This day has affectionately become known as 'National Italian Day' - the making of the passata or the Melbourne Tomato Festival.
The Melbourne Tomato Festival 2016 will be a gathering of local farmers selling produce, speakers, agriculturalists, cooking demonstrations, Italian food, artisan producers, special guests, history, workshops, entertainment and of course passata making.
This year the event will be held on the 21st February at Edendale Community Farm. We chose this site because of its principals of Environmental Education featuring sustainable living practices for the whole community.
Even though the tomato is not native to Italy or Australia, for generations it has come to typify Italian Culture through its use in cooking, custom and festivals.
The inspiration for the festival has come from a desire to preserve customs and traditions that bring family and communities together through the celebration of harvests and good food.
It stems from the garages of suburban Melbourne when the backyard tomato crops where harvested and the whole family spent the day washing, crushing and bottling tomato into recycled beer bottles.
Although at the time, we as children, saw this as incredibly hard work, it now defines the importance of our culture and unity as a family. It was in fact a celebration of the harvest where we would all gather to work, eat, talk and connect. This day has affectionately become known as ‘National Italian Day’ – the making of the passata or the Melbourne Tomato Festival.
As an extension of this, The Melbourne Tomato Festival brings this celebration to the extended community. We gather together our local producers, community and champions of all things Italian to celebrate. It’s about coming together, staying connected and making things better.
Melbourne Tomato Festival 2016 will be giving ticket holders the opportunity to help raise funds and awareness for the special organization SECONDBITE through the purchase of festival bags.
How we grow our food or where we source it from has a great impact on our health, lifestyle and future. Our food traditions define our culture, our family and ultimately us as individuals. The greatest decision we make for ourselves is how we eat.
Some of the people you will see and things to do at Melbourne Tomato Festival 2016 include:
Guy Grossi, Matt Wilkinson, Scott Pickett, Liz Egan, Karen Martini, Colin Fassnidge, Dani Valent, Hilary McNevin, Prahran Market, Melbourne Farmers Market, Tammi Jonas – Jonai Farms & Meatsmiths, Nick Rose – AFFSA, Rosalin Virnik – Artisan House, Andrew Kelly – Small Batch, Bar Idda, Woodstock, Dolci Momenti, L’ Arrosticino, Books for Cooks, Polito Woodfire Ovens, Diggers, Capi drinks bar, Punt Road Wine Cider and Beer, 400 Gradi, That’s Amore, Enoteca Sileno, Home Make it, Elyros,
Arancini Art, Gelato Tino, Territory Coffee, Cavallini, Saluministi, bucket loads of passata making and more!
