Interest in Upstate NY Tomato Tasting?

11 years ago

I was thinking of putting together a tasting around the end of August in Syracuse. I have about 20 open pollinated varieties currently in the ground and additionally would waive the admission fee for anyone bringing tomatoes for sampling. While the focus would be on open pollinated, I would also consider hybrid or unstabilized varieties if they were unique, rare or in some way more interesting than a commercially available F1. Right now I am just trying to gauge the interest in this sort of thing. Any feedback appreciated.

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Comments (5)

carolyn137
11 years ago
There already is a well attended one in the Buffalo area that's been an annual event for many years, with participants from Western NYS as well as adjacent Canada.

Since it's not allowed to mention other message sites here if you e-mail me at cmale@aol.com I can give you a link to that event so you can read about it and see how it works and whether there would be interest in the Syracuse area separate from that one I can't tell you.It's one of many that are held in various places in the US by participants at that message site.

Hope that helps.

Carolyn
coconut_head
11 years ago
I would be interested. I am growing 10 Varieties this year and live about 40 minutes from the Cuse. I also have a local facebook group for my area with 80+ members and I am sure many of them would be interested as well. I may or may not be interested in the buffalo trip. That's a 3 hour trip and may be stretching it a bit.

Also you could consider having it here in Utica, There is a huge local/organic food interest here and that way we could draw from Syracuse, Utica and Albany areas. With the Syracuse Location you might be overlapping with the Buffalo event as many people from Rochester may already have a habit of going to the Buffalo one.

E-mail me if you want to talk about it or whatever. I know the people here to talk to to get something like this set up, and the word sperad far and wide.

CH
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Lol, I call him Niagara Rob. Either name, it will finally be great to meet! I wrote the following for Mark and everyone over on another forum, but I know some people don't go there. Hopefully this answers a few questions and if makes a few questions arise, great. It is always good to work the kinks out in advance. The cottage is very easy to get to because it is the same exit and direction as Beaver Island State Park. The cottage has lots of space. People can park on the front yard as long as it stays fairly dry like it has been. There is a lot of street parking too. The back yard is huge. You can easily fit a few hundred people. There is a covered porch that accomodates quite a few people. The garage is also clean and normally is filled with tables for parties. There is also a wooden swingset and toys for kids. Beyond the backyard is woods with hiking paths which is still part of the property. There is a fire pit. The cottage is like a small ranch with full kitchen and a couple of bathrooms. There are lots of excess tables and chairs, a couple grills, most all supplies needed for a party. I was envisioning a party advertised here, on GW, and invite local friends we know, but not outside of that being that it is private property. So it would be a party for growers to celebrate their harvest with other gardeners, not people looking for an event to attend. I believe this is how CHOPTAG began. People would bring a dish to eat or other supplies like pop if they chose not to make food, and tomatoes they grew for a tasting. We could vote on them, maybe even by categories. Of course, I will be stealing any ideas I can from the CHOPTAG tasting.(I am going to their party.) Remy
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carolyn137
11 years ago
Yes, those interested folks from the Rochester area do go to the Buffalo one.

I'm from NYS as well and was raised in a burb just north of Albany called Loudonville, and starting in about 1983 when I moved back East from Denver I had all the land I wanted at the old family farm and was raising many hundreds of plants and varieties each season and was the only game in town, really, up to about 1999 when I moved to my current location on the NY side of the VT border.

I don't know how many folks from the Albany area would be interested, whether it would be in Utica or Syracuse, both of which I used to know very well since I'd go out the Thruway and turn south from Syracuse to get the place where I got my college degree and then after that I moved to Rochester where I got an advanced degree.

it might be best to post of your interest in starting a new taste testing event at certain message sites, but chose them carefully b'c I don't think all of them may be that well disposed to someone who is posting only about recruiting folks for a taste testing event and not posting in general at those sites. Hmm, I'm trying to think where the most folks who live close in NYS, and specifically in western NY, might post at message sites and be interested in driving to western NYS other than the current Buffalo one, which also draws from Canada and I seem to be coming up short on possible ideas, sadly.

As a side light did you know that way back when, the Indians would play their version of lacrosse with one goal being at Syracuse and the other at Rochester? My heart pounds just thinking of that distance to score a goal. Sigh.

Carolyn
world_tomatoes
Original Author
11 years ago
Coconut Head,
My market plot is actually in Clinton, NY and I work in Utica. I was thinking Syracuse mostly because I know a very good and inexpensive venue there and I know a fair number of people that would attend. I really didn't figure that I would draw much from the Buffalo event since that is still close to three hours from here but in any event, I would make sure that it is not within a few weeks of the Buffalo gathering.
remy_gw
11 years ago
Hi All,
I'm one of the people who hosts the Buffalo~Niagara Party. As Carolyn said, we do have a forum, but unfortunately it can't be link to from this forum. Below on the link I have some pics from last year's party.
It all started out with just 3 of us deciding to have a party. I didn't know how many people would come, but I figured we would have a good time if was only a few people. But quite a few showed up, and we've had a good crowd ever since.
Remy

Here is a link that might be useful: 2011 TomatoParty Photos

Interest in Upstate NY Tomato Tasting?

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Interest in Upstate NY Tomato Tasting?

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