Tomato Day and Fall Into Gardening - Two Great Events

by Carol Kagan, Master Gardener

14th Annual Tomato Day

This event, held by the Master Gardeners of Penn State, Franklin County, will host lots of visitors on Saturday, August 23 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Agriculture Heritage Center, 181 Franklin Farm Road, Chambersburg. As in years past, this event will be on the lawn by the stream but this year it is scheduled on a Saturday. No excuse to miss it!

Preparing for the taste test (Laurie Collins)

Tomato Tasting
The most popular destination on Tomato Day is the big tent covering tables laden with 20 or more varieties of tomatoes, cut-up and coded with a letter. Visitors do a blind taste test, recording their rating for taste and appearance. Paste tomatoes, beefsteak, slicing, cherry, and heirloom types are included in the samples.

At the end they receive a key to the codes and discover the names of the tomatoes. The ratings are tallied at the end of the day and posted on the Franklin County, PA Master Gardeners Facebook page.

Salsa Verde (made with green tomatoes (Public Opinion)

Salsa Contest
Everyone is invited to enter the Salsa Contest. Competitors bring their salsa and recipes along with a bag of chips. Although typical salsa recipes are made with ripe red tomatoes, past winners have included a mango salsa and salsa verde (green tomato) variations. Last year’s winner, Charles White, will be among the judges for best salsa but visitors can also taste and vote for the “People’s Choice” award.
Largest Tomato Contest
If there’s a “big ‘un” in your garden that will be ripe around August 23, consider entering this contest. Past winners have clocked in at about 2 pounds. The 4-H Garden Club will be entering and has some mighty big Mortgage Lifter variety tomatoes and one will definitely challenge all comers.

'Mortgage Lifter' in the 4-H Garden

Join the fun and enter the contests. Deadline to register for the Largest Tomato and Salsa contest is August 18. Call 717-263-9226 to register or for more information.

Flower arrangement display

Flower Arrangements
Master Gardeners will display a large variety of floral arrangements using seasonal flowers and greens from both the demonstration and home gardens. These will be on display in the lobby of the Agricultural Heritage Building.  Stop by and get some new ideas of how to display your beautiful blooms.

 

 

Fall Into Gardening

A new Master Gardener event this year will be on Saturday, September 6, 2014 - 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. near the barn across from the Agriculture Heritage Center, 181 Franklin Farm Road, Chambersburg.

This family-friendly event will have a self-guided tour of the eight demonstration garden areas, a scavenger hunt for younger visitors, a demonstration of planting bulbs for forcing, and a fall plant sale plus interesting exhibits in the Clubhouse near the barn.

Garden areas, created and maintained by the Master Gardeners of Penn State, Franklin County, include drought-tolerant, perennial, herb and pollinator gardens. Stroll through the Woodland Meadow and Native Habitat area and check out the Victory Garden with a variety of vegetables and fruits as well as the new 4-H Achievement Garden.

Pink hyacinth (tomylees)

 

For the younger visitors up to age 12, accompanied by an adult, there will be a scavenger hunt. Prizes are available for the first 75 participants.



Learn how to plant beautiful flower bulbs that will bloom during both the holiday season and the gray days of winter.

Daylilies to Highlight the Fall Plant Sale

A Fall Plant Sale will be held in the newly renovated holding area near the greenhouse. Locally grown perennials for sun and shade plus a variety of herbs, shrubs and trees will be available. Of special interest is the wide variety of unusual daylilies (Hemerocallis). They won't be blooming  but here are a few waiting for you to grab them up.

'Frances Joiner': This stunning mid-season re-bloomer, is a light yellow with rose eye above a greenish yellow throat

'Francis Joiner'

'When My Sweetheart Returns': A small, single mid-season re-bloomer in pale yellow with rose eye above a greenish yellow throat

'When My Sweetheart Returns' Daylily (Nancy Miller)

'Morning by Morning': Eye-catching fragrant, early season coral pink double flower with dark coral eyezone above a yellow throat

'Morning by Morning'

'My Sweet Rose': A very fragrant, mid-season bloomer in rose pink with cream to deep green throat

Master Gardeners will be available at each of the gardens to answer questions and share information as well as at the Patrick Gass Garden at the north edge of the parking lot on the west side of Franklin Farm Road. This is a work-in-progress project but already has historic plants and information signs.

Free. Parking at the Agricultural Heritage Center lot, west side of Franklin Farm Road.

Late Summer Events and Workshops

Tomato Day

Master Gardeners will hold their 14th Annual Tomato Day on Saturday, August 23 from 10 am - 2 pm. Free. Come and taste over 20 varieties of tomatoes, enter the largest tomato contest and/or the salsa contest* (or be among the voters for the People's Choice award) and enjoy visiting with Master Gardeners and neighbors.

*Deadline to enter August 18. Call 717-263-9226 and register.

Check out the "Save the Date" list and note that there will be a Fall plant sale at our "Fall into Gardening" event on September 6. More later about this new event.

Avoid the disappointment of fully enrolled workshops by calling now.

Tomato Day & Fall Into Gardening Events plus Succulent and Turfgrass Workshops

by Carol Kagan, Master Gardener


Succulent Plant from Bob Hyatt's Greenhouse

Simply Succulents Workshop

 August 2, 2014 – 9:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m. – Ag Heritage Building – 181 Franklin Farm Lane, Chambersburg – Learn how to grow and propagate these beautiful and nearly indestructible plants.  This workshop will highlight hardy succulents that can be planted outside as well as those grown as houseplants.  Pre-registration is required by Monday, July 28, 2014.   Call the Extension Office at 263-9226 to register. (Cost is $10 per person.)



Turf Grass (Courtesy Univ. of Wisconsin)

Turf Grass Workshop

August 9, 2014 – 9 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. - Clubhouse at the Barn – Learn how to properly maintain a lawn.  This workshop will feature a demonstration of aeration equipment. Other topics to be covered include weed control, seeding and controlling thatch. Pre-registration is required by Monday, August 4, 2014.   Call the Extension Office at 263-9226 to register. (Cost is $10 per person.)

Blind Taste Testing (Photo: Laurie Collins)

Tomato Day - Now on a Saturday!

August 23, 2014 - 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. - Ag Heritage Grounds- Blind taste tests on over 20 varieties of tomatoes grown by Master Gardeners. Rate the tomatoes, taste salsa recipes for  the People's Choice award, see winners of the biggest tomato and ugliest tomato contest. Free.

Angela Weathers Salsa Verde

Fall Into Gardening - Tours and Plant Sale

Perennial Garden

A new Master Gardener event this year will be on Saturday, September 6, 2014 - 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. across from the Ag Heritage Center near the barn. Tours of the Master Gardener Demonstration Gardens, fall plant sale and more. Visit the drought-tolerant, perennial, herb and pollinator gardens. Stroll through the Woodland Meadow and Native Habitat area and check out the Victory Garden with a variety of vegetables and fruits as well as the new 4-H Achievement Garden. Free. Parking at the Ag Heritage Center lot.

Woodland Meadow and Native Habitat Area has paths to stroll through

The plant sale will include plants, shrubs and trees grown here in Franklin County.

Are you interested in becoming a Penn State Master Gardener?

A new class is forming soon. Contact the office at the number below.

To register for workshops or receive e-mail or regular mailings of our upcoming events, contact the Franklin County Extension Office at 717-263-9226.

  

RAIN BARRELS, SUCCULENTS, BUGS, HERBS and more

Franklin County Master Gardener Workshops offer a range of topics.

Still time to register and attend the ATTACTING BUTTERFLIES workshop on Sat., June 21 from 9-11 am ($10). Learn how to attract these beauties to your yard and keep them coming back.

Of special note is the upcoming RAINDROPS KEEP FALLING ON MY HEAD rain barrel workshop on Sat., July 12 from 9-11 am. Participants are given the option of making a rain barrel to take home ($40-such a deal!) or just sit in ($10) and learn how to do it. These are great way to store and use water in your garden.



Our Master Gardeners purchase all the materials needed to make a rain barrel to take home. Pre-registration is required to make sure we have enough materials.



A truly unique offering is RAILROAD GARDENING held at the Clark's Knob Freestyle Garden Railway at Master Gardener Bob Hyatt's Orrstown home on Sat., June 28 from 9-11 am ($10). Learn about starting a railroad garden, designing the layout and adding special touches. Bob's layout has a natural garden look and he has incorporated miniature and dwarf plants to maintain scale. Call to register and get directions.

Railroad Garden at Bob Hyatt's House

Herb Series #2: USING YOUR HERBS is a hands-on workshop offering cooking and crafting ideas on Sat., July 19 from 8:30 - 12:30 ($15 incl. materials). Harvest herbs from the demonstration garden, watch refreshments being made for the break and then make herbal scrubbies and sachets to take home.

Family-friendly BUG OUT! invites children and families to have "buggy" adventure on Sat., July 28 from 10-noon ($10 per child-must be accompanied by an adult). Meet at the "Clubhouse" next to the barn for a short lesson on bugs then grab the nets and head outside. More fun than a Mason jar full of fireflies!

TOMATO TASTING DAY - Moved to Saturday by popular demand.

If you were never able to make this fun and informative event in the past, join us on Sat., August 23.  Do a blind taste tests on tomatoes and rate them, enjoy the salsa contest and vote on your favorite, see who wins the biggest and the ugliest tomato contests and more. Public event. No registration required.

All workshops and events are held at 181 Franklin Farm Lane unless noted. Call 717-263-9226 to register. Credit cards accepted.

Tomato Tasting Day - Wet but Successful

Compiled by Carol Kagan, Franklin County Master Gardener

No age or height requirement at Tomato Tasting Day

Over 170 people ignored drizzling rain, and the threat of thunderstorms to participate in the 13th annual Penn State Extension Tomato Tasting Day, sponsored by the Franklin County Master Gardeners on Wednesday, August 28, 2013. That total represents the 2nd highest attendance figure in the history of the event.

Rain did not deter people determined to taste tomatoes

Twenty-four different varieties of tomatoes were sampled, and the winner was Old Brooks, an heirloom variety, described in the catalog Totally Tomatoes, where the seeds were purchased, as “Smooth, blemish-free fruits known for their superior resistance to blossom end-rot as well as to early and late blights. Gourmet quality flesh, with a fine, even texture. The taste is somewhat acidic, which proves to be an asset in home canning. Good all-around variety.”

Second place honors went to Maglia Rosa, a recently introduced open pollinated variety by tomato breeder Fred Hempel of Baia Nicchia Farm in the Bay area of California, who licenses his seeds to Seeds of Change, where the Master Gardeners purchased the seed last winter. Seeds of Change describes the variety as, “This cherry tomato produces truly unique, mottled pink, long, egg-shaped fruits with bright, lightly sweet acidic flavor. Harvest just as the fruit turns light pink for optimum flavor. The small plants are perfect for growing in hanging baskets or patio containers.”

And the third place finisher was Rose, another heirloom sourced from Johnny’s Selected Seeds, whose catalog describes it as, “Deep pink and smoother than Brandywine, Rose is every bit as meaty and flavorful. Fruits weigh 10+ oz. Good yielding.” Here’s the whole list:

Angela Weathers of Blue Ridge Summit submitted an entry in the largest tomato grown with a Striped German variety weighing in at almost 2 pounds. Brenda Baumgardner of Dillsburg was also a prize winner on Wednesday. Her green salsa, dubbed Salsa Verde at the event, won the people's choice award.

Salsa Verde

 

Photos included are from the Public Opinion Website.

WHAG Channel 21 News (includes video interviews)

Public Opinion Story
Public Opinion Photos

Update - October 20, 2013 - The breeder of Blush and Maglia Rosa - Fred Hempel of Baia Nicchia Farm and Artisan Seeds informs us in the comments section that the seeds are freely available to all seed companies, and will be available from Johnny's and others this winter.  Check out Fred's introductions for 2014.

Mini Tomato Day Results - Blush





The September 11th "Mini" Tomato Day had 24 participants rate the 30 tomato varieties grown across the street.  The hands down winner was "Blush", obtained from Seeds of Change.

Blush Tomato - Picture by Steve Bogash

Blush is a recent, open pollinated (OP), introduction by tomato breeder Fred Hempel of Baia Nicchia Farm in the San Francisco Bay area.

Closeup - Blush Tomato - Picture by Steve Bogash

Mr. Hempel recently announced an agreement with A.P. Whalen Seeds to market a Bumble Bee Series of Round Cherry Tomatoes (Pink and Purple), and a Tiger Series of Elongate Cherry Tomatoes (like Blush, Maglia Rosa, and Green Tiger). 

Cherry, Grape and Blush Tomatoes from Eckhart Garden
(Black Cherry, Sun Gold, Five Star Red Grape, Solid Gold Yellow Grape)

Baia Nicchia Farm has also joined forces with Frogsleap Farm to make seeds available through Artisan Seeds.  That Captain Lucky sure looks intriguing ...

August 22, 2012 Tomato Day Results here.

Update 10/28:  Baia Nicchia Farms links to this post and gives us more Blush breeding background, including the wisdom of eight year olds over PhD plant geneticists. 

Mini Tomato Day - Tuesday, September 11, 1:00-5:00 PM

These are the varieties we grew across the street and planned for Tomato Day 2012, but because there weren't enough ready for the August 22 event, we brought in varieties from the Penn State Southeast Ag Research and Extension Center in Lancaster County, prompting this 2nd Tomato Day, 2012.

Come on out and taste the locally grown ones!

2012 Tomato Day Results and Coverage

Nice coverage in the local press with pictures in the Public Opinion, and an article, pictures, and video in the Herald Mail.  145 people submitted score sheets.

Sakura, a red cherry variety from Sataka Seeds came in first in flavor:

Sakura: Real sweet tomato flavor and firmness without being hard. One of the first varieties to ripen in our greenhouse, Sakura keeps going all season long because of its excellent disease resistance. Prolific yielder of bright red, shiny, medium-sized cherry tomatoes that average 15 grams. Excels in the greenhouse. Indeterminate.

MG Barb Petrucci won the salsa contest. 

Lots of pictures at our facebook page.





Many of the varieties that we started were not ready for the August 22 event, so we're having a 2nd tasting day on Tuesday, September 11th from 1:00-5:00 p.m.to sample and rate those varieties. 

Update: Sunday, August 26th.  Georgena Ruth took pictures that can be viewed here, here, here, and here.

Update: Monday, August 27th.  Jane Krumpe uploaded Georgena's photos to the MG Facebook page, which can be viewed here.

Update: Tuesday, August 28th.  MG Anne Finucane sends these pictures of folks going through the line, doing the tasting.

Millie and Bob Laird of Waynesboro

Erica and Maria Miser of Shippensburg

Jennifer and Adi Smith of Chambersburg

Kristen Harding of Chambersburg

Update: Results of September 11 "Mini" Tomato Day here.

Tomato Day and Other Upcoming Events

Don’t Forget!

The 12th Annual Tomato Tasting Day

Wednesday, August 22 from 12-5!

Click here for previous years' coverage.

Other Upcoming Events

And of course the Franklin County Fair

August 19-25

2011 Tomato Day Coverage

Karlyn Hazleton marks her ballot

Press coverage for the 11th annual Tomato Taste Day included local papers from Hagerstown and Waynesboro.  We had 164 people tell us their choices from a selection of 24 tomato varieties.





From the Herald-Mail:

Each table was lined with tomatoes as tasters armed with clipboards rated them on a scale of 1 to 5 based on flavor and appearance.

“I came just to taste them. I eat a lot of tomatoes,” Burke said.

While some believe an apple a day keeps the doctor away, Burke seems to have applied that same philosophy to tomatoes — but only in the summer.

She doesn’t like the taste of tomatoes in the winter.

“I only get them in the summertime when they are locally grown,” she said.

From the Record Herald:

The tomatoes offered were red, yellow, green and purple. Some were sweet, some were tangy.

The public was asked to rate each tomato on a one to five scale for flavor and appearance.

“I like it,” said Ruth Cozzoli of Hagerstown. “It’s a fun thing to do.”
Ann DeBien of Mechanicsburg drives one hour each way to attend the tasting.
“This is wonderful,” DeBien said. “It’s worth asking a vacation day off for.”

Kaytie, Alaine, and Becky Greenawalt
Take Turns Tasting




Bryton and Donovan Hazleton sample a Cherokee Green
"Not all Tomatoes are Red" 

This was also the second year we sponsored a salsa contest.  Celebrity judges, Commissioner Dave Keller, and 2010 winner Darl Hospelhorn chose Michael Kusco's entry, while the people's choice award went to Mary Crooks.



Mike Kusco




Mary Crooks

 

11 Year Old Annie Dingzon - Our Youngest Entrant

Angela Weathers and Harry Stutts showed off their grower prowess with tomatoes from their home gardens weighing nearly 2 lbs each.



Angela Weathers

 

Harry Stutts

Volunteers Pick on Monday 8/22

Much thanks goes to event coordinator Linda Watkins and all the volunteers and Penn State Extension staff of Franklin County who contributed to its success.  Planning started in January, selecting varieties.  Then came the seed starting and potting up the seedlings in March and April.  In late May 120 plants were planted and tended throughout the season by Extension's summer assistant, Autumn Phillips.  On Monday, August 22nd, teams of pickers picked and washers washed.  Tuesday, finalized handouts were collated, spread sheets set up, and keys and scoring sheets prepared for the public, all leading up to the teams of Master Gardener volunteers, setting up, slicing and dicing, and anchoring (literally, given the wind gusts that day) the information tables.  On top of all that, Denise Lucas, Peg Bundy and their team decorated the areas with flower and vegetable arrangements, while feeding the hungry hordes of volunteers, Extension Staff, and county maintenance troops who keep our facility in good condition.  Special mention goes to Laurie Collins, whose extraordinary data entry skills allowed us to have the 164 score sheets tallied and ready for distribution by Thursday morning.  Thanks, folks, and take a bow for a job well done.  Cheers!