It's been a tough year for Massachusetts farmers, but in spite of heavy rains and catastrophic flooding, the cream of the tomato crop was glistening in the August sun as judges in the state's annual tomato contest mulled over their top picks.
Now in its 38th year, the Department of Agricultural Resources' competition accepts entries from commercial farms that are chopped up into four categories: slicing varieties, cherry tomatoes, heirloom varieties, and contenders for the 'heaviest' title. It's a chance to promote and celebrate a crop grown on 569 acres of land and in 16.8 acres of greenhouse space across the Bay State.
Agriculture Commissioner Ashley Randle said the entries were "up in numbers" this year, with 84 selections sent in from 19 farms. Sliced up on tables outside the Boston Public Market in the Haymarket district, they formed a rainbow ranging in color from bright red to a sunny yellow to a deep, dark purple hue.
"It's a great way to really showcase and highlight all of the tomato varieties we're growing in this state, especially after the challenging year that it's been for our farmers," Randle told the News Service. The challenges for Bay State vegetable and fruit growers started with the February 4 deep freeze, Randle said, followed by a May 18 "frost event" and the torrential rain and flooding in July.
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