Billy is a lifelong resident of beautiful Okanogan County in northeastern Washington, and a lifelong farmer. He was raised on a fruit ranch only a few miles from his current farm in Tonasket, Washington.

At age 20, Billy bought his first fruit farm. He started growing vegetables in 1972, to fill in the rows between the young apple trees.

Read about Billy's early farming years in this article that ran in the Wenatchee World on Sunday, June 24, 1973.

Now, Billy focuses on growing vegetables — eggplants, peppers, and especially TOMATOES. He grows six acres of tomatoes outside on his farm, and two acres in open greenhouses. He grows heirloom and non-heirloom tomatoes, cherry, paste, and full-size tomatoes, but more and more, he focuses on Heirlooms. Some of Seattle's finest chefs and restaurateurs claim Billy grows the best tomatoes in the state.

Billy's Tomatoes have been served at the International Pinot Noir Celebration in McMinnville, Oregon.

According to their website, ipnc.org, "The International Pinot Noir Celebration has served as a showcase for the northwest's famed farm-to-table cuisine. Each year over 50 guest chefs from the region's most revered restaurants create inspired courses made from local farm ingredients."

The Celebration invites the chefs, and the chefs invite the growers.

According to Billy, the big difference with Heirloom Tomatoes is their superior taste. "If you're into flavor," says Billy, "that's Heirlooms! Have you ever tasted tomato sauce or soup made with Heirlooms?" he continues. "It's just incredible!"

Heirlooms are not grown commercially, however, because they take an extra 3 weeks or so to mature. And they also stress easily. So, they are difficult to grow, they don't store well, and they don't transport well.

Billy started taking his tomatoes to the University District Farmer's Market. People would request different varieties, and so he started growing different Heirloom varieties, realized how exquisite they are, and, in his words, "started obsessing" on Heirloom tomatoes. Billy says, "I only grow what I like!"

Sally, a blogger on "Mixed Greens" (a blog on Sustainable Living in the Pacific Northwest) writes, "People line up to buy his (Billy's) food, wait patiently, leave smiling with bags of organic produce and return the next week for more. Applause is deafening. Thanks Billy."

Here are some other comments that bloggers have contributed about Billy and his produce.

Marty
July 2, 2008
I’ve been buying Billy’s tomatoes for four or five years — they are the best.
Today (Tuesday) I got home from a two day work retreat to discover that my 22 year old– who has never found a tomato he likes — had sampled and then gone on to eat the ones I bought from Billy on Saturday! Sigh.
At least he knows something good when he tastes it. And Saturday will come again.

c.m. p.
July 3, 2008
If we didn’t get to the University Market right when it opens at 9:00 on Saturday mornings, I might not offer the following advice. Billy usually has, on the far side of all those perfect tomatoes, several crates of “#2’s” — ripe and imperfect in appearance, but just as delicious and a bargain.

Joy P
August 3, 2008
I bought Billy’s tomatoes for the first time this week at the Bellevue Farmers’ Market. I am born again. I grew up eating my mother’s delicious garden produce in Wenatchee and finally I found tomatoes that made me call Mom and tell her I knew it would make her jealous. My husband, who remembers volunteer tomatoes from Georgia, was just as rapturous. I can’t imagine missing the Farmers’ Market for the rest of the season!

Today, Billy, Stephanie, and their son, Noah, have 90 acres of planted ground, some on the west side of the Okanogan River, and some on the east side.

Besides their 6 acres of tomatoes planted outside, they have about 1 acre of strawberries, and 2 of raspberries. Noah has 3 acres planted in blueberries, which will start producing this year.

Oh ... and Billy has 1/2 acre of rhubarb.

Billy and Stephanie grow about 15 varieties of peppers (sweet and hot) and 10 varieties of eggplant. They have eight acres planted in 8 varieties of peaches, all of which are Heirloom peach varieties, except 2. They grow 2 acres of apricots, and 6 acres of cherries.

Click here to see more of our farm life

All of this delectable organic produce makes its way to the Seattle/ Tacoma area. You can find Billy's Gardens Organic produce stands at numerous Farmer's Markets in the area.

Billy and his tomatoes have been written about in Seattle Magazine, in Seattle Weekly, and in the Seattle Times.

Billy and Stephanie are among several growers featured in the film, Good Food, a film about sustainable farming in the Pacific Northwest.

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