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Grainger County hosted its 30th annual tomato festival where local farmers and vendors set up tents to promote their native goods.

In 1992, the tomato festival was brought to life. This year the festival nearly doubled in size and profit. Attendees travel from all over the United States to go to this event.

The secret to Grainger County tomatoes tasting as fresh and hardy as they do is the rich soil of the county. Nothing elicits the memory of a distant summer more than the bright red fruit, biting into its sweet shell, tasting its bitter center.

Limestone exists within the earth of this region making for the perfect combination of sweet and tart tomatoes. The variety of snacks that can be made with these types of tomates are endless – savory, salty fried green tomatoes, sweet tomato ketchup, or even plain slices with sharp cheddar cheese on top.

Along with the prospect of prime soil, tomato planting used to be regarded as the crop that made the most money with every acre a farmer had of it.

At 10 a.m. the Tomato Wars took place. Participants organized into teams, stood on opposite sides of a field and lobbed Grainger County tomatoes at each other – all in good fun, of course. Loads of red tomato pulp littered the grass and people’s hair, clothes and shoes. The accumulation of entry fees for the food fight went to the Rutledge Middle School football team.

Local businesses who appeared at the festival included everything from blacksmiths, chocolatiers, boutiques, artists and of course famous Grainger County Tomatoes.

Tomatoes weren’t the only edible object available at the festival. Dozens of food vendors also attended to include ethnic companies selling snacks like Mexican corn (Elote) and street tacos.

Organizers of the festival maintain that the mission of the event is entirely devoted to promoting the wealth of produce and homemade goods Grainger residents have to offer. In addition to successful farmers, there are also artists, writers and craftsman who are highlighted. The Grainger County government itself is a sponsor and host for the celebration, which even further enhanced the feeling of community.