A TOMATO festival could have the potential to put a small Tasmanian community on the map, and inspire rural women along the way.
That is according to Annette Reed, who is the winner of the 2014 Tasmanian Rural Women's Award.
The mixed farmer grows mainly heirloom tomatoes and garlic on a 40-hectare property with her husband Nevil and says she will use a portion of the $10,000 award bursary to look at how to establish a tomato festival in her community of Selbourne, near Launceston.
This year she has plans in place to travel to the US and Canada to take a closer look at the heirloom tomato and garlic industries with the aim of finding out more about how those sectors operate.
"Although it is a niche industry here, it is on a much bigger scale over there and I want to look at what varieties they are growing and how they are marketing the produce," Mrs Reed said.
"And I want to see how those industries celebrate."
In particular, Mrs Reed is excited about visiting a garlic festival in British Columbia, Canada, as well as several tomato events in San Francisco in the US.
"Something like this could really help my own community and other rural women," she said.
Mrs Reed also has intentions to share the information from her study tour via a series of workshops around Tasmania with the aim of inspiring other rural women on small landholdings to set up their own businesses.
"On a grassroots level, I want to be able to help rural women and show them the challenges and opportunities that are out there," she said.
Mrs Reed's journey in the agricultural sector has included many ups and downs.
She and her husband have five children, including two with disabilities.
"We've had many challenges along the way that have meant it's been very difficult just to get a head start in the industry," she said.
Although they dabbled in all sorts of produce in the past (including truffles), it's only in the past five years that their business, Four Springs Produce, has really taken off.
Today they cultivate purple-striped garlic alongside 1000 heirloom tomato plants across 45 varieties.
Although the couple began supplying the tomato seed industry, they have now diversified into the fresh market.
Their produce is marketed at selected farmers' markets, restaurants and retail outlets around the State.
"A big part of what we are about is teaching people about tomatoes as they should be," Mrs Reed said.
"The beauty of that one-on-one interaction with the consumers is you can let them know how to use a stuffing tomato or a baking tomato, or what varieties you should eat fresh."
Mrs Reed also plays a big role in her local community, including as a member of Tasmanian Women in Agriculture.
In 2008 she founded Rural Help @ Hand, a not-for-profit organisation offering practical and emotional support to rural patients and families in city hospitals in times of crisis.
Mrs Reed will go up against the other State winners this October in Canberra to vie for the National Rural Women's Award.
