World Tomato Society eyes record.
World Tomato Society makes Los Gatos home base, aims for Guinness World Record
If Facebook followers are any indication, then the Los Gatos-based World Tomato Society is a big hit. More than 60,000 people “like” the society that’s dedicated to celebrating all things tomato.
Now, society President Helen Pastorino is looking for a place in town to build a world-class campus that would include a tomato teaching facility and museum.
The society, officially formed about a year ago, is now in an office building at 720 University Ave.
“We’re rockin’ over here,” Pastorino said. “We’re hoping to fund a campus that has a garden amphitheater for viewing and educating people about things like biodynamic Demeter farming, which is a step above an organic garden. A lot of Europeans have embraced Demeter farming.”
Plans also call for a tomato history museum and a seed vault.
“We’re working with more than 25 heirloom seed companies to preserve their seeds in a vault,” Pastorino said. “They’re worried we’re losing our seed heritage.”
Plans are also in the mix for a kitchen classroom that teaches “old style” cooking.
“We hope to bring people from around the world to teach us how they cook and preserve the old techniques—no measuring, just a little of this and a little of that,” Pastorino said. “We’ve given up our past, and we want to bring it back.”
But Pastorino’s dream takes money.
Fundraising is set to begin Sept. 17, when the society hosts its first-ever Heirloom Tomato Harvest Celebration from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Town Plaza, corner of Main Street and North Santa Cruz Avenue. Admission is free.
In addition to live Bluegrass music, the event will feature a Guinness World Record challenge for the most tomato varieties displayed in one location. The current record was set in 2015 in New York’s Time Square, where 135 varieties were displayed.
“We think we’ll probably have 300 varieties. Cynthia Sandberg from Love Apple Farms in the Santa Cruz Mountains is growing 75 or 80 varieties for us, and a Hollister farmer has started another 80 varieties for us,” Pastorino said. “For the Guinness record we have to lay all the tomatoes out with their scientific and common names, just to confirm we broke the record.”
There will also be a 1956 Dodge “Tomatr” truck loaded with as many as 800 heirlooms.
“There used to be hundreds of these trucks tooling around when this area was known as the Valley of the Heart’s Delight,” Pastorino said.
Since this is a fundraiser, some activities are ticketed, including kids’ face painting and a tomato and wine pairing event. Tickets are three for $20.
“Some of our local restaurants are creating exclusive tomato bites that will be paired with wine,” Pastorino said.
“We’ve lined up Hult’s, Dio Deka, PixtoPote and Enoteca La Storia.”
Enoteca co-owner Joe Cannistraci’s back yard is covered with what he calls a “legendary” tomato crop.
“I’ve already picked 300 pounds because I got them going early this year,” he said. “I’ll probably pull out about 4,000 pounds.”
Cannistraci is a self-described “tomato geek” who thinks the fruit has been embraced with “cult enthusiasm” due to its remarkable diversity and visual appeal.
“Have you ever heard of a world cucumber or artichoke society?” he joked. “The tomato growers and seed people have all shown this fruit so much respect that it’s a global thing. Tomatoes are native to Peru; they were the size of a pea. The Spanish took them to Europe and America, but is was the Italians who really bumped it up.”
During the harvest celebration, Cannistraci’s tomatoes will be paired with Italian wines, Dio Deka’s will be from Greece, PixtoPote’s will be from Spain and Hult’s will have American wines.
Meantime, mixoligists from Cin-Cin, Lexington House and Viva will be on hand for a Bloody Marymaking contest; the winner gets bragging rights for the best concoction.
A five-course, farm-totable alfresco dinner also takes place Sept. 17, 4:307:30 p.m., at the Town Plaza. Tickets are $200. Pastorino says diners will indulge in a “full tomato” menu by Talula Bay Catering paired with Joseph George wines.
Local businesses interested in sponsoring the Heirloom Tomato Harvest Celebration can contact the World Tomato Society at info@worldtomatosociety.com or call 408-3577778. Also, visit worldtomatosociety.com.