Tomatomania! 2017 Interview of World's Largest Heirloom Tomato Seedling Sale.

 Tomatomania! is the world's largest heirloom tomato seedling sale! It's also the most fun (they insisted on letting you know that, too). We sat down with Scott Daigre, the leader of the tomatomaniac team, to discuss their legendary & ever-growing tomato event!

 

Tell us about your business, what is it and what inspired you to start it. 

We’re a tomato seedling sale, a pop up that travels across the state during the spring.  We offer a huge variety of classic, rare and hybrid seedlings as well as soils, pots, fertilizers and everything a good gardener needs for the summer season.  A good friend and nurseryman started the event in 1992.  I worked with him and then bought the trademark and assets in 2006.

Do you grow Heirloom and Hybrid tomatoes exclusively?

We do offer herbs and interesting peppers and other summer veggies.

What is your point of view on GMO seeds and how does it impact your business?

GMO seed causes many more problems than it solves.  It doesn’t have a place in my business, as GMO seed is not represented in the consumer (home garden) marketplace.  Some people think hybrids are genetically modified.  We educate them.

Tell us about your growth over the last few years.

We offered one sale in 2001 and last year we had 16. Our schedule takes us all the way through the spring and early planting time.  We’ve experimented outside of CA (we’ve held events in 5 states and 25 cities) but have now devoted our energies only to the Golden State. Rather than expanding into new events, at this point we are adding programming.  A fundraising model for school kids and retail lines at nurseries have been launched over the past two years.

How long have you been coming to Copymat Hollywood and how has Bob Gerholdt and Copymat Hollywood helped or why do you continue to use them.

We depend on our Tomatomania friends at Copymat for artwork, posters, handouts and receipts.  They are always friendly, helpful and so quick to produce our orders.

When did you first get the idea for Tomatomania? How did you pull it off the first year?

My friend Gary Jones started the event at his popular nursery called Hortus, in Pasadena, in 1992. He grew out heirloom seedlings of some rare varieties, which had never been done on any scale before.  He created a firestorm of enthusiasm that we still see today.   I worked for Gary and helped build the event over four years on his staff.

How would you explain Tomatomania to someone thinking about going?

We’re a temporary tomato megastore!  Tomatomania provides all the information and materials you’ll need to select and grow perfect tomatoes in your garden during the summer season.

You've probably eaten a lot of tomatoes. Rank your top three favorite!

Not a fair question when I grow so many!  But in truth there are a few that MUST be in my garden every season.  Jaune Flamme, Gold Medal and Orange Paruche are a few of those. And since I can never stop at three ALL the “black" tomatoes make me very happy each summer.

What has Tomatomania grown into? How many events are you holding & where?

We will host 11 events this year from San Diego to Sonoma.  Our largest is in Encino, March 17-19.

Who are some of your favorite tomatomaniacs?

We have a customer and friend in Corona del Mar who grows over 90 every year and a friend here in Ojai only grows multiples of one variety but swears by that one variety each year! CEOs and soccer moms, young and old, men and women - our friends run the gamut.

What is something your friends & tomatomaniacs don't know about you?

I traveled with Up With People as an advance team member in the mid 80s. 

What are some restaurants that you've found use the freshest tomatoes?

Look for gorgeous heirloom tomato salads on the menu — you know you’re being hosted by a chef that takes pride in freshness and taste. In Los Angeles, BLD, Marino’s, Providence and other higher end restaurants will always be your best bet.

What's your favorite food? (besides tomatoes, of course)

Chips and sals are my favorite food group!  (Of course I have to include tomatoes.)

Anything else you'd like to add?

Tomatomania works so well because of our enthusiastic customers but also because of the awesome people who staff and plan these events with me each year.  All dedicated Tomatomaniacs like me, they teach, inspire and motivate new and old gardeners alike. I’m indebted to each and every one of them.

 

Stay up to date with the tomatomaniacs right here!

Magi Avila 2017 Interview: Entertainment & Singing Icon

Magi Avila is a rare talent who has seen success in not only Hollywood, but in Mexico as well. Singing, acting & entertaining the masses, Magi is one accomplished individual! Read her biography here but first, see our exclusive interview below!

Do you remember the first time you thought "I want to work in entertainment?"

Yes I do! When the adults see you singing-dancing-acting, at every family reunion or elementary school event. They say -You were great! What do you want to do as a grown up? After watching so many soap operas, and amazing performances of variety shows, it was so easy to just answer -I want to be an artist! But of course for many years it was so hard to be taken seriously. Nobody was in the entertainment business.  My artistic activities, executed since teenage years, were all pretty much a hobby and some supplementary income in the eyes of the people around me. Even against everybody's opinion I've never lost faith. I can still feel the communion and soulful connection that I experienced with the audience during my first stage performance of Euripides' "Electra", back in Mexico. This time I wasn't modeling, or singing or just taking a glamorous "supplement job"; this time I was reaching right into the hearts and minds of the audience! I was grounded. The analysis of this amazing literature, the depth of its characters, oh I just loved it so much! This happened during high school years,  when I consciously made the decision "This is it! This is me. I have to do this or I'll die!" As soon as I started college, the auditions and bookings for film came into place. I was so fortunate to have such great acting teachers and the film industry people in Baja California, Mexico to appreciate my talents. 

What are some differences between working in Mexican Films & American Films?

The budget! Haha no, not always. I have worked in a couple of Mexican films that also had a good budget. What is so beautiful to me is that most of the crew people I know from Mexico, didn't come from a background of a film-making family, most of the people here in Hollywood, and still have the same level of passion, knowledge, professionalism and talent. 

What's your favorite film or TV show you've worked on? 

Mmmhhh that's a hard one! Emmett / Furla is a great company to work with. Not only do they treat their talent well; starting with limousine rides and first class flights, and they are super nice and fun and they are a  all around professional team. Acting with and observing a mega-star like Mr. Bruce Willis on set has been a dream come true. The script is a page-turner, and director Steven C. Miller was amazing. I loved my role and I am sure you will love our film "First Kill", which is coming out soon. Also being kidnapped by Nicolas Cage and Willem Dafoe in our film "Dog Eat Dog" was so much fun! Our director Paul Schrader had them rehearsing together for 2-3 weeks so that the bonding of the 3 main characters would show they have been in in jail since childhood. As you can imagine, Cage, Dafoe (who have worked together before) and Christopher Matthew Cook were being funny, silly, constantly improvising in between cuts, and including me in their party, while I was supposed to be scared of them. The gorgeous Nicolas Cage was hypnotizing. Should I have known he was separated/getting divorced I would have flirted with him big time, haha. I am very respectful of love and committed people. Presenting this film on stage at the Cannes Film Fest. with these A Listers was surreal! (Check out the audience reaction at the end of the screening in above video) Another favorite is Chris Weitz' "A Better Life". Not only for it's best actor Oscar nomination of Demian Bichir, but also working with such an amazing director. This film is a well done piece of art with an important message that touches audiences' hearts and is deeply thought provoking. It is exactly what I love the most! Then I was nude in my scene in Shawn Ryan's last episode of "The Shield". That was a fun challenge. Especially when my scene partners, Michael Chiklis and David Rees Snell ad lib gun-pointing at me -"Drop the sheet!" Hahaha. When Woody Allen directed me in "Café Society", I swear the Twilight Zone music kept on playing deep in my ear!

What's your favorite place to eat in Hollywood?

Hugo's Restaurant, Los Balcones, that's Peruvian food, Calle Tacos, BOA, Cecconi's, The Pump, I am such a foodie! Indian food is one of my favorites. One of my favorite things about being in Los Angeles, the most diverse place in the world, is that one can find food from all parts of the world; Yamashiro-Japanese, Cleo-Mediterranean, Stella Barra - Italian and Paley - American. Yummy Tacos Trejo!... I like those very much and I can keep on going for ever!

You sing too? Wow! What's your favorite performance you've done.

 
Well there are so many beautiful experiences. Probably my favorite was when I sang for ex-president of Mexico Ernesto Zedillo. There was so much commotion, so many security guards, cars and excited people all over town! This was during the inauguration of Ensenada's beautiful harbor. At night there was a gala dinner where I performed, along with 3 other sopranos. I remember not being nervous at all. Our music maestro instructed us not only about music but also life in general. We used to rehearse 4-6 hrs a day 6 days a week. He taught us how to keep our feet on the ground, while building up our self esteem through amazing accomplishments. We presented many operatic concerts with songs and arias of great difficulty as the ones we sang that night for the Mexican president. In my case, I performed Verdi's Sempre Libera from the opera Rigoleto. What a thrill! Back then I was so young and naive, coming from a very humble family. I was not intimidated by being surrounded by the elite of my country. I held that high note for a long time closing my eyes and getting lost on the immensity of Verdi's music. It was one of those moments when what is happening is so much bigger than ourselves.  I was riding an immense wave. I would never be able to express my infinite gratitude to our music teacher Maestro Jose de Jesús Veliz who opened my eyes to a world of magic. 

What are your plans & goals for 2017?

Continue booking more films and TV. I have several projects planned but I am not at liberty to talk about them yet. So much to do to accomplish this... phew! Part of my strategy is to keep surrounding myself with people that are more accomplished than me. Maintain my skills super sharp while managing my time better. Then spend more time with loved ones, saying healthy and keep reading a book a week. 

What do Copymat Hollywood & Bob Gerholdt mean to you?

A perfect example of customer service! My very first headshots were printed there, when I officially moved to LA in 2005. Then I went to live in different places, trying the closest printing companies but immediately would come back to Copymat Hollywood. Their super fast services and excellent quality have kept me coming back. Bob Gerholdt and his staff have always been very nice professional people. They would make any changes to my materials right on the spot, and with the best attitude. In this town where the competition is so high and we have to get so much done by ourselves, I feel so confident when I need to order something or increase an order at the last minute. Copymat Hollywood's staff's precision, artistry and understanding of their customers needs is part my success. They have done banners, graphic design, business cards, headshots, flyers. Once a dedicated employee came Ronny event, after his working hours to fix a wind damaged banner. I am grateful to have Copymat Hollywood in my corner. 

Anything else you'd like to add?

I want to thank you for this interview, for the encouragement, support throughout all these years. Also to your followers: thank you for reading reading and following us. I want to wish you all so much success in your business. And to the artists out there, even during those moments when your hope buckets are running low, still get things done. Print out those post cards, headshots, invitations, just get it done. Believe in the cause and effect law. Learn from Bob and staff; by focusing in excellency your customers will keep coming to you for years and years. 

For more Magi, visit her website & stay tuned!

Yuko Mabuchi 2017 Interview: Copymat Hollywood Meets Jazz

Today we crossed paths with Los Angeles frequent Yuko Mabuchi. Born and raised in Fukui, Japan, Yuko Mabuchi grew up on piano & Jazz. She's worked on several projects with Copymat favorite & Hollywood legend Billy Mitchell, making a name for herself as a keyboardist & musician.

“Yuko has a very unique approach. She is technically proficient but is also very soulful which separates her from most of the piano players who I’ve heard. Yuko has an emotional content to her music. Every time that she plays, she connects with the audience immediately, no matter who is listening." - Billy Mitchell

When did you first start playing piano?
I first started piano at age four, with classical music.



Do you remember the first song you've ever played?
No, not exactly.



What's your favorite song to play?
I enjoy playing my original song more than anything. I am learning so many great songs its difficult to pick one out.



What's your favorite place to eat in Los Angeles?
My favorite restaurant is Dulan’s Soul Food because the food is so tasty and I always take food home.





What are your goals for 2017?
I want to visit as many cities in the US as I can. I also look forward to my next CD project on Yarlung Records, which is also a classical label. I’m also looking forward to performing at Disney Hall as a featured guest of the Los Angeles Inner-City Youth Orchestra.


Anything else you'd like to add?
My goal is to share my music with people around the world. I hope that my music, in some way, will make this a better place.

Stay tuned for Yuko's latest endeavors