverberry Farm in Fairfax, and in some years, from David Miskel to fill out some batches. is The tomatoes are organically grown, whether they’re from Nat’s-garden or one of the others. She “didn’t bother” going through the process to actually have her chutney certified as an organic food because the process at the time was in flux, she says, long and complicated. By the time you read this, the seeds will have been started under grow lights in front of the south facing picture window. Seeds come from Johnny’s Selected Seeds, among others. She plants varieties that yield large, slow-ripening, low- water-content fruit. “I plant Buffaloes in the greenhouse, an indeterminate,” meaning the plants keep on blossoming and bearing fruit throughout the harvest season. The out- door garden gets the determi- nate varieties: Early Girl, Big Boy. “I tried Valley Girls last year — they were a flop.” Nat says she doesn’t get “real technical. I don’t put heating pads under the trays or anything. I pray a lot.” She laughs. The process of turning 500 pounds of tomatoes and onions and spices into about 450 jars of chutney (one batch; Nat made seven batches A last year) happens at the Vermont Food Venture Center, where specialty foods entre- preneurs can rent space in a new production facility that is built for large-batch cooking and mechanized labeling, vir- tually sterile and inspected often. “I do the work — in hair- net and whites,” along with her partner Aurora “the cOrer” and occasional hired help. She does her own distribution, including deliveries to comer stores, the Cabot Annex on Route 100 between Waterbury and Stowe, about 25 outlets in all. Her newest is Pumpkin’s Organic Market in New York City. She does three farmer’s markets during the season: Richmond, Burlington, and Stowe. And, of course, there’s mail order, likely to increase five new ‘products each year. ises that what’s mother’s own recipe - the best chutney you’ve ever tasted, and possibly the best use ever invented for Vermont’s never-going-to-ripen tomatoes. A HA3 Lmcmonocy I Am ABOVE -nu: 3;:-ri Permanent Hair Removal Hair today gone by summer! When it's time to show a little skin, wouldn't you love to be free of unwanted hair? Start the process now! My specialty is with transgender clientele, but I have worked with everyone, menand women. when she gets her website up and running. a “I’m the black sheep of the specialty food busi- ness,” Nat declares. “Every other company is trying to do -STACEY CORWELL 33 Blair Park, Williston 878-9473 Swedish Massage Deep Tissue Massage They produce an average of five to 20 items. They come out with a new product or a variation on their basic prod- uct, ‘hot ’n spicey’ or cajun style. I havejust one. And I’m keeping it that way. I have no dreams of making multi-mil- lions or building up a compa- ny so I can sell it. I won’t sell it.” It’s the personal touch that attracts many customers she says. They see her at a farmer’s market and are impressed that she’s the one who actually made the chut- ney, not some corporation from far away. ' Asked whether her being a lesbian has any con- nection to her garden or her business, Nat says, “I don’t know. Just that it takes all LEON D. "LEE" RAME‘/, LMT, NCT MB NATIONALLY CERTIFIED IN THERAPEUTIC MASSAGE & BODVWORK NAT'L CERT. # 15-5067-00 ' MEMBER FSMTA Middlebury, VT 802-388-9760 COUNSELING CENTER OF NORTHERN VERMONT PSYCHOTHERAPY FOR INDIVIDUALS, COUPLES, FAMILIES 0 Coming Out 0 Sexual Identity - Life Transitions 0 Family Issues 0 Separations 0 Endings/Loss Bill McBrO0m ucsw 802.229.5220 Lynn Goyette LCMHC 802.860.6360 BURLINGTON MONTWPELIEAR EROTIC ADVENTURES FOR THE SOUL Come alive to the power of your erotic energy. Discover deeper levels of com- munication with yourself and others. I Honor yourself with the gift Of touch. April 26-28 NE IN ENGLAND CALL (617) 524-9044 Goodilegal advice can make all the difference. V , Langrock Sperry & Wool Offers the services 2’ of 22 law’yers,withiOv1er500 years combined ‘experience in all areas of the law — including two lesbian attorneys with special expertise serving the legal needs -of the g/l/b/t/q community.’ kinds. And we’re everywhere. The difference it has made is in the incredible supportrthe lesbian and gay community have given me — encourage- ment, excitement, visitslratv Farmer’s Markets, buying the product, sharing their tips on how they use it, telling their _ friends aboutit. D ‘ ' “I love working with the earth,.—.ge_t_tingdirt on my- hands. I justghappen ‘to, be a lesbian out there "growing I ’ green tomatoes.” _, _ j , 5: S~usANL“-MURRAY & BETH ROBINSON . H I With'offIces_in Middleburys and Burlington I » -I Middlebury (802) asaaase ' »-‘+-I§iiriihgtori°‘(8i)2) 4864"-0217 smurray@langrOck.cOm brobinson@langrOck.com Langrock Sperry & Wool, LLP ATTORNEYS AT LAW