They're striped! They're orange! They're big and juicy and red! They are Earthwise Society's fabulous assortment of organic heirloom tomatoes, ready for sampling at this year's Tomato Festival.
The Tomato Festival, set for the Earthwise Farm and Garden in Boundary Bay on Saturday, Sept. 14 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., offers something for the whole family, with live music, food and cooking demonstrations, and a children's activity area.
The third annual Tomato Festival celebrates the 35 varieties of heirloom tomatoes expertly tended by Earthwise master gardeners Graham and Maja Willoughby.
It is an opportunity to taste test and choose favourites, try them out on freshly baked cob oven pizza and talk to the experts to learn how it's all done.
There will be cooking demonstrations by Wes Levesque, who will share his secrets for bringing out the best in local tomatoes. Then wander over to the patio garden and enjoy some music.
Heirloom tomatoes are older varieties that have been grown historically in different regions of the world. Most are no longer widely available.
Today, plant collectors save and grow seeds from these antique varieties partly to help preserve the world's genetic diversity but also to celebrate the variations of taste and colour of this diverse fruit.
For many people, biting into a ripe, fresh-off-thevine heirloom tomato is a revelation: this is what tomatoes used to taste like.
The Earthwise Farm and Garden are located at 6400-3rd Ave in Tsawwassen.
For more information on the festival, visit www.earthwisesociety.bc.ca or call 604-946-9828.
