Celebrate late summer with the taste of juicy, sweet tomatoes at the Earthwise Tomato Festival Market Day on Saturday, Sept. 15.
The Tomato Festival highlights the Earthwise Farm's 35 varieties of heirloom tomatoes.
Organically grown from seed in Tsawwassen, the Earthwise tomato crops are lovingly raised by volunteers Maja and Graham Willoughby, who start the seedlings in their home in March, then transplant them into Earthwise's Boundary Bay farm as the weather warms.
This season's gems include varieties such as Red Brandywine, Green Zebra, White Queen, Banana Legs, Malachite Box and many more.
The festival runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., at the Earthwise Farm, 6400-3rd Ave, Boundary Bay.
Those attending can sign up for a tomato tasting to sample an assortment of heirloom varieties or try fresh heirloom tomatoes on a slice of gourmet pizza made by the chefs from Illuminate Restorante, who will be preparing pizzas in the Earthwise hand-built outdoor cob oven.
Those who want to enjoy organic, local tomatoes beyond late summer can learn food dehydration techniques from Earthwise Farm staff member Athenaise Guertin at the Tomato Festival's featured live demonstration.
As part of Earthwise Society's summer Market Days series, the Tomato Festival will also showcase a variety of local vendors and artisans.
There will also be music from the Mike and Emily Greene Show and or the under-12 crowd, children's entertainer Indiana Johanna will lead a kidfriendly tour and, with the help of participants, search for clues to solve a special farming mystery.
Heirloom tomatoes will be on sale at the Earthwise Farm Store, along with local honey, locally milled flour and other organic, seasonal produce fresh from the farm.
The Earthwise Market Days Tomato Festival is sponsored by Vancity.
