Robin Farms: Overcoming Obstacles to Produce Top-Quality Vegetables

Story, photos and recipes by Cynthia Nobles

Over the past 30 years Brandt Robin has seen momentous changes in the vegetable growing business. Not all of them have been good. But demand for such delights as locally grown corn, tomatoes, and strawberries has skyrocketed, which makes his numerous production headaches worthwhile.

Brandt Robin and his wife, Jamie, own Robin Farms, just north of Church Point, where they grow a cornucopia of vegetables that they sell directly to the public. He’s from Judice and she’s from Carencro. The pair fatefully met at a high school FFA convention, and they married in 1999. 

Brandt is passionate and knowledgeable about farming produce, and for 6 years, he was president of the Louisiana Fruit & Vegetable Growers Association. On a recent visit to his fields, he told me he caught the farming bug from his grandfather, a successful rice grower. In the sixth grade, Brandt began raising vegetables on 4 acres.

“These days Jamie and I plant 30 acres. And we do it 2-3 times a year.”

Brandt is particularly proud of his tomatoes. He plants over 2,000 tomato seedlings at a time. Some of those plants produce into January. “Seven times I’ve made 40 pounds per plant,” he said. I asked if any particular kind of tomato is so robust, and he said his high-yielding varieties were all different. “It’s all in knowing how to grow them.”

His vigorous tomato plants grow through black plastic, which helps keep the soil warm. Brandt reminds me that tomatoes thrive in heat. “When the temperature hits 92 degrees,” he says, “I irrigate twice a day. That best utilizes the fertilizer. That’s when I really start producing.” The plastic also helps speed the ripening process, and he says that 72-day tomatoes can be ready to pick in 60 days

To keep all those tomato plants upright, Brandt uses his own staking system, which differs from the Florida Weave, the common support standard used by most large-scale tomato growers. The Florida Weave involves driving stakes between every other plant and sandwiching the plants between two walls of twine that are woven around the stakes. For Brandt, breaking this cumbersome apparatus down takes too much time. “I don’t weave twine through the plants,” he says. “I tie the string on the same side of the poles.” As the plants grow, he ties on more string, all on the same pole sides. “That way it’s much easier to break everything down.” 

In season, the Robins grow a wide variety of other produce, and customers line up early to buy it. A few root vegetables they sell are freshly-dug Irish potatoes, onions, and turnips. In the summer, they specialize in strawberries, okra, cabbage, cauliflower, sweet corn, melons, eggplant, cucumbers, and a rainbow of peppers. This year, Jamie is even growing zinnias.

I asked him about the challenges he faces growing such diverse, time-consuming crops. “Believe it or not,” he said, “one of my most frustrating problems is that seed breeders give me plants that people don’t necessarily want.” 

He used cucumbers as an example. “Seed companies are pushing lots of pickling cucumbers. ‘Dasher II’ used to be a customer favorite, but I can’t get it anymore. Now I have to plant different cucumbers, and they don’t have names, only numbers.” To solve part of that problem, he keeps seed from year to year. 

Another complication, he says, is that many newer plant varieties produce concentrated fruit sets. “That means that everything ripens at the same time and causes price glitches. The market gets overloaded and produces lower prices nationally.” One way he combats that problem is to use white plastic around selected plants. White reflects the sun and keeps soil cooler, thereby slowing down ripening times.

He also mentioned a problem that plagues most farmers. “Dependable labor is hard to find.” Growing high-quality produce requires that the vast majority of the planting, picking, and cleaning all be done by hand. “I’ve got good help right now,” he said. “But lots of times employees only last a day.”

He also shakes his head at the thought of high diesel fuel prices. “Fertilizer is so expensive. All the commercial products we need to keep our plants healthy are sky-high. And I don’t think they’re as effective as they were in the old days. All these obstacles,” he says, “are why there’s only a handful of major vegetable growers left in Louisiana. Not long ago there were a couple of hundred.”

As we surveyed a gigantic greenhouse and the farm’s straight, neat rows of varied heights of green foliage, the conversation turned to production practices. Brandt went to UL (then, USL), and in 1998 received a degree in Agribusiness. Immediately it became obvious that he approaches farming with the mindset of a chemist. 

“Getting high yields is a science,” he said. “I have to balance the weather, nutrients, soil PH, and water needs.” 

The Robin farm has 7 different types of soil, and Brandt pays extra attention to soil health and composition. “I take soil samples twice a year,” he says. “Before and after I plant. It’s critical to have the right PH and fertility levels.” 

He also puts high value on micronutrients. One example is an experiment he conducted using boron. In small amounts, this element is necessary for the plant cell growth, and Brandt stresses that it is important for producing high-quality tomatoes.  

​“I started with 1 pound per acre, and that was way too low,” he said. He then tried 2 pounds, and that took him to the other end of the spectrum. “I finally learned that for my soils, 1½ pounds of boron is optimum.” 

For watering, he uses micro irrigation, a low-pressure, low-flow-rate type that reduces the likelihood of overwatering. “I check the PH value of the water. And I time the watering properly; timing is very important.”

The result of the Robins’ hard work is an astonishing variety of fruits and vegetables that outshine anything you’ll find in a supermarket. Aside from a few specialized deliveries, the couple strictly sells to the public from their farm. If you want some of their just-picked produce, check out their posted opening hours on Facebook (Robin Farms), or call 337-789-3776. Address: 317 Houston Richard Road, Church Point.
 

 
Do you have a Louisiana agriculture story or a recipe you’d like to share? Contact me at [email protected]
 
Cynthia Nobles is the cookbook editor for LSU Press and the author/co-author of several historical cookbooks, including A Confederacy of Dunces Cookbook, The Delta Queen Cookbook, and The Fonville Winans Cookbook.
 
 
 
Watermelon Salad
Makes 6 servings
 
¼ cup canola oil
3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
¼ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
6 cups seeded watermelon, cut in 1-inch pieces
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
¼ cup finely chopped red onion
 
1. Make a dressing by whisking together the oil, mint, lime juice, salt, and cayenne. Set aside.
2. On a rimmed serving platter or shallow casserole dish, arrange watermelon pieces and top with feta and chopped onion. Drizzle dressing over everything, and serve immediately.
 
 
 
 
 
Broiled Tomatoes
Makes 4 servings
 
This simple dish is great alongside grilled steak.
 
2 large, firm ripe tomatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and ground black pepper
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons minced fresh basil or oregano
 
1. Position an oven rack 6-8 inches below your broiler, and preheat the broiler to high. Lightly oil a baking pan, or line it with parchment paper. 
2. Cut the tomatoes in half horizontally. Cut side up, arrange tomatoes in the prepared baking pan. Drizzle the tops with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle on the cheese and basil.
3. Broil until the tops bubble briskly and begin to brown, about 5-8 minutes. Serve warm.
 
 
 
Smothered Okra and Tomatoes
Makes 4 servings
 
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 pound sliced fresh or frozen okra
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1½ cups chopped fresh, seeded tomatoes, or canned diced or crushed, with liquid
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
 
1. In a heavy-bottomed pot, add oil and sauté onion over medium heat until golden, about 5 minutes.
2. Stir in okra, vinegar, tomatoes, salt, and black pepper. Turn heat to low and cook, covered, until okra is tender, about 30 minutes. Stir occasionally to keep from sticking. 
3. Remove from heat and let sit, covered, 10 minutes. Serve hot.
 
 
 
Zucchini and Yellow Squash Sauté
Makes 4 servings
 
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, halved and sliced thinly
1 large clove garlic, minced
2 medium zucchini, cut into ¼-inch slices
2 medium yellow squash, cut into ¼-inch slices
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil, mint, or parsley
1 teaspoon Creole seasoning
 
1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and stir 30 seconds.
2. Add the zucchini and squash and sauté until just tender and beginning to brown, about 8 minutes. Sprinkle with basil and Creole seasoning and cook another minute. Serve warm.