Seeds of the Inciardi tomato were smuggled into the United States nearly a century ago by the forebears of a Downers Grove family. For decades, the effort to preserve the preserve the rare tomato was a family affair. Now other gardeners have joined the effort, including detainees in the DuPage County jail s horticulture program.
“I have always been around my family planting, and now I kind of learned the science behind it, so it makes sense now,” said James Annoreno.
College of DuPage horticulture instructor Connie Kollmeyer said the inmates will receive three college credits for attending online and in-person classes.
“If they decide to go forward with a degree or certification in horticulture, then it applies toward that program, and even if they chose a different program at some point, they can still use it as an elective credit,” Kollmeyer said.
The garden is yielding vegetables, including peppers and tomatoes, as well as herbs and flowers. The sheriff s office said most of the yield will be donated to area food pantries and shelters.