Future farmer Lori Sayre was awarded Grand Champion honors at the Ohio State Fair for her home-grown tomatoes produced with Florida 91, one of the most advanced hybrids from Asgrow Vegetable Seeds.

As part of her Agricultural Experience Project in the Future Farmers of America (FFA), the teenager managed 20 acres of vegetables on her family's farm near Racine, Ohio (and 60 acres of orchard grass and clover). While she grew a number of Asgrow tomato varieties, she chose to enter the Florida 91 in the state fair due its size, uniformity and overall quality.

"Florida 91 has surprised us and could easily become our favorite," noted her father Aaron Sayre. "We could always tell when the Florida 91 came across the packing table because practically everything packed out as a number-one tomato. They were very clean with little or no blemishes on them." He added that while the other Asgrow tomatoes grown by Lori didn't win a ribbon, they did win the enthusiasm of their customers at the local farmers' market. "Some of her customers couldn't believe they were home-grown; but once they tasted the tomatoes, there was no doubt."

As an added accolade, both Lori and her father will be featured in the annual catalog of Holmes Seed Company, an authorized Asgrow dealer based in Canton, Ohio.

Asgrow Vegetable Seeds, a Seminis business, develops and markets over 1000 vegetable variety choices in 108 countries. Worldwide headquarters are based in Oxnard, California.

Company news release
N3045