Diversification and season extension is one way for farmers to increase their income with the low market prices and increasing farm input prices.  The Cornett Farms have embraced and excelled in both of these areas.  The addition of hemp, greenhouse tomatoes, on farm produce sales and meat sales have helped them to remain viable.  The Cornett’s are always looking for new and innovative ways to become more efficient and profitable.  This made them the perfect cooperator for an on farm research trial with the UK Department of Horticulture.  

Dr. Rachel Rudolph, vegetable specialist, Steve Berberich, extension associate for greenhouse production and myself are working with the Cornett’s on a grafted tomato trial.  Dr. Rudolph supplied the rootstock and scion tomato varieties, and conducted a bilingual on farm training.  The Cornett’s and their H2A immigrant workers practiced connecting the delicate seedling tomatoes with plastic clips.  The research revolves around the increase in production when certain varieties of scion tomatoes are grafted on different rootstock compared to others.  The tomato plants height and caliper data has been collected during the growing season.   The harvest information will also be collected when they begin to produce tomatoes.