TomatoFest Organic Heirloom Tomato Seeds - Legendary Organic Heirloom Tomatoes

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Gary Ibsen & Dagma Lacey

An advocate of sustainable agriculture, Gary Ibsen has given talks about growing tomatoes for the University of California, regional garden clubs and the Culinary Historians of Southern California and has made several presentations on P. Allen Smith's nationally syndicated television show, P. Allen Smith's Gardens. Gary was also founder, publisher and editorial director of the award-winning Adventures In Dining magazine and prior to that, Monterey Life magazine.

Gary Ibsen is the founder and executive director of the Carmel TomatoFest® located in Carmel, California. An advocate of certified organic, sustainable farming and seed saving, Gary is an industry leader due to his knowledge and innovation in developing and growing heirloom tomato varieties for more than 30 years.

Gary and his wife, Dagma Lacey, are growing more than 500 varieties of certified organic heirloom tomato seeds, many of which were originally sourced from family farms around the world. Gary and Dagma cherish the many stories families share with them concerning how they have passed down beloved heirloom tomato seeds through many generations in order to sustain the tomato variety and keep them in the family.

In the 16 years Gary has operated the Carmel TomatoFest® event, he and Dagma have revitalized the appreciation and desire of true heirloom quality tomatoes by chefs and consumers alike. They ensure the highest quality product from harvest to table due to their hands-on production and harvest techniques. Their TomatoFest® Farm brand supplies best-tasting varieties of fresh, certified organic heirloom tomatoes to preferred restaurants and produce markets in selected areas of California and the U.S.

Other successes centered on food and wine have found a way into Gary’s life. He has extensive experience in the marketing and publishing arenas, having received numerous national “Maggie” awards for his Adventures in Dining magazine, a publication he developed into a quarterly magazine with more than four million readers. He was also the founder and creator of the national award-winning Monterey Life magazine. He has extensive experience in food and wine, having managed wine marketing for The Wine Spectrum, a division of The Coca Cola Company, owned an upscale restaurant in Carmel, California and served on the National Board of Directors of The American Institute of Wine & Food with his friend, Julia Child.

Gary is also author of The Great Tomato Book which was nominated by the International Association of Culinary Professionals for best cookbook in the single subject category. The Great Tomato Book guides you through this astonishing diversity of vine-ripened delights, offering background and cultivation tips for more than 80 tomato varieties. Outstanding recipes include Fried Green Tomatoes and Arabian Gazpacho. This essential reference book covers everything from the vine to the kitchen. The Great Tomato Book delivers everything a tomato connoisseur could want.

Gary’s love of cooking led him to study with Marcella Hazan in Italy and many regional cooking styles throughout North America, open a popular Cajun/Creole restaurant in Carmel, California, win a cooking award with actor/director Clint Eastwood, and cook for a national television audience on Good Morning America with Joan Lunden.

Gary and Dagma are currently active in supporting numerous urban, school and community gardens world-wide with seed donations in their effort to support bio-diversity, ensure that heirloom tomato varieties will be preserved, and to feed those in need.