“Oh no, the little one. Don’t step on it!” exclaimed one of the judges, Sugarcreek Twp. president Nadine Daugherty, who had brought along her grandson, Archer Holston, 4, of Columbus.
The small cherry tomato she was showing him had slipped to the ground, but was quickly rescued and put back in its Styrofoam judging bowl.
Judging of the “Top Tomato Contest,” the first of what is expected to be an annual event, had begun. The judges, Daugherty, Sugarcreek Twp. Trustee Mike Pittman, and Sugarcreek police Sgt. Mark White, sat at a table in the middle of the big square of tented vendors at the Sugarcreek Twp. Farmers’ Market on Feedwire Road.
Eight vendors had entered 15 tomatoes in the contest, with judging in four categories: best size, best appearance, best taste, and best in show. Red Fourth of July salad tomatoes sat next to Lemon Yellow and Lemon Boy tomatoes, red Jubilee, Hybrid Big Beef, Better Boy, Big Boy, Carolina Gold, Celebrity, and Brandywine heirloom tomatoes.
Cara KillKelley, the township’s planning and zoning officer, tallied the votes, while township administrator Barry Tiffany, a knife-wielding cut-up, sliced the tomatoes to get at its inner beauty, a show of its meatiness, thickness of skin and ripeness.
“I cannot be a judge, because I hate tomatoes unless they’re in spaghetti,” KillKelley said.
“Fried tomatoes are very good, though we’re not judging fried tomatoes,” White said.
“This one has a nice size, no green shoulders,” Pittman said, holding up a firm Big Boy tomato.
“Hmm, that’s a good one,” White said as the tasting began.
Everyone ooohed as a large pale red Brandywine heirloom tomato made the rounds. The right acidity and juiciness, they all agreed. The tasty tomato belonged to Milton Cook of Cook’s Organic Farm in Waynesville, who won the blue ribbon for best tasting tomato.
Rosemary Eisenhauer’s Brandywine heirloom tomato won the blue ribbon for best size. “I got the seed from Johnny’s Selected Seeds,” she said. Her 2-acre garden, which bears her name, is at 3557 Stutsman Road in Sugarcreek Twp. It’s u-pick Tuesdays, 5 p.m. to dusk (call 427-0235).
Taking two blue ribbons were Alex Fryman and Sam Martin, Bellbrook Middle School eighth-graders. Their Big Boy tomato won for best appearance and best of show. They run the Alex and Sam’s Corn stand at the farmers’ market, which is every Friday 3 to 7 p.m.
“We hope to do this again,” Daugherty said. “Everyone seemed to have fun. We’ll be much better judges next time around.”
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