Taste tomatoes with superstar hybridizer Brad Gates

Here’s an opportunity to get your tomato questions answered – and discover some great tasting varieties to plant next year.

On Saturday, Aug. 31, Green Acres Nursery & Supply at Eisley’s in Auburn will host a special tomato tasting event featuring recent introductions as well as old standards – with an extra-special guest, tomato superstar Brad Gates. 

From 10 a.m. to noon, sample tomatoes in a rainbow of colors and a wide range of flavor intensities. (They all basically taste like tomatoes, but – as gardeners know – some are sweeter and more flavorful than others.)

In addition, Gates will talk about tomatoes in a 30-minute presentation starting at 10 a.m.

Admission and parking are free; no advance registration necessary.

“Join us for a delightful tomato tasting event on Saturday, Aug. 31, at our Auburn location,” say the hosts. “Sample new and traditional varieties to add to your planting list next season. Tomatoes will be provided by a few of our exceptional garden gurus, grown right in the Sacramento region!”

Leading the discussion will be the event’s speaker – legendary hybridizer Brad Gates, who has made homegrown tomatoes more colorful as well as flavorful. Recapping this challenging season as well as his own new hybrids, Gates will give a tomato talk at 10 a.m.

“Get the inside scoop on growing tomatoes from Brad Gates, founder and cultivator of Wild Boar Exotic Tomatoes,” say the hosts.

Wild Boar Farms is famous for its multicolored varieties with crazy names such as Berkeley Tie-Dye, Pork Chop, Cosmic Eclipse and Brad’s Atomic Grape. Wild Boar produces “the most outrageous tomato varieties available on the planet,” Gates says on his website. “Our focus is in breeding stunning-looking tomato varieties with extreme flavor. ...

“Our tomato varieties are the result of many years of hard work growing tens of thousands of plants, being very picky about seed selection and capitalizing on some amazing gifts from Mother Nature.”

Green Acres is located at 380 Nevada St., Auburn.