Contest for Largest Tomato Offers Cash Prizes
More than 100 varieties of tomatoes with primary attributes of size and taste will be featured at the seventh annual Tomadah Paradah Aug. 13 at Wilmington College’s Academic Farm.
The event, which is free of charge, is co-sponsored by the College and Swindler & Sons Florists. The “Parade of Tomatoes” will run from 5 to 7 p.m. at the farm located at 1594 Fife Ave.
In addition to featuring tomatoes expected to be in excess of eight ounces for viewing and tasting, this year’s Tomadah Paradah will also place a spotlight on 100 varieties of peppers, 12 subdivisions of eggplant, four types of watermelon and several pumpkin varieties. The WC Agriculture Department’s students and staff have been growing these products in anticipation of the event.
Anderson and other agriculture staff and students will be on hand to discuss details on this year’s crops, in addition to showing visitors what’s growing in the greenhouse and the College’s innovative irrigation and staking systems.
Also, this year’s competition coincides with the bigger is better theme. Swindler & Sons Florists is sponsoring prizes of $100, $75 and $50 for the heaviest ripe tomatoes. The past two years’ winners were of the German Strawberry variety weighing 2.7 and 2.32 pounds, respectively.
Swindler & Sons, 321 W. Locust St., is weighing the entries for largest tomato at their Garden Center now through noon Aug. 13.