How does your tomato garden grow? If the answer is very well, you might want to bring the cream of the crop to the Missouri Botanical Garden on Saturday, Aug. 16. Winners in the Nature Sweet Homegrown Tomato Challenge’s large and small tomatoes categories will each bring home $2,500. Six runners-up will receive $250 supermarket gift certificates.

Here’s the press release with complete details:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 1, 2008

GROW A GREAT TOMATO, WIN A LOT OF CABBAGE!

MORE THAN $6,000 TO BE AWARDED FOR THE BEST TOMATOES

Always knew you had a green thumb? Here’s a chance to prove it - and win some cash doing it. NatureSweet Tomatoes, America’s year-round tomato garden will bring the popular Homegrown Tomato Challenge back to St. Louis on Saturday, August 16 at Missouri Botanical Garden at 4344 Shaw Boulevard to see who grows the best tomatoes. Gardeners are invited to bring in their best tomatoes in both the small and large tomato categories for a chance to be one of two $2500 winners! Six runners-up will receive $250 each in Dierbergs, Schnuck’s or Shop N Save Gift Certificates. Other activities at the event include sampling of tomato recipes specially created for the event, information on gardening, a Prize wheel, Tomato Trivia Quiz with a Weber BBQ as the prize and more.

How to Enter:

Details are available at any participating Dierbergs, Schnuck’s and Shop N Save stores in the St. Louis area, as well as at Missouri Botanical Garden. There are no restrictions on the variety or method of growing tomatoes, except that all entries must be homegrown by the entrant (contest is not open to commercial growers). On August 16, contestants must bring three large OR six small tomatoes of the same variety to Missouri Botanical Garden at 4344 Shaw Boulevard between 9 and 11 a.m. for judging. ONE ENTRY PER HOUSEHOLD PER YEAR.

How to Win:

Tomatoes will be judged in two separate categories: small tomato variety and large tomato variety. There will be one $2500 winner for each category. The large or small classification of the tomato will be based on variety and/or weight. Tomatoes in both categories will be judged based on Brix/Sweetness and Taste. A Brix test determines sweetness — the higher the Brix number, the better the flavor. The finalists will then be taste-tested by a panel of local celebrity judges and two Grand Prize Winners and six runners-up will be announced at noon. The two $2500 first prize and six $250 store vouchers for runners up will then be awarded. MUST BE PRESENT TO WIN.

CELEBRITY JUDGES PANEL:

This year’s celebrity judges will include:

• Janice Denham, Lifestyle Editor, Suburban Journals

• Susan Davidson, Editor, The National Gardener

• Chef David Zimmerman, Catering St. Louis

• June Hudson, Sr. Horticulturalist, Missouri Botanical Garden

• Kathleen Goodman, Author

CHEF COOKS UP TASTY TOMATO TREATS:

Chef David Zimmerman will demonstrate savory tomato dishes featuring NatureSweet vine ripened cherry tomatoes. In addition to food sampling and learning new recipes, attendees can learn how to best select, store, prepare and serve their tomatoes. The first 100 entrants will get a special gift from NatureSweet. Tomato entries will be donated to St. Louis Food Bank after the event.

NatureSweet is America’s year-round tomato garden, delivering quality tomatoes with a homegrown taste no matter what the season. NatureSweet Tomatoes are vine-ripened to enhance sweetness and flavor, providing an appetizing addition to salads and entrees as well as a delicious, healthy snack option.

For more information, call toll-free 1-800-315-8209 or log on to NatureSweet’s web site at www.naturesweettomatoes.com.

Desert Glory, LTD, based in San Antonio, Texas is the leading grower of premium small tomatoes in North America under the NatureSweet brand. Distributed throughout the U.S, at major grocers, club stores and foodservice operators, NatureSweet tomatoes deliver the best tasting tomatoes with year-round availability. As the number one brand of vine-ripened cherry tomatoes in the U.S., NatureSweet’s growing operations comprise nearly 1,000 acres under greenhouse and proudly employs nearly 5000 associates.