A Perfect August Day For The Eighth Annual Tomato Tasting at The Local Pig
The crowd was thick and the weather was mild Saturday morning for the eighth annual Kansas City Tomato Times Tomato Tasting. It was difficult to keep up with slicing tomatoes for the steady stream of heirloom enthusiasts who arrived to taste the bounty of summer. More than 200 arrived to sample and discuss their plans for growing […]
2015 Tomato Tasting
In its seventh year, The KC Tomato Times festival of the heirloom tomato is still going strong. Despite a slow growing season marked by a cool and wet spring, James Worley still managed to round up 48 varieties of tomatoes for garden enthusiasts and passersby to taste and celebrate. James has posted the final results of […]
2014 Heirloom Tomato Tasting at The Local Pig
To the uninitiated, it might seem odd to gather for a tomato party at 9am on a Saturday. Luckily, gardeners are early risers by necessity. And with more than 100 varieties to taste and 150 of our fellow gardeners to catch up with, it pays to arrive early notebook in hand to keep track of […]
Fifth Annual Tomato Tasting, A Success!
Close to one hundred tomato enthusiasts were stunned by the selection of heirloom tomatoes on hand at this year’s Tomato Tasting. Hosted by Local Pig, the event was boosted by heaps of pork to add to tomato sandwiches. As each year ticks off, the festival becomes bigger and better, and shockingly, it is still free! […]
TomatoTown at LatteLand
If you are a fan of the photos Julie Denesha creates for TomatoTown, and you are already missing the summertime tomato season, take a moment to stop by LatteLand before October 6. Angie Jennings, LatteLand’s curator of photography, has hung a show of heirloom beauties from TomatoTowns private collection in vintage frames. LatteLand, Prairie Village […]
Tomato Tasting 2012
The fourth annual KCTT Tomato Tasting was in a word – delicious. After a tough gardening season of high temperatures and little rain, it was good to be among other gardeners, to hear about their adventures, and taste the results. Our hosts, James Worley and Jennifer Nugent, always make it a festive celebration. This year, […]
4th Annual Tomato Tasting TIME CHANGE
Calling all tomato mavens!!! Consider this your invitation!!! The time draws near for Kansas City’s annual gathering of tomato aficionados. On August fourth, James Worley will host the annual tomato tasting. James Worley will be hosting a Tomato Tasting at Roe Park. It is always a festive convergence of good food and interesting people. Worley is a longtime gardener and generous […]
This is the End
Frost at Midnight Therefore all seasons shall be sweet to thee, Whether the summer clothe the general earth With greenness, or the redbreast sit and sing Betwixt the tufts of snow on the bare branch Of mossy apple-tree, while the nigh thatch Smokes in the sun-thaw; whether the eave-drops fall Heard only in the […]
Linnie’s Oxheart
This monster tomato weighed in at 1.8 ounces Saturday at the annual tomato tasting. It beat out out a comparably-sized Black Krim by a single ounce. Oxhearts, as a variety, are typically meaty and tomato flesh edged out the juice on the scales. Landon Quigley, the owner of this fine specimen says he has also […]
3rd Annual KCTT Tomato Tasting
It was a hot and steamy afternoon, yet some sixty gardeners and tomato hounds huddled together to sample the bounty of the season. In their third year as the reigning king and queen of Kansas City gardening, James Worley and his wife Jennifer Nugent certainly know how to throw a bash.With more than 50 varieties to […]
Black Krim Mutant Wants You!
This Saturday, you are cordially invited to attend the Third Annual KCTT Tomato Tasting. This year we are expecting hundreds of varieties in all shapes, sizes and colors. In past years we’ve found that it is the best way to determine what heirloom varieties thrive here in the Kansas City area. James Worley will be […]
Celebrating Our 100th Post!
Wouldn’t you know it. The first tomato of the season is from an Early Girl VF Hybrid. A very good friend was selling tomato plants for a good cause, so we bought a couple plants as an experiment. Despite depositing both plants in the least hospitable area of the garden, they have done extremely well. […]
It Was a Dark and Stormy Day…
Despite clouds and cold spring winds, we set out to collect our young tomato plants. Within minutes of our arrival at the Worley’s doorstep, sleet began to fall. Ever the hosts, James and his lovely wife Jennifer invited us in to wait for a break in the weather. Inevitably, the talk turned to gardening and […]
Seedlings!
On Sunday, we paid a visit to James Worley, our good friend and tomato guru. James has been hard at work this winter meticulously tending to some 80 varieties of tomato plants. With so many varieties to choose from, it was difficult for us to decide what tomatoes to plant this year, but we carefully narrowed […]
Worley’s List
Our good friend James just published the list of tomatoes seedlings he’ll soon have on offer this year. After such a beautiful day today, we are excited to start digging in the garden. Check out the beauties he is growing: James Worley’s Tomato List 2011
Bhut Jolokia Chili Tasting
Our good friend James Worley is hosting a Bhut Jolokia Chili Tasting on Sunday afternoon at Roe Park at 5:00pm. The event will be held at Roe Park, 104th and Roe in Overland Park, KS. Generally recognized as the hottest chili in the world, this pepper packs some serious heat. Needless to say, we’ll be […]
Tomato Tasting 2010
The 2nd Annual Kansas City Tomato Times Tomato Tasting was a roaring success. The August weather was certainly optimal, if you were a tomato. With 69 varieties of tomatoes brought by area growers and breeders, it was difficult to know where to begin. Aunt Ruby’s German Green was a much-discussed variety. While the green color […]
Tomato Love
Our good friend and mentor, James Worley will host the second annual KC Tomato Times Tomato Tasting. It promises to be an exciting day for heirloom tomato growers in the Kansas City area. Please come, but do not forget to RSVP! Saturday, August 7th 10:00 a.m to 1:00 p.m Roe Park 104th and Roe Overland Park, KS
O say can you see?
Today, we celebrate our independence from unripe tomatoes. While tying up our plants today (July 5th), Farmer J exclaimed, “Farmer T! Come here!” In her hand was a ripe black cherry tomato. The first known ripe tomato in Tomato Town. I’m guessing this little guy was ready yesterday, but a late return from vacation land […]
Sungold Cherry Tomatoes
Since the day we placed our tomatoes in the ground, we’ve been waiting to see the small globes that will become sweet, juicy tomatoes. It is logical that the first to appear would be a cherry variety. Nevertheless, it is an exciting day!
Tomato Lovers Unite!
Last year, James Worley’s Tomato Tasting was a blast. It is a great place to meet fellow growers, share recipes, and taste other heirlooms that fare well in the Midwest. So far, 50 area gardeners plan to attend this August’s bash, so send in your R.S.V.P. today! Here is a link to the official invitation: […]
Fencing the Prairie
After two years struggling with bamboo tomato tipis, Farmer J decided it was time to get serious. This year tomatoes in TomatoTown will grow vertically on stainless steel trellises. Following her parents’ model, Farmer J purchased feedlot panel and T posts. Once the fence is installed, it is a matter of carefully weaving the tomato […]
Save The Date
We enjoy the cooler temps we are having this May. However, Farmer J & T can’t help but look forward to August, when we’ll be knee-deep in tomatoes and cursing the heat and mosquitoes. August will also be the month when some of the Kansas City area tomato fanatics will gather for the Second Annual […]
Celebrate the Tomato!
Our good friend and fellow gardener James Worley is hosting a tomato tasting on Saturday. We’ll be there with a selection of our heirlooms. James is a great resource for tomato growers here in Kansas City. He is also our source for tomato plants in the spring. Saturday, August 22, 11:00AM to 1:00PM Roe Park […]