7 Carver St
Granby, MA 01033
USA
Every year, we have an unbelievable selection of amazing and often award-winning tomatoes for you to taste. This year, we’re offering a modified Tomato Festival experience that includes a take-home Tomato Tasting and a series on in-person events, as well as field activities in Granby like Pick-Your-Own and the Sunflower Spiral Garden!
THE FAMOUS TOMATO TASTING FOR 2021
We will be stocking amazing heirloom tomatoes, saucing tomatoes, cherry tomatoes at the Granby farm, all for you to take home and taste. Get a tasting pack of 10 tomatoes of different varieties and a printed form, take them home, taste them, and report your results via social media (#RFFTomatoTasting).
Everyone who votes via the hashtag will be entered to win a festival t-shirt!
Tomato tasting packs will be available at the Granby store starting Saturday, August 14th through Sunday, August 29th. So come on out, enjoy the gardens and farm, select your varieties and then enjoy a beautiful tasting experience at home and share your votes with us.
Visit during store hours to get your tasting pack – shopping is self serve, with help available during the hours of 12-4pm – see store hours and details.
IN-PERSON TOMATO TASTING EVENTS WITH FARMER RYAN
In addition to the take-home tasting, we will be hosting a series on in-person tomato events led by Farmer Ryan at the Granby store. Scheduled events include:
Tasting the Best of Summer Tomato Varieties
– $25 per person (click here to purchase) on Saturday, August 21st at 2 p.m.
Tasting will include 20-25 varieties of farmer Ryan’s favorite varieties from 2021, including greenhouse-grown red varieties, heirlooms, and hybrids from our planting of trial and unusual varieties. Plus free entry to our Sunflower Spiral Garden and a free pint of PYO cherry tomatoes to bring home for each ticket holder!
– $25 per person (click here to purchase) on Saturday, August 28th at 10 a.m.
Tasting will include 20-25 varieties of cherry tomatoes like all-time classics such as Sungold and Matts Wild, plus also some of farmer Ryan’s new favorites like Starlight and Midnight Pear from the galaxy series bred at Cornell University. Other crazy types to expect: Green Bee, Amethyst Cream, Blue Chocolate, and of course Cherry Bomb! Plus free entry to our Sunflower Spiral Garden and a free pint of PYO cherry tomatoes to bring home for each ticket holder!
Heirlooms vs. ‘Hylooms’: Which Taste Better?
– $25 per person (click here to purchase) on Saturday, August 28th at 2 p.m.
Heirloom tomatoes taste amazing, but many varieties are susceptible to disease, breakage, and other plights. So, what about the newer more resistant varieties of heirloom hybrids or ‘hylooms’ coming out from specialty plant breeders? They’re hardier, but do they match up in a taste test against tried-and-true favorite heirlooms? Some of the matchups will include: Brandywine vs Enroza, Cherokee Purple vs Marnero, Striped German vs JTO-16-1053, and Aunt Ruby German Green vs E15B.42115. Plus free entry to our Sunflower Spiral Garden and a free pint of PYO cherry tomatoes to bring
home for each ticket holder!
MUSIC ON THE FARM
Join us on Saturday, August 21st the Granby farm for a free musical performance by the big brass band, Prone To Mischief, at 11AM.
PICK-YOUR-OWN AT THE FARM
Our Pick-Your-Own fields are open daily to both CSA members and the general public. Right now, the fields are brimming with delicious summertime goodies like cherry tomatoes, green & yellow beans, husk cherries, fresh flowers, tomatillos, and lots of herbs. Be sure to check out our PYO blog here to get updated availability info, CSA picking limits, and public pricing.
**NEW** Peach Pick Your Own – reserve your Wagon Ride to the Orchard, Saturday 8/28!
~ Limited availability – if Peach rides sell out we will look at opening more spots, so check back.
Event Only PYO opportunity: Saturday and Sunday 8/21-22 and 8/28-29 visit our Paste Tomato fields for saucing tomatoes to take home, $30 per half bushel (about 20 lbs).
VISIT THE SUNFLOWER SPIRAL GARDEN
The Sunflower Spiral is back in Granby! Open daily, the garden is a giant spiral featuring multiple varieties of sunflowers for all comers to enjoy. Perfect for exploring, sunflower selfies & just enjoying the flowering beauty and pollinator visitors!
Visitors are welcome during store hours (9-7 p.m., except 12-7 on Mondays) and admission is $5 per person, kids 4 and under and folks 65 and older get in free. Please stop by the Granby store (7 Carver Street) to pay, for directions, have questions answered, etc. before walking out to the spiral.
Also remember to wear shoes or boots suitable for walking outside as the path can be bumpy. Click here for more details about the Sunflower Spiral this summer!