by Wayne Watts, publisher

It’s the middle of the year and becoming hot. However, one of the great joys of an Oklahoma summer is the red ripe tomato crop.
Let’s see who can grow the largest one.
The Chisholm Trail Community News is looking for the largest locally grown tomato of the season. If you have a contender, bring that amazing tomato to the News office for an official weigh-in and photo. On Tuesday, Aug. 12, we will compare all the entries and award a $25 Gift Certificate to the grower of the largest tomato entered.
Bring your tomato to one of two locations:
Chisholm Trail Community News
3456 North Highway 81
Duncan, OK 73533
Or, Chisholm Trail Community News
1001 South 4th Suite B (on Washington)
Chickasha, OK 73018
You will need to bring your tomato on a Monday or Tuesday to either office to make sure we are there, or call us at 580-255-2428 to make sure we are in the office.
Bring them in and you might win a $25 Gift Certificate from one of our sponsors.

Here are 10 interesting facts about tomatoes:

1. Botanically a fruit:
    Despite being commonly used as a vegetable, tomatoes are botanically classified as a fruit because they develop from the flower of the plant and contain seeds, according to www.sciencekids.co.nz.
2. Over 10,000 varieties:
    There are more than 10,000 different varieties of tomatoes cultivated worldwide, offering a wide range of sizes, colors, and flavors, according to Campbell’s Soup UK.
3. Not always red:
    While red tomatoes are the most common, they also come in yellow, orange, pink, purple, black, and even white, says Molloy Landscape.
4. Space exploration:
    Tomato seeds have traveled to space as part of NASA’s Tomatosphere program, where they are grown in the International Space Station to study the effects of zero gravity on plant growth.
5. Health benefits:
    Tomatoes are a good source of lycopene, an antioxidant that may help protect against certain cancers and heart disease.
6. Origin in Peru:
    Tomatoes originated in the Andes region of South America, specifically in Peru, and were later cultivated by the Aztecs and Incas.
7. Once considered poisonous:
    In Europe, tomatoes were initially feared and considered poisonous due to their relation to the nightshade family, says USU Extension.
8. Record-breaking tomatoes:
    The heaviest tomato on record, according to the Guinness Book of World Records, weighed 7 pounds 12 ounces.
9. Tomato juice is the state beverage of Ohio:
    Ohio recognizes tomato juice as its official state beverage.
10. La Tomatina:
     The town of Buñol in Spain hosts La Tomatina, an annual tomato fight where participants throw tomatoes at each other as a form of celebration.