“Everybody knows that drought is bad for growing things, but it wasn’t until last year that I learned heavy rain following drought is also bad, at least for tomatoes. The dry weather causes their skin to lose elasticity, and the sudden increase in moisture causes them to swell and burst. The fruit is still edible if you pick it fast enough, but a tomato becomes bug bait as soon as its insides are exposed. My wife and I initially relocated to be closer to family and because we wanted a yard where our kids could play. Homesteading was simply not for us — though it did reinforce for me the miracle of modern agriculture.”From Washington Post.