by Dawn Brittian

The September 26th Grand Opening of the Coquille Community Garden and first Tomato Tasting was attended by about fifty people who came out to enjoy an afternoon of sunshine and small-town fun. A moment of reflection, a ribboncutting ceremony, and a rundown of the garden’s growth kicked off the festivities. Free games were hosted, such as naming the scarecrow (the winning suggestion was “Bloomer”)’ guessing how many tomatoes filled a five gallon jar, and guessing the weight of a bowl filled with tomatoes. There was also a fund-raising raffle which generated $124.00, nearly the exact sum needed to install a gate at the garden’s entrance.

 Three esteemed judges then rated the 41 tomatoes entered for tasting. First Place went to Lois Renwick for Sun Sugar, Second Place to Michael Minks for Gold Nugget, and Third Place to Julie Wade for Honey Bunch. Community members then sampled all of the tomato varieties, and although a “people’s choice” favorite was not specifically named, the decidedly most-liked fruit came from the cherry tomato category.


Thanks go to all of our previously mentioned donors, as well as to Farr’s, Grimm’s Florist and Greenhouse, and Truffles!, who also donated prizes for this event. We are also grateful to the community for supporting this event. The garden is located at 180 N. Baxter between the Pioneer Methodist Church and the Auto Clinic. Please contact Darlene at 404-7519 for more information, or visit our website at “CoquilleCommunityGarden.VPweb.com/