Garden of Eden

Meet Tracy Weil, tomato farmer. After the local painter and graphic designer saw the potential on his expanded RiNo studio grounds, he planted nearly 250 heirloom tomato starts this spring, with dreams of planting his own little urban farm right in, yes, his own back yard. Okay, so maybe Weil overshot a bit. In any case, he’s putting a large block of his seedlings up for sale, including, from Amy Goldman, the veritable princess of the heirloom tomato, the Goldman’s Italian American, a meaty Italian sauce tomato that Goldman named after her father’s Brooklyn grocery, as well as the inevitable pink Mortgage Lifter, the bi-colored beefsteak Hillbilly, the beautifully lumpy Costoluto Genovese, the mahogany-colored Black Krim, some robust tomatillo plants and several more juicy, lip-smackin’ varieties. And, of course, he’s throwing a party to do it, dear boy, complete with new art and other surprises.

Weil’s Heirloom Tomato Plant Sale begins tonight from 6 to 9 p.m. at Weilworks, 3611 Chestnut Place, as part of the First Friday gallery walk in RiNo, and continues, assuming there are any plants left, from 9 a.m. to noon tomorrow; festivities include astrology readings by Amie Blue (priced at $1 per minute), artwork by Eva Zimmerman and, from Weil, a selection of “small, recession-priced paintings.” Tomato plants will go for $5 apiece, which will go into a fund to build a greenhouse; look for Weil to also sell his own produce later in the year. For details, call 303-308-9345.
Fri., May 1, 6-9 p.m.; Sat., May 2, 9 a.m.-noon, 2009