Capay Tomato Event

Farm Fresh To You and Capay Organic invite the public to Capay Tomato, the farm’s 5th annual festival that celebrates the great taste of organic heirloom and cherry tomatoes. The event will take place on Saturday, July 14, 2012, from 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. with a full slate of activities for all ages, including tomato tastings, farm tours and live music throughout the afternoon and into the evening. Attendees are invited to camp overnight in the farm orchards. Event proceeds benefit the Kathleen Barsotti Non-Profit for Sustainable Agriculture (KBNP).

The Kathleen Barsotti Non-Profit for Sustainable Agriculture gives an annual scholarship to a high school senior planning on pursuing a field related to sustainable agriculture. KBNP also donates school supplies to farmworker families in the Capay Valley.

“We welcome the public to our farm for the biggest event of our farm tour season,” said Thaddeus Barsotti, farmer and co-owner of Farm Fresh To You. “There’s nothing like the taste of just harvested, heirloom tomatoes to celebrate the bounty of summer. The Capay Tomato Festival is our company’s mission in action – connecting people with the land that grows their food.”

Tomato Tasting

Visitors will take part in a tomato tasting of the following varieties: Heirlooms: Brandywine, Green Zebra

Cherokee Purple, Vintage Wine and Marvel; Cherry Tomatoes: Chiquita, Golden Nugget, Sungold, Sweet 100; Large slicer tomatoes: Striped Roman and San Marzano. The 2011 heirloom tomato tasting winner was the striped Marvel with the Chiquita variety taking the cherry tomato category.

The Food and Drink

In addition to tasting all of the farm’s tomato varieties, tacos and sandwiches from local purveyors made with farm produce will be sold. Elote corn will be roasted with a special glaze. Pop Nation popsicles will provide refreshing, sweet treats. Local wine and beer will also be sold. All food and drink is sold separately from the admission price.

Guests are also encouraged to bring their own picnics, and the event will feature a “Best Capay Picnic Contest.” Farm staff will roam the event, scouting for the best-looking picnic. The picnic contest winner will receive three, complimentary Farm Fresh To You deliveries.

Live Music and Dancing Under the Stars on the Farm

Another Capay Tomato highlight will be the live music by three local bands.

The Pleasant Valley Boys (4 p.m.)

Vocal harmonies, razor sharp mandolin and old-time exact banjo by Matt and George are the central elements of the Pleasant Valley Boy’s stylish and traditional bluegrass music. From Dixon, Calif. and backed by expert stand-up bass, fiddle and guitar, we are happy to welcome this terrific, bluegrass ensemble. For more information, see: <http://pleasantvalleyboys.com/ >.

Miss Lonely Hearts (6:30 p.m.)

With influences from Tom Waits to Woody Guthrie, the band will share their unique sound with the crowd. The band describes its music as “back country, roots-a-billy music.” Miss Lonely Hearts brings together guitar, harmonica, drums, mandolin and upright bass for an upbeat sound. For more information on the band, see: <http://www.misslonelyheartsband.com/>

Old Man Markley- Headliner (9 p.m.)

This eight-piece amalgamation of bluegrass and punk has shared the bill with acts, such as Bad Religion, Flogging Molly, NOFX and The Devil Makes Three. With captivating, three-part harmonies, nimble instrumentation and an energetic, raucous performance, this band is set to rock our event with fiddle, banjo, mandolin, harmonica, guitar, washboard, drums, autoharp and a homemade, washtub bass. For more information, see:< http://www.oldmanmarkley.com/Home.html>.

Other Fun Family Activities

Yolo County’s legendary clown Dilly Dally will be face painting and a henna artist will draw custom designs for a nominal charge.

Visitors can make an herb salt with organic farm herbs, ride the tractor tram, sample olive oil and grapeseed oil, pet farm animals and delight in bubble making and kids’ crafts for free.

Ticket Information

Tickets are on sale now through Monday, July 9th, for $20 per person (children ages 12 and under are free). After July 9th, tickets will be sold at the door for $25 per person.

To purchase tickets, go to: <http://capaytomato.eventbrite.com/>.  Call 1-800-796-6009 with any questions.

Visit <http://www.farmfreshtoyou.com> to learn more about the festival.

Camping on the Farm

Guests can also camp overnight at the farm in the peach, fig and mandarin orange orchards. Campsites can be reserved in advance for $35 each ($40 at door). Each campsite is 15 feet wide and extends the length of the entire orchard row. There is a one-car limit per campsite. Campers may stay on the farm until 3 p.m. on Sunday, July 15th. RVs and campfires are not permitted. Space is limited and campsites sold out at last year’s event.

Directions:

The farm is located 90 miles northeast of San Francisco and 30 minutes northwest of Sacramento. The farm address is 23800 State Highway 16, Capay, CA 95607.

From the Bay Area:

Take Interstate 80 East to Interstate 505 North. Go approximately 20 miles; exit on Highway 16/Esparto, turn left at the light. Follow Highway 16 through Esparto and Capay. The farm is a 1/4 mile past the town of Capay on the right. Look for the Farm Fresh To You event signs and turn onto the gravel road that leads to the parking area.

From Sacramento:

Take Interstate 5 North through Woodland to the Esparto/Highway 16 exit. Turn left; then travel five to six miles to second stoplight. Turn right onto Highway 16. Follow Highway 16 through Esparto and Capay. The farm is a 1/4 mile past the town of Capay on the right. Look for the Farm Fresh To You event signs and turn onto the gravel road that leads to the parking area.

About Farm Fresh To You

Farm Fresh To You was founded in 1992 by Kathleen Barsotti to bring organic produce from the farm to customers at home. Today, Farm Fresh To You is run by her sons, Noah, Thaddeus and Freeman. Originally, Farm Fresh To You had just a few delivery routes, but the company now delivers to thousands of customers in Northern and Southern California. The company also farms in the Imperial Valley in Southern California. Farm Fresh To You also has a retail store in San Francisco’s Ferry Building.

About Capay Organic

Founded in 1976, Capay Organic in an organic farm in Yolo County that distributes organic produce to wholesalers, restaurants, grocery stores and at farmers’ markets.