News Release

Brad Clayton

PIERCETON — The Pierceton Heirloom Tomato Festival recently announced Brad Clayton and Jim Wyant as the guest heirloom tomato experts for the 2022 festival.

The 15th Annual Heirloom Tomato Festival will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 27, in Brower Park and The Old Train Depot, Pierceton.

Each tomato expert will give two talks at The Old Train Depot.

Brad Clayton works for Clayton Garden Center, North Webster, as the digital marketing and information specialist. Brad studied plant and soil sciences at Oklahoma State University, specializing in crop science. Upon graduation, he worked two years for Harvestland Co-op as a yield specialist, working with producers. He then became a territory sales manager for Bonide Products, a lawn and garden chemical company. For two years, he traveled extensively, educating and training consumers and retailers on proper chemical use and application. Brad ultimately chose to return to the family business in North Webster in 2013. Brad’s many different experiences working in both agronomy and horticulture have given him a unique perspective on today’s horticulture industry and home gardening.

Jim Wyant

Brad will speak inside The Old Train Depot at 10:15 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.

The festival’s second speaker is Jim Wyant, also known as “Tomato Jim.” Tomato Jim spent 40 years at Chrysler Kokomo Transmission plant. For decades, gardening has been a favorite pastime. Around 1990, he discovered heirloom tomatoes. His mentor was Gary Millwood from Louisville, Ky. Jim decided to follow his mentor’s footsteps on the heirloom tomato adventure and help save as many Kentucky heirloom tomato varieties as possible. This lead him to treasure the Appalachian tomato varieties. Jim has more than 200 tomato variety seeds that he sells at local seed swaps.

Tomato Jim Wyant will speak inside The Old Train Depot at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.

The festival kicks off with a 5K run/walk at 9 a.m; registration begins at 8 a.m. All other events will be from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. You may preregister for the 5K at runsignup.com.