NORCATT 2011 in Sunol
 

I am seriously thinking about hosting a NORCATT event this year. It would be in Sunol, and we could give farm tours before, and/or after the event.

Please respond here if you are interested.

The event would be in early September -- which is our peak tomato harvest.

I'm down!!!

Damon

I'm in!!!

Will bring a few "unique" ones to the tasting:

- Brandywine from Croatia (RL)
- Brandie-wine from Croatia (PL) the "mystery plant"
- Soren's Marianna's Peace x Neves Azorean Red F1
- N.A.R.X.
- Ed's Millennium
- and several of the Wild Boar Farms varieties.

..as well as a few bottles of Beringers While Zinfandel.:love:

Raybo:D

p.s. Fred, can you set a specific date as soon as possible so I can work my other travel plans around this date?

Me too! if they produce, I may have
Joanna Croatia
Maska's Favorite
Sicilian
Cour di Albegnia
Cour di Bue
which I got at a local sale of saved-seed varieties.

If the dates work out, I'll be there and can bring whatever is interesting that is ripe at the time. - JoAnne

I just talked to the folks at the event center in our little town -- and this is what works for me and them:

Friday September 9th
6-9PM
Sunol Jazz Cafe and Event Center
Beer, Wine, Tea, Coffee, Soft Drinks and Sandwiches Available

Sunol is east of Fremont, south of Pleasanton and west of Livermore.

Does this work for everyone else?

Fred,

Most of these tomato-tasting events around the Country are held on a Saturday to sample tomatoes, etc. As in the Bay area, distances are rather large (not that they aren't in Texas!), if we are to have folks from Sacramento, San Francisco, Marin, and the South Bay participate, I think setting the event on Saturday, September 10 would work out better. Trying to do this on a Friday night - with rush-hour traffic etc. is not ideal for most folks.

Again, we don't need a lot of hoopla - - just a shelter from the Sun and some tables to spread out the tomatoes (and wine). I for one, would really like to tour your operation in the daylight before, or after the tomato tasting. Of course, this all depends on [B]your[/B] personal schedule, as you have generously offered to host this NORCATT event. Some of us will arrive early to help set up a tent, or other facility - - and do the clean-up after the event.

Raybo

I agree with Ray on this one, Saturday or even Sunday is much better. Can I do a Friday? Yes no problem but I think the attendance will suffer greatly if its Friday. Fred can we do better than a Friday even if it means later in the month?

Damon

Here is the problem for me.

Sunday = Farmers' Market

Saturday = Our farm site is closed to public. The farm is owned by the City of San Francisco, and is on an area that is closed and secured on weekends. I would have to get permits, and have a monitor at the gate. And, the bigger the attendance, the more restrictive things are. If a bunch of people wanted to come at the last minute, they would not be allowed to, as large groups require a month's notice and a formal proposal and site fee payment.

Friday = my best alternative. The farm site (the Sunol Water Temple area) is open from 9-3 so anyone from tomatoville that wants a farm tour can come at any time between 9 and 3. If you are there at 3PM, you may stay as my guest on the farm area after 3PM and we will all leave together at 5PM to set up the tasting one-half mile away in town. This is really my only alternative.

Of course, I will attempt to attend any other tasting set up elsewhere under conditions deemed to be more amenable to the group!

I dont think the location is the big issue (allthough it would be very nice to tour Fred's farm and the Jazz Cafe is a nice little joint), you can set up a tasting just about anywhere. And I dont for see this being a huge attendance thing if its just Tomatoville invites. I'm ok with Friday I'd just hate for us to get no one or very few attending because of the day/time. Fred are you extending invites through any other source besides TV? I guess we should take a count on who would be willing to come on that day and go from there.



Damon

Hey - I'm an example (maybe the only one?) of someone who may not be able to attend on a Friday night. Normally, I'm at work until 6:30-7:00 PM and DH doesn't cut out until 7:30. Given Bay Area traffic (at rush hour on a Friday night), I assume we'd have to leave somewhere in the neighborhood of 4 PM. That may or may not be doable, depending on what is happening at work that day. Sometimes I can leave work early, sometimes I'm just there until it's done.

Bottom line: Friday night is difficult.

-JoAnne

I was not aware of the City restrictions on Fred's garden plot (no Saturday access).

Heading over 237, then up 880 to 680 is a bad commute ANYTIME of the day. Friday evening when folks are going to Tahoe, etc. is a really bad commute.:no:

Raybo

Yea I work also on Fridays, so it will be extra hard to attend. Sucks wish I could be there. Hope it works out great for you Fred.
L8
MJ

I understand the limitations, and I wish I was able to hold an "open" event on Saturday where people could come and go.

I am going to hold the event described above on Friday September 9th. It will be an open event, and guests will be encouraged to bring their tomatoes. I will post it on our blog, and it will be open to non-tomatovillians.

If another option arises that is more suitable to the needs of everyone that event should be the 2011 NORCATT event, and my event will be simply a Baia Nicchia-hosted tomato tasting event.

I understand Fred totally, count me in I will be there. I hope to see everybody there who can make it. Fred let me know if I can help with anything. I might be able to talk my wife into assembling a dessert platter or two.


Damon

I just found this forum, and I live about 15 miles away from Sunol (as the crow flies), so I was thrilled to come across this thread. I have Friday Sept. 9 marked on my calendar!

Cheers, - Jo.

Hi all,

We are holding a tomato tasting event on September 9th.

Details are here: [url]http://baianicchia.blogspot.com/2011/07/community-tomato-tasting-event-at-baia.html[/url]

Please email us, or indicate in this thread if you want to attend. We look forward to seeing as many people from this forum as possible.

I wish I could participate, but Friday night is a no-go for me. I'm in Sacramento and I'd be willing to try drive to the bay area for a Saturday or Sunday.

We used to live in Fremont and had friends in Pleasanton. On our drives home, we would sometimes detour through Sunol just to daydream of owning a piece of land there. :)

Have a great time, everyone!

It's not really Friday night, and it's not NORCATT
 

I think it would be great if someone put together a weekend NORCATT event. As a 14-hour-a-day/7-day-a-week farmer I don't really have weekends, and Friday September 9th is the only day when we can host an event. It is the only day when we can:

#1 Have people on the farm-site (at their time convenience) for tomato/farm tours

#2 Have an evening tomato tasting without having to charge

The owners of the Jazz Cafe are donating their reception room for this event. On the weekend it is booked, and expensive.

It seems clear that the overwhelming preference is for a weekend NORCATT event, so someone please coordinate the NORCATT event. We can't.

However, we will be pleased to welcome anyone interested in our event (up to 30 people). I think the event we are having is most appropriate for tomato fanatics who want to come early in the day to see the farm (thus avoiding the traffic). We are also in the East Bay's wine country, and there are a number of wineries and hiking trails very close to our site. Perhaps the Friday evening tomato tasting should [B]not[/B] be viewed as the main course, but as the dessert. The day might make more sense if it was viewed as a day to get out to the country to visit a farm, hike, wine-taste and finish with a tomato tasting in a comfortable reception room where the taste of the tomatoes can be the center of attention (not the flies, wind and dirt, heat, cold, etc. etc.).

[QUOTE=kristy;221810]I wish I could participate, but Friday night is a no-go for me. I'm in Sacramento and I'd be willing to try drive to the bay area for a Saturday or Sunday.

We used to live in Fremont and had friends in Pleasanton. On our drives home, we would sometimes detour through Sunol just to daydream of owning a piece of land there. :)

Have a great time, everyone![/QUOTE]

This thread may be used for RSVPing (as well as our gmail address -- baianicchia).

When RSVPing please state the number of people that will be with you.

For more info on farm tours, call or email as the date gets near. We are very flexible.

I would love to attend! There are 3 of us.
Thank you for such a nice invitation.
Donna

Sounds good. We will see you on the 9th of September.

[QUOTE=Firstcrush;226427]I would love to attend! There are 3 of us.
Thank you for such a nice invitation.
Donna[/QUOTE]

If it's not too late (and if you don't have 30 people yet), my wife and I would like to attend on September 9th. I work that day (in north San Jose near Milpitas), so we'll be attending only the evening 5:30 PM event.

There are just the two of us;--and we hope we'll have at least 8 ripe varieties of tomatoes to bring to the get-together on that day . (Currently have JD Special C-Tex, Nyagous, Reba, Arkansas Traveler, Bloody Butcher, and Sungold F1 that should be ready for sure. Hope that maybe Black Plum, Green Doctors, Chili Verde, Brandywine Black, Jetsetter and/or Aunt Ginny's Orange might also be ripe by then.)

Since I can't get your email address to work, I'll call tomorrow (on your 510-384-2716 number) and give you our details.

See you then.

Sounds great. We're reserving a spot for you!

[QUOTE=Calcruzer;228204]If it's not too late (and if you don't have 30 people yet), my wife and I would like to attend on September 9th. I work that day (in north San Jose near Milpitas), so we'll be attending only the evening 5:30 PM event.

There are just the two of us;--and we hope we'll have at least 8 ripe varieties of tomatoes to bring to the get-together on that day . (Currently have JD Special C-Tex, Nyagous, Reba, Arkansas Traveler, Bloody Butcher, and Sungold F1 that should be ready for sure. Hope that maybe Black Plum, Green Doctors, Chili Verde, Brandywine Black, Jetsetter and/or Aunt Ginny's Orange might also be ripe by then.)

Since I can't get your email address to work, I'll call tomorrow (on your 510-384-2716 number) and give you our details.

See you then.[/QUOTE]

Fred I'm not sure if you have me down but if you have the room me and my wife would love to attend, thanks.

Damon

We're counting on you, Damon.

The "not really NORCATT but it might have to suffice" event is coming up! There are still a few spaces.

There is no charge.

There is an optional farm tour in the afternoon.

There will be food and drink available at the Jazz Cafe (Sunol) in the evening.

Specifics can be found here: [url]http://baianicchia.blogspot.com/2011/07/community-tomato-tasting-event-at-baia.html[/url]

This event cant come soon enough! Because I grow mostly in containers my plants have well out grown their homes and are dropping like flies! At this rate I should have zero fruits to bring to the tasting event. Just great!!!:shock::cry:

Damon

Damon,

You don't stagger plantings?

Reduced number in my party
 

Hi Fred,
Can you change my rsvp from 3 to 2?
I am sorry for the late notice, especially if the event is full.
Donna