The fund-raising occasion provides a farmers’ market, tasting contest, stay music, video games and native meals at Goodwood Museum and Gardens
The Tomato Feastival is again this 12 months as an in-person celebration of the tomato and the very best of domestically produced meals, happening at Goodwood Museum and Gardens on June 6.
The Tomato Feastival is a very long time custom of the Pink Hills Small Farm Alliance, a nonprofit supporting our native farming group.
Because of the pandemic, the feastival switched to digital in 2020, specializing in Fb occasions and contests.
“Now it feels protected to do an outside occasion,” mentioned Cari Roth, president of the Pink Hills Small Farm Alliance. “As we’re all rising from Covid lockdown, to have the ability to have an in-person, outside occasion like this — we’re delighted.
“We’re able to see folks and have enjoyable and have fun the very best of native meals,” mentioned Roth. “You’ve by no means tasted something so great as a tomato that’s grown near your own home.”
Together with a farmers’ market providing a range of fruit and greens, the feastival will current a tomato tasting contest, cake stroll, stay music, garden video games for teenagers, a photograph sales space, raffles, T-shirts on the market and domestically produced meals for buy.
“We’ll be bringing again nearly every thing we had earlier than” and extra, mentioned Alliance board member and feastival planner Kate Wasson.
For the primary time, the homeowners of the microgreen farm, Legacy Greens shall be providing an indication with a sales space the place you may put collectively your individual microgreen equipment and take it dwelling.
“Hopefully we will get some children concerned with rising their very own microgreens,” mentioned Daniel Miranda. proprietor of Legacy Greens with brother Jordan.
The occasion is an opportunity for the general public to satisfy many of our farmers. And, famous Lovett Farms, “It’s a superb alternative to satisfy our prospects.”
The feastival retains rising, very similar to the curiosity in native merchandise. The primary feastival at Goodwood was held in 2019, however for greater than a dozen years, it was a smaller gathering at Turkey Hill Farm.
“The primary 12 months, it wasn’t actually a feastival,” mentioned Louise Divine, proprietor and operator of Turkey Hill Farm with husband Herman Holley. “I simply had 5 – 6 folks rising tomatoes come over with a lined dish. Terry White was our choose. He picked the very best tomato and we mentioned ‘Hooray.’ ”
“Who would have thought the feastival would flip into what it’s now,” mentioned chef White, who opened Sage in 2006, which Divine mentioned was the primary 12 months of the gathering.
“We didn’t know if we’d ever do it once more. However the subsequent 12 months we did,” Divine mentioned. And it stored going.
“It was good at the farm, cozy with 300 of your closest pals,” she mentioned. “Everybody introduced a lined dish.”
However she is pleased concerning the transfer. “Having the feastival at Goodwood maintains some of the coziness and intimacy. We see our pals and colleagues and make some new pals over tomatoes.”
One other benefit: “Goodwood is centrally positioned, the grounds are so stunning and there’s lots of room,” mentioned Divine. “The children have a lot house to run round. They’ve a lot enjoyable.”
Additionally enjoyable: “First there’s celebrating the tomato, after which there’s feasting,” she mentioned.
An enormous half of the feasting shall be domestically made fare, together with tomato sandwiches, made with native heirloom tomatoes, mayo and white bread, sausage canines made with Iberico pork by Glendower Farms, ice cream by Southern Craft Creamery and home made tomato pies cooked by native chef Jessica Vivid McMullen, proprietor of KitchenAble Cooking Faculty and Catering.
“I used to be not a tomato fanatic for a very long time as a result of should you haven’t had a fresh-picked native tomato, you actually miss out,” mentioned McMullen, who may also be promoting her connoisseur iced tea and signature seasoning.
“The tomato feastival is a superb alternative to discover and uncover what a tomato is supposed to be,” mentioned McMullen. And which means “shifting past the stereotypical spherical, crimson tomatoes. There shall be tomatoes of completely different colours, shapes and textures, greater than the tomatoes you discover sitting flavorless on grocery cabinets.”
Attendees will definitely see all kinds of rivals within the Tomato Tasting Contest. Anybody — whether or not you develop tomatoes in your yard or a farm — can compete in these classes: tastiest massive tomato, tastiest small tomato, largest tomato and ugliest tomato, which would be the most enjoyable.
Whereas the feastival is a celebration it’s additionally very important to the prosperity of the Pink Hills Small Farm Alliance.
“It’s our largest fund-raiser,” mentioned Roth. “We’re a small, nonprofit group and a $10,000 fund-raiser makes a giant distinction. It’s an essential piece of the transfer we’re making.”
The Alliance operates the Pink Hills On-line Market which has been working out of a hub at the Northwood Centre. That constructing will quickly be demolished, with a brand new Tallahassee Police Division a giant half of the brand new growth there.
The market switched to dwelling meals deliveries in the course of the pandemic, however the hub remains to be used for receiving and sorting farm items and a few buyer pick-ups. Market organizers have discovered a brand new dwelling in a 2,400-square-foot house in a warehouse space at 1531 Commonwealth Enterprise Drive with the transfer occurring by the top of Might.
“It provides us room to develop and it’ll allow us to enhance our companies to producers and prospects,” mentioned Roth. “Having the tomato feastival helps as we’re shifting up and having new bills.”
The web market has additionally turn out to be more and more in style, attracting new producers and prospects.
“Quite a bit of our farmers have expanded to satisfy demand,” mentioned Roth. “It’s a contented spiral upwards.”
On-line market gross sales “have already exceeded what we did your entire 12 months of 2019,” she mentioned.
The web market provides loads of range of merchandise, it’s straightforward to order and your meals is as recent because it comes except it’s coming out of your backyard.
The web market now has 900 customers and it has additionally elevated to 110 producers in comparison with 78 in 2019. With extra producers, it’s additionally enabled the market to drop its ready record so anybody can now be part of.
Should you haven’t been to a feastival earlier than, it’s a approach to study extra about our farming group and the way to present your assist.
“The occasion brings an consciousness, not nearly tomatoes, however about all the good native meals produced in our area,” Roth mentioned.
HIghlights:
Tomato contest: You don’t should be a farmer to enter this contest. Anybody who grows tomatoes can compete in these classes: tastiest massive tomato, tastiest small tomato, largest tomato and ugliest tomato.
Farmers Market: Native farmers promote a range of their home-grown merchandise.
Microgreens demonstration: The microgreens farm, Legacy Greens, shall be providing an indication with a sales space the place you may put collectively your individual microgreen equipment and take it dwelling. A good exercise for teenagers.
Raffle: Gadgets to be raffled embody restaurant reward certificates, gadgets from farms, pottery, artwork, jewellery and reward baskets. Raffle tickets are $5 every or 5 for $20.
Music: Moondance with Paul Boyle.
What to eat, drink: Traditional Southern Tomato sandwiches made with farmer grown tomatoes, tomato pies and iced tea from KitchenAble, sausage canines made with Iberico pork by Glendower Farms, ice cream by Southern Craft Creamery and Satsuma Wheat craft beer (utilizing native citrus) from Lake Tribe Brewing Firm.
Garden video games: Corn gap, bocce ball, large checkers and different household and youngsters’ actions.
Should you go …
What: 2021 Tomato Pageant
When: 2 to six p.m. Sunday, June 6
The place: Goodwood Museum & Gardens, 1600 Miccosukee Rd.
Tickets: $10 for adults or $25 for households or turn out to be a sponsor. Tickets out there on-line or at the door; money or bank cards.
Parking: Feastival goers are requested to park at close by Ghazvini Middle at 1528 Surgeons Dr. Handicapped parking at Goodwood.
For tickets or extra info: redhillsfarmalliance.com To study extra concerning the on-line market, go to rhomarket.com/
Word: Organizers advise that social distancing and masks for unvaccinated individuals are inspired per CDC steering.
