Cal Poly’s epic tomato sale moves online due to coronavirus concerns
Coronavirus can’t stop Cal Poly’s popular Tomato Spectacular sale — but the event will look a little different this year.
The annual tomato plant sale, formerly known as Tomato Mania, was originally planned for the first week of April, but it was postponed and moved online because of coronavirus concerns, the San Luis Obispo university said.
The virtual Tomato Spectacular sale will start Friday and last until all plants — more than 3,000 in all — are sold out, according to a news release.
“While we are not able to offer the traditional sale because of important social distancing requirements related to COVID-19, staff and students alike worked hard to find a virtual platform to make sure the community is still able to support these students’ hard work,” Wendy Robinson, campus greenhouse manager, said in the release.
According to the release, more than 70 different types of tomato plants are available to buy, including Brandywine, Early Girl, Kellogg’s Breakfast, Homestead and a selection of cherry tomato varieties.
Each plant costs $6, according to the release.
The Tomato Spectacular sale is an opportunity for students in a student-run enterprise class in Cal Poly’s College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences to get hands-on experience with growing plants and marketing them.
The tomato plants may be ordered online via www.polyplantshop.com and scheduled to be picked up from Cal Poly’s campus or select locations in Morro Bay and Los Osos.
Customers will be asked to provide a phone number. They will then be called with a set day and time to pick up their order from the H-12 parking lot, south of the horse and horticulture units on Via Carta Road off of Highland Drive, according to the release.
