The Tapia Brothers Farm has been operating for 25 years, and it’s widely known for its Tomatomania event every spring when the produce farm “puts more tomatoes than anybody ever needs in one place, all at one time,” according to event producer Scott Daigre. “Today we probably have 230 varieties” of tomatoes, he said.
He calls the Tapia Brothers’ vast selection of tomatoes “more than enough for most people, and that’s the goal really. I’ve done my job if people walk in and their mouths are agape and they can’t stand how many wonderful things are here.” And the Tapia Brothers dub it “our Tomato Lollapalooza!”
The farm has 75 varieties of cherry tomatoes and 65 varieties of big beefsteak tomatoes. And it’s not just the types of tomatoes on display, Daigre says. “We’ve got what people need in every color. And so that’s what Tomatomania really is.”
Customers who show up annually wearing their Tomatomania t-shirts are now friends. “It’s a crazy family, is what it is, like the L.A. Marathon,” he said. “It’s a great, warm, wonderful tradition. It’s a spring kickoff for many people. … Somebody came in this morning and bought tomatoes for 12 of our friends who lost houses in the recent fires.”
The customers range from those who have a single pot on their patio, to homeowners who have more than an acre of land. “Some people will only grow cherries. Some people will only grow beefsteaks. I just talked to somebody who only grows green tomatoes,” Daigre says.
For those who missed the Tomatomania weekend event, Tapia Brothers will be selling tomatoes from 10am-4pm through until April 23.