Australia’s National Tomato Day Contest
By Michelle Fabio
For those of you who live Down Under, you know that tomato-growing season is in full swing—and if you’re near the small town of Gunnedah in northwestern New South Wales, you might want to gear up for the National Tomato Day Contest to be held on January 13.
Contestants can win prizes in the 29th annual competition for all kinds of tomato superlatives: reddest, biggest, oddest-shaped, widest, best, and this year’s new category—tastiest.
The National Tomato Day Contest came about when two neighbors were arguing over who had grown the biggest tomatoes of the season; from there, competition grew and now organizers say, some people grow tomatoes just to be a part of the fun.
A few years ago, there was a bit of a blight on the contest as one of the tomatoes entered into the “biggest” competition was found to be concealing lead sinkers inside.
That bit of cheating aside, though, the contest has proven to be a great way to get together tomato growers to share tips and also to introduce children to tomato growing with a special category for those under 12 years old.
Read more about the National Tomato Day Contest.
