By ANNE-MARIE EMERSON
FIRST it was free apples. Now it's free tomatoes.
On Saturday morning, Wanganui residents can pick up a heritage tomato seedling free, thanks to the Central Tree Crops Research Trust.
For two years the trust has given away free "Monty's Surprise" heritage apple trees, but this will be the first time they've given away tomatoes.
Three thousand seedlings have been grown, potted and labelled, and await distribution at Bristol Nurseries. The project is the brainchild of the firm's Frank Bristol, and Mark Christiansen, from Central Tree Crops Association.
For the past year the trust has grown 65 different varieties of tomatoes. They were tested by HortResearch in Palmerston North for healthy compounds such as lycopene and polyphenols, which help reduce the risk of cancer and cardiovascular disease.
The tests found the Oxheart variety had the highest levels of lycopene, and Matt's Wild Cherry came out tops in the polyphenol levels. By comparison, a popular commercial variety, Daniella, had half the lycopene levels of Oxheart. Oxheart and Matt's Wild Cherry are among the 10 heritage varieties being given away this weekend.
"Heritage" refers to traditional varieties that have been open pollinated rather than control bred.
Mr Christiansen said the tomatoes came in all shapes and sizes: "There are very large ones down to cherry tomatoes. Two of the varieties we'll be giving away are purple". Some of them have interesting names, such as "Black Zebra" and "Bloody Butcher".
Gill Pirikahu, co-ordinator of the "Grab A Bite That's Right" programme, said the seedling giveaway was a wonderful project.
"We're always encouraging people to eat healthy food, and this sort of thing helps them to do that."
PICTURED: Mark Christiansen (front) from Tree Crops holds a Silvery Fir Tree tomato seedling, while Frank Bristol from Bristol Nurseries and Gill Pirikahu from the "Grab A Bite That's Right" programme look at some of the other 3000 heritage tomato seedlings to be given away this weekend.
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