Meet local farmers, enjoy food and drinks and family activities
Twenty years ago, farmers Louise Divine and her husband Herman Holley, invited a bunch of friends over to show off their tomatoes and share a homey potluck supper at their Turkey Hill Farm in Tallahassee.
Their folksy backyard event evolved into the popular Tomato Feastival, which will be celebrating its 20th anniversary on Sunday, June 8 at Goodwood Museum & Gardens.
“The very first one was technically not a feastival – just a feast,” Louise said. “It was just a few friends or customers growing tomatoes. We talked about tomatoes and growing tomatoes. Everybody had a great time and we said ‘let’s do it again.’ ”
A growing food fest
The event attracted so many fans that Divine knew it was time to make a change. In 2019, the feastival moved to Goodwood.
All types of tomatoes abound at the feastival. Photo / Tallahassee Table
“When it gets to be 300 of your closest friends, it’s too unwieldy to have in your backyard,” she said. “We’re thankful to Goodwood’s help in sponsoring us.”
In 2024, about 1,400 people attended the Tomato Feastival at Goodwood. Despite the growing crowd, the event still has a laid-back feel of an old-fashioned picnic.
There’s live music, lots of beer brewed in the region, a farmers’ market showcasing locally grown produce, children’s activities and games, the much-loved Cake Walk, a raffle, ice cream, tomato-themed fare and of course the tomato contest.
If you think you’ve got a bumper crowd of tomatoes, enter them in the Tomato Feastival contest. Photo / Tallahassee Table
Tomato contest the ‘centerpiece’
“It’s the centerpiece of the event,” Louise said. Many of the judges are local chefs. Divine recalls that chef/restaurateur Terry White (Sage, Il Lusso) was one of the first judges to pick out the best tomato at the casual contest.
Whether you’re a tomato farmer or a backyard gardener, you can enter your tomatoes free of charge in categories such as Ugliest Tomato, Best-tasting Tomato, Biggest Tomato. You’ll find cherry tomatoes as well as beefsteak in the contest.
Katie Harris, co-owner of Full Earth Farm, left, and Louise Divine, co-owner of Turkey Hill Farm, are two of the original founders of the Red Hills Small Farm Alliance. Photo provided
The Feastival has become a prime fund-raiser for the Red Hills Small Farm Alliance, which was created in 2010 by four local women in agriculture: Louise Divine, Katie Harris, Malini Ram Moraghan and Mary Russ.
Supporting local farmers
The Alliance is a 501c3 nonprofit organization that supports our local farms, food producers and helps to expand food access in our community. You’ll find many of these farmers at the Tallahassee Farmers Market or you can order their products through the online market.
The online market is one of the Red Hills Small Farm Alliance’s major projects, connecting residents who pay a small yearly fee with local producers. All the items sold on the market come directly from farm/producer to table.
Online market a big option
The online market has grown to 105 farmers, ranchers and artisans who sell locally grown produce, milk, meats, cheeses, baked goods, plants, juice, granola, honey, mushrooms, homemade prepared foods and hand-crafted items to 1,000 to 1,2000 customer members per month, according to Tyler Turkle, executive director of the Red Hills Small Farm Alliance.
Among the region’s farmers are feastival committee member Kiona Wagner, co-owner of Rocky Soil Family Farm in Monticello with her husband, Chris.
“The feastival is an amazing family-friendly event,” Kiona said. “It’s a great opportunity to meet farmers and educate people about our farms.”.
That local farm-customer connection is one reason Julie Konikoff became a longtime fan of the farmers’ alliance. She has been to just about every Feastival since joining the fun at Divine’s farm decades ago.
“It was the best potluck you ever went to,” Julie said. “I still have recipes from people I met at the festival.”
Julie, who eventually became a volunteer at the event, said she first checked out local producers when her daughter was born. She now has four children.
”I wanted to find local food and I wanted to know who was making my food and where I was buying it from.”
While Julie said she misses the intimacy of those early tomato parties, she is grateful there’s a growing interest in our farmers.
“We are blessed with an incredible amount of local producers,” she said. “The Feastival is the main way to connect people with farmers.”
Tomato bruschetta from chef/farmer Chris Wagner. Photo / Tallahassee Table
Food and drink attractions
- There will be a record eight breweries pouring beer at the Feastival, according to the Tallahassee Beer Society. These are Amicus Brewing Ventures, Lake Tribe Brewing Company, Oyster City Tallahassee, Ology Brewing Company, Proof Brewing Company, DEEP Brewing Company, Bandwagon Brewing Company and Southern Philosophy Brewing.
- Tomato bruschetta made by farmer/chef Chris Wagner of Rocky Soil Family Farm.
- Volunteers will be selling classic tomato sandwiches featuring locally grown tomatoes tucked into organic white bread slathered with mayo (add a cucumber if you want).
- Fresh oysters from Forgotten Bay Oysters.
- Ice cream from Lofty Pursuits.
A new food feature this year
- On Friday, June 6: Sommelier Amanda Morrison, with chefs Sylvia Gould and Katie Spetman (all presenting the Damas culinary pop-up events), will be preparing an all-tomato, four-course dinner (a vegetarian feast) in the “Rough House” Cottage at Goodwoods. There will be two seatings, at 5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Each course will feature tomatoes from a different grower from the Red Hills Small Farm Alliance and will be paired with wine. Tickets $150 per person.
- Saturday, June7: A Tomato Land (remember the market/eatery on Thomasville Road?) Revival, from noon to 4 p.m. Hear all about Tomato Land and enjoy some TL favorites, with a special appearance by local Benton Boys Boiled Peanuts.
- Sunday, June 8, at the Feastival: Look for creative ice cream treats by pastry chef Sylvia Gould. Signature spritz pouches, wine by the glass, and a Tomato Sorbet & Rosé float will be served.
Among the many activities at the event:
- Tomato contests. Anyone can bring their homegrown tomatoes to compete in a few categories. The prizes: bragging rights and a blue ribbon.
- A farmers’ market with nearly two dozen vendors selling tomatoes, a variety of local food and other products.
- Live music.
- A raffle of local food, arts, products and services.
- A silent auction of higher-value local items.
- A cakewalk and bake sale.
- Kids games and activities.
Goodwood Museum and Gardens is the scene for the Tomato Feastival. Photo / Tallahassee Table
If you go …
- The Tomato Feastival is from 1 to 6 p.m. Sunday (it starts an hour earlier this year), June 8 at Goodwood Museum and Gardens, 1600 Miccosukee Rd.
- Tickets are $15 general admission, $10 for children between ages 12 and 17, $40 for a family ticket (families with kids up to 17 years old), $10 for veteran, senior or student tickets. . Raffle tickets will be for sale. Food can be purchased separately. Visit https://www.redhillsfarmalliance.com/tomatofeastival to buy tickets or to find out how to become a sponsor. You can also buy tickets at the gate; T-shirts and other merchandise for sale.
Tips:
- Bring a cooler if you’re going to buy food from the farmers’ market.
- Bring a sun-screen, a hat and a lawn chair or blanket.
- Feastival goers are asked to park at nearby Ghazvini Center at 1528 Surgeons Drive. Handicapped parking at Goodwood.
- Head to the beer or food station of your choice because these quickly draw a crowd.
