Even high temperatures were not keeping farmers and vendors away from earning their paychecks at the festival Saturday.

It's a big event that many look forward to all year.

It doesn't matter if you say tomato or “tamata” or if you call it a vegetable or a fruit.

Slocomb, Alabama is famous for them.

"When I actually married a tomato farmer, I realized just how important the Slocomb tomato is" says Valerie Aplin of Aplin Farms in Slocomb.

"When I was a young boy, I sold Slocomb tomatoes. My Daddy and I had a vegetable stand" says Congressman Bobby Bright,(D) Montgomery.

For some it’s a memory, but for others, a reality.

Each year, farmers depend on strong tomato crops to make a profit off of sales from the locals... And the Slocomb tomato festival provides a good opportunity to do that.

"They are actually good because we make a lot of money off of them" says 11 year old Graison Aplin.

"The reason the festival began 21 years ago was to illustrate and highlight the importance of produce and farming in this area" says Slocomb Mayor Rob Hinson.

We know tomatoes are important, but some vendors were hoping to make money on other treats as well

Funnel cakes, cheese fries, snow cones, polish sausage and other produce are just some of the other treats that were available.

"If you buy local and buy fresh, everyone benefits from it" says Aplin.

Money raised from admission costs goes into a fund handled by the tomato committee.

They use it to promote the city of Slocomb, its tomatoes, and the next year's festival.

If you didn't get a chance to go to the festival, you can still purchase Slocomb tomatoes.

Keep your eyes peeled for them in local grocery stores, fruit stands, and farmer's markets.