STRICTLY BUSINESS: INVERTED TOMATOES PIQUE INTEREST

When Emma Burton mentioned her tomatoes hanging from a clothesline, it piqued my interest.

Tomatoes? Clothesline?

"Yeah," she said. "I'm raising upside-down tomatoes, hanging from a clothesline."

I wanted to know more. I've been off the farm now more than three decades, and the last time I raised tomatoes, they were grown in the ground.

Burton explained the new concept.

A relative from Arkansas told Burton's husband, Gene, about upside-down tomatoes.

Take a bucket preferably a five-gallon pail cut some small holes, including one or two larger holes near the center. You place the tomato plants through the larger holes with the roots on the inside of the bucket, and fill it with soil.

Then, simply hang it on a clothes line, or a tree limb.

In Burton's case, she used a two-gallon bucket and has two plants which have already produced ripe tomatoes.

"This is new for me," she said.

Burton, a tomato fancier, still has regular tomatoes growing in the ground.

The stalks on the topsy-turvy tomatoes appear to grow thick and healthy.

Another grower of upside-down tomatoes, in another area, placed some weights on the tomato vine to keep them hanging down.

"People are amazed at my plants," said Burton. "They don't believe it until they see it."

Burton never heard of it until this year.

"This won't revolutionize the way we grow tomatoes," she said. "But home gardeners are always trying new things."

The upside-down tomatoes are easier to care for, according to Burton.

"You don't have to worry about staking the plants, or keeping them off the ground," she said. There's also no worry about weeds, or worms. "I'm definitely going to do it again," said Burton. "Next year, I'll have three or four five-gallon buckets. That should give me enough tomatoes for the season."

This tomato-growing idea just might catch on as people discover how easy they are to care for. However, tomato experts tell us not to try it this year. Too late, they say.

The topsy-turvy tomatoes concept is a space saver. If you happen to live in a high-rise or a condo, you could grow upside-down tomatoes and plant petunias (flowers) on the top.

Cook with care

American love their barbecue grills.

Now they tell us that outdoor cookery can be hazardous to our health.

Barbecuing, broiling or frying can produce cancer-causing substances o your foods, which in high levels may increase cancer risk.

But there are ways to reduce your exposure:

* Scrub the grill surface, remove any charred food particles.

* Choose very lean meats for grilling. High-fat ones results in dripping fat onto the heat source.

* Reduce fat by trimming from meat (remove skin from chicken) before grilling.

* Use tongs to turn the meat. A fork will pierce the food and release juices that may produce flare-ups.

* Keep flames from touching the meat directly.

* Avoid charring.

* Watch your intake of grilled, broiled and fried foods.

It's barbecue time

Backyard culinaries will be at center stage later this month for the 8th annual Cape Girardeau Barbecue Fest, hosted by the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce.

Teams will compete in six categories, at the Fest, to be held at Arena Park Aug. 25-26.

Bragging rights, a grand championship trophy and cash awards are at stake the two-day event. As many as 30 teams are expected for the annual cookout, which gives area amateurs a chance to show off their barbecuing abilities. It is open to amateurs throughout the region, and teams range from two to 15 members.

They can compete in the categories of hamburgers, beef kebabs, boneless strip steak, roast pork (Boston Butt), pork steaks and pork ribs.

Members of the Cape County Young Farmers, the Chamber's Agri-Business Committee, SEMO Pork Producers, SEMO Cattlemen's Association and the Junior 4-H Club are involved in the two-day event.

Additional information is available by calling 335-3312.