By Rocky Karriker

I was looking through some old clippings I brought home from my parent’s house and came across this news article. It was from when I was 7 years old and used to help my grandfather in his garden.

We lost my dad in November of 2017. He continued to grow tomatoes from seeds that came from my grandfather’s plants.

Three weeks before my dad passed away, I saw some of the tomatoes still hanging from his vines. Wanting to keep the tradition alive I planted the seeds this year. The plants grew to more than 7 feet tall and the tomatoes are some of the best we’ve ever had.

One of my favorite childhood memories is being in the garden with my grandfather and eating tomato sandwiches while my grandmother, Mamaw Rose, “put up” vegetables via canning for the winter.

I moved away to attend college at Georgia Tech and married a Georgia Peach. My wife Lori and I still reside in Gainesville, Georgia but I still get “home” several times per year to visit.