By Dylan Marsh
EAGLE TIMES STAFF
CLAREMONT- The first ever Claremont Tomato Jam! kicks off this Saturday at Winter Street Farm. A collaborative effort between Claremont Growers Collective and Claremont Cooks, the two groups look forward to kicking off a food centric community gathering.
Spearheaded by the newly formed Claremont Growers Collective, they sought to create an event that showcased local produce and local resources within their own community. With the gathering they also look forward to building a presence in the area and teaching people about the abundance of freshly grown produce available to them.
Dana McGrath, founder of Claremont Cooks and host of Claremont’s local cooking show “Community Of Fare” has also been instrumental in fostering the “foodie” community here in Claremont. Recently, she competed in Claremont’s “Chopped” style competition at Arrowhead Mountain and her show “Community Of Fare” has brought on local cooks like Jason Benward and Chiara Tolsi-Nelson.
“We have been talking about doing this for a while and we are just really excited that it’s happening this weekend. The most important thing is really bringing the community together and for everyone in town to get to know each other,” McGrath said in regard to helping start Tomato Jam.
Hosted at 344 Winter Street, the farm is a short drive from downtown Claremont, where everyone is invited to come and enjoy a farm tour on a family friendly excursion. The first event of the night will be the salsa competition in which competitors place a five-dollar donation to go head-to-head against other would-be salsa champions. Produce will be provided by Winter Street Farms and competitors are encouraged to bring a “secret ingredient” that will set them apart from the rest. Half of the proceeds from the donation will go back to Winter Street Farm, while the other half will go to the winner of the competition.
There will also be a potluck, in which guests are asked to bring an appetizer or a dessert if they are able. King Arthur Flour has generously donated some of their pizza flour, and Winter Street Farm will be making free pizzas for guests with their outdoor pizza oven.
This small city community forward event wouldn’t be possible without the direction and passion of the Claremont Growers Collective. They first began gathering in 2021 around discussions of the Claremont Farmers Market and making local produce widely available. Tomato Jam, a name reportedly crafted by Berkley Heath, will be the Collective’s first foray into hosting an event.
“Show off your salsa skills at the salsa competition, take a walk around the farm, and then cross your fingers for our first big firing of our new cobb pizza oven!” notes Abby Clarke, organic farmer at Winter Street Farm, and co-organizer of the Tomato Jam! Community Event.
Tomato Jam! takes place this Saturday, August 6th, from 4 to 7 PM.
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