Celebration of ‘everything tomatoes’ draws hundreds to Buxton farm

For farmer Ramona Snell, 72, her favorite way to eat a tomato is whole like an apple – the juice dripping down her chin.

For the past five decades, Snell has mostly eaten tomatoes she has grown herself at the Snell Family Farm in Buxton, which she has operated with her husband, John Snell, 71, since the 1970s.

“We just love tomatoes. They’re important to us, and our farm,” said Ramona Snell.

On Sunday, the farm hosted its first tomato festival, celebrating the farm’s connection with the local community that has enthusiastically supported it over the years.

Through the sunny early afternoon, about 500 people wandered through the farm stands and vendors, purchasing produce and sampling baked goods that highlighted tomatoes.

“We happen to have a lot of tomatoes, and a beautiful day,” sai