Always knew you had a green thumb? Here’s a chance to prove it – and win some cash doing it. NatureSweet Tomatoes, America’s year-round tomato garden, is teaming up with Kroger to bring the popular Homegrown Tomato Challenge to Louisville, for the first time ever, on Saturday, August 11at the Kroger store at 12501 Shelbyville Road, to see who grows the area’s best tomatoes. Local gardeners are invited to bring in their best tomatoes in both the small and large tomato categories for a chance to be one of two $2500 winners! Runners-up will receive $250 each in prizes.
“NatureSweet Tomatoes are all about homegrown taste,” said Bryant Ambelang, vice president of sales and marketing at NatureSweet. “Many of our customers grow their own tomatoes in season, and know you can’t beat the flavor and sweetness of tomatoes that ripen naturally on the vine. That’s why at NatureSweet we insist on vine-ripening our tomatoes to provide a great tasting tomato year-round. By finding the best homegrown tomato in Louisville, we reward gardeners as committed to homegrown taste as we are.” Louisville is one of only a handful of cities across America that were selected for this year’s Homegrown Challenge – the contest will also take place in St. Louis, Denver, Sacramento, Seattle, Burlington, VT and Minneapolis. Visit www.naturesweettomatoes.comfor complete contest details and event location. Stay tuned for complete contest details in the coming months.
Tips to Get Started :
With planting season upon us, it’s time to start planning your garden! Of course every great backyard gardener has their own secret methods for producing perfect summer tomatoes, but just in case we’ve consulted with About.com’s garden guru, Marie Iannotti, who recommends amateur gardeners start with rich soil, don’t crowd seedlings or plants, water on a regular schedule, pinch and prune, and control insects! For more great gardening tips from Marie and NatureSweet, log on to www.naturesweettomatoes.comor call toll free 1-800-315-8209.
Did you Know?......Tomato Tidbits
- Tomatoes were originally cultivated in the Americas by the Aztecs and Incas.
- Columbus “discovered “ the tomato and brought it back to Europe.
- The French labeled the tomato “love apple”; the Germans called the tomato “apple of paradise.” The word tomato comes from the Aztec word “Tomato.”
- There are more than 4,000 varieties of tomatoes.
- Americans eat roughly 17 lbs. of tomatoes per capita on average each year.
- A tomato is botanically a fruit, not a vegetable, because it develops from the ovary of the plant after fertilization has occurred. However, it is categorized by its use, thus making it a vegetable by law. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 1893 that because the tomato is eaten with the main part of the meal instead of dessert, it is indeed a vegetable.
- Tomatoes are a good source of lycopene – the stuff that makes tomatoes red –which research suggests may reduce prostate cancer in men.
- Tomatoes are also a source of dietary fiber, potassium, iron, phosphorous and some B vitamins. They are low in sodium and contain no cholesterol.
- Over 40 million Americans grow their own tomatoes – no wonder the Homegrown Challenge is so popular!
Source: NatureSweet Tomatoes
