Tomato Tasting and Seed Saving Workshop September 4

Seed Savers Exchange near Decorah, Iowa, is hosting a free Tomato Tasting and Seed Saving Workshop on Saturday, September 4, 2010. The Tomato Tasting will run from 1:00-4:00 pm, offering visitors the opportunity to sample a wide variety of heirloom tomatoes and learn how to save tomato seeds.

The event will be held at the Lillian Goldman Visitors Center. More than 30 varieties of tomatoes of all colors and sizes will be available, including yellow cherry tomatoes, pink beefsteaks, striped stuffing tomatoes, red grape tomatoes and green romas.. Last year, Velvet Red, a small salad tomato was voted most popular.

The Oneota Food Co-op in Decorah is sponsoring this year's Salsa Contest. Limited to 25 entrants, applications are available at the co-op or by calling 563-382-4666. The registration deadline is Monday, August 30. The co-op will also be providing food for purchase during the event.

Tomato Seed Saving Workshops are scheduled at 12:00 pm, 1:30 pm, and 3 pm. These workshops will teach gardeners how to preserve tomato seeds from their own garden.

Visitors will be able to tour Seed Savers Exchange's tomato gardens. Guided hayride tours begin at 12:00 noon and are scheduled for every 45 minutes.

Also scheduled are activities for kids, including the Kid's Tomato Squish and Save Station, a beginners guide to saving seeds.

"This family event gives people the opportunity to experience the wide diversity of tomatoes available, and learn how to improve their own gardening experience," says Diane Ott Whealy, the co-founder of Seed Savers Exchange.

All events are free to the public.

Located six miles north of Decorah, Seed Savers Exchange is a non-profit membership organization dedicated to the preservation and distribution of heirloom seeds. Seed Savers has records on more than 25,000 varieties of open pollinated varieties, making it the largest non-profit seed bank in the United States.