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07/21/2021 08:30 AMPaul “Taco” Santowski is known for many things.
His nickname, Taco, is one. It was given to him by a friend in middle school.
“This guy had a nickname for everybody,” said Taco, who adds that his original nickname was much longer, and that Taco is an abbreviated version.
“It was cumbersome to say,” said Taco. “So, they came up with Taco for short and I’ve carried that name since 1975. That is a long time ago.”
He’s also noted for an adventurous spirit, frequently riding a bike from his home at Kirtland Commons in Deep River to Old Saybrook.
The 11-mile trip takes him about 40 minutes, said Taco, and he bikes regardless of outdoor temperature.
“It wouldn’t be uncommon to see me in January, February in Old Saybrook in shorts, in 35-degree weather. That would not be uncommon. I’m sort of known for that,” said Taco.
The most remarkable attribute of Taco’s though, his affable personality aside, is his passion for cultivation.
Driving by, it would be hard to miss the brightly colored hanging baskets that he sells at his farm stand on South Main Street in Deep River.
Taco got into farming in 1993, after responding to a help wanted ad in the newspaper asking for a farm hand. The 63-acre tomato farm that was advertising was then called My Cousin’s Tomatoes. Most recently, it was Deep River Farms.
The job interview went smoothly.
“He liked me, and I liked him,” said Taco, who was tasked with tying tomato plants that first day, and for several weeks thereafter.
He also harvested the tomatoes and prepared them for sale by washing and slicing them, and then placing them on racks in a dehydrator on very low heat for about 18 hours.
“Then we would go in and take them, bag them and they would go for sale, usually at the farm stand,” said Taco.
At the end of that first season, the farm owner, who worked a full-time job along with running his tomato farm, offered Taco a more permanent position.
“He just didn’t have time to do it and he said, ‘Taco, if you want, I’ll sort of give you the keys,’” said Taco. “So, the next year and the following season, I became the farm manager for good.”
Eventually, the tomato stand became Taco’s Farm Stand where he sold a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, some of which were started from seed in a greenhouse on the property.
Taco, along with other members of his family, would rent the farmhouse on the property for more than a decade.
Asked what he likes best about farming, he said that it’s unlike a desk job, or working in a shop.
“I think it’s the freedom,” he said.
Although Taco is now officially retired, he’s been offering flowers and fresh produce at his current location, next to Chris’ Hot Dogs, for the past nine years, and plans to continue the stand into the foreseeable future.
“It’s sort of in my blood,” he said.
Taco is also the organizer of the Deep River Farmers Market, which runs 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., on Saturdays through Oct. 9 at the Scandinavian United Society, 10 River View Avenue.
When Taco is not at his farm stand or riding one of his two bikes, he writes poetry.
He also enjoys the activities at Kirtland Commons and is a member of the Deep River Congregational Church and the Scandinavian United Society, Inc.
Although he grew up in Massachusetts, Deep River has always appealed to him because it offers “the woods, the country, the river and it’s very close to the Sound, Long Island Sound. It’s unique that way,” he said.
The people are another reason.
“I like the people,” he said. “We are all kind of like a big family, especially where I live, at Kirtland Commons.”
Having just turned 65, Taco said that he is one of the youngest seniors living there, but that the friendships he has made transcends any age difference.
“I love them all. I love them all. I couldn’t imagine living anywhere else. I am really blessed,” said Taco.
For information on the Deep River Farmers’ Market, call 860-262-0031 or email Paulsantowski@outlook.com.