Auburn -  A new festival celebrating local tomatoes is coming to downtown Loomis August 20-22. The family-friendly High Hand Tomato Gathering will take place on the shady grounds of the High Hand Nursery.

Taste tomatoes direct from the farm, and pick your favorites. Growers will also offer tastes of  tomatoes in salads, with sauces and in some of their favorite summer dishes.

Twin Peaks Orchards, Foothill Organic Growers, Pilz Produce at Hillcrest, Willow Creek Ranch, Mary Pierce, Natural Trading Company, Twin Brooks Farm/Newcastle Produce, Rickey Ranch and Snow’s Citrus Court are among the growers who plan bring their colorful, tasty tomato varieties to sell and to taste from 9:00am to 5:00pm on Saturday, August 21 and 9:00am to 4:00pm on Sunday, August 22.

A number of tomato dishes will be offered for sale by High Hand Conservatory and Newcastle Produce. Adults will enjoy the Bloody Mary Bar, while kids partake in tomato-themed activities.

A plethora of contests are open to professional and home gardeners,  including Best in Show (Best Taste), Biggest in Show, Ugliest Tomato – Any Variety, Prettiest Tomato/Most Perfect, Best Cherry Tomato and Tallest Plant (documented by photos with human scale included). Professional Growers will be judged on Saturday, and Home Growers on Sunday.  If you love to cook, be sure to enter the contests for best salsa and best tomato recipe, which will be judged on Saturday.

The High Hand Tomato Gathering opens with a special tomato-themed food and wine pairing dinner created by Chef Randy Kliewer at the High Hand Conservatory at 5:30pm on Friday, August 20. The Placer County Vintners Association will provide wine tasting prior to the dinner and local auctioneer Dan Macon of Flying Mule Farm will call a live auction.

Tickets are $75. The evening celebrates the history of Loomis, fruit shed alumni and the farmers of Placer County, and will benefit PlacerGROWN, the Blue Goose and the Loomis Historical Society.

Tickets to the special Friday dinner and contest entry forms are available at HighHand.com, PlacerGROWN.org or at the High Hand Nursery. Contest forms must be submitted by Thursday, August 12, 2010 to High Hand Nursery at 3750 Taylor Road, Loomis CA 95650, or email to michele@highhandnursery.com or fax 916-660-9520.

PlacerGROWN is a nonprofit, membership organization formed to assist local agricultural producers market their produce and agricultural products. The goal is to bring farmers, ranchers and community members together to maintain and enhance the viability of agriculture in Placer County.