The Starter Farm @ Forage Florals, Santa Ynez

Apr 5 – 6, 2025

We’re excited that we’ll return to the Santa Ynez Valley this spring, courtesy of The Starter Farm, (@thestarterfarm), one of our summer test gardens! If you were able to attend the August tomato tasting in SY you know that the valley is an amazing place to grow tomatoes. 🙂

This just in!

New additions to the Santa Ynez event days. Free classes!

Class offerings

April 5th:
11:30am
“Tomato & Pepper 101: Ensuring success from the start. Tips for a great harvest season.”

1:30pm “Cut flower growing: How to produce the most flowers in a small space for vases full of flowers for the summer season!”

April 6th:
11:30am “Tomato pitfalls: Identifying and solving plant problems before they happen.”

Mark Donofrio and his farm team are busy most of the growing season nurturing cut flowers that decorate the most exciting events in their area.

In the summer, however, you can also find them picking tomatoes in the field and recording their impressions of some very unique fruit. Each season we challenge Mark to grow new varieties and particular ones we’re watching so we know how they fare in this region. After years of growing hundreds of varieties The Starter Farm is an amazing source of information and tomato knowledge.

Again this year they will invite their friends and neighbors to join in Tomatomania! Mark will join hands with Forage Florals (@forageflorals) and host this event at their studio and store.

What to expect:

This unique event focuses on STARS OF THE SANTA YNEZ VALLEY, a showcase of 40+ varieties that have delighted this farmer through the years. They’ve done their homework and will recommend the standouts; tried and true tomato seedling varieties that perform well in the Santa Ynez area. (*And a note, tomato lovers: while we love classic hybrids you won’t find those in the lineup here.)

Mark’s best bet from the past season? Sart Roloise. Ask him more about it at the event.

Forage Florals will be the host of this event, since Mark’s field is full and bursting with flowers in early April. Find this group of Tomatomaniacs at Forage Florals in the Santa Ynez Mercantile Center.

Hours: 10 AM – 4 PM

And hey, you can leave this event with tomato seedlings AND a beautiful bouquet!

Don’t miss this one.