Free tomatoes for Nahant residents

NAHANT – Visitors to Nahant Town Hall on Wednesday were likely to drop off paperwork, pick up permit applications and be asked to take a tomato on their way out.The two trays of large, bright red tomatoes set on a table in the main hall were enough to catch any passerby?s eye against the wood of the building. But even more unusual than fresh produce in Town Hall was that it was organic, free, and there is a lot more where they came from.?We?ve had a large harvest for tomatoes,” said Paul Caira, head gardener for the Nahant Community Garden, an 80-by-80-foot plot behind Johnson Elementary School now in its third year.Caira said many of this year?s crop of tomatoes have grown to be 1? pounds. The garden boasts five varieties of tomatoes, including marinara favorite San Marzano, plus lots of other produce: zucchini, yellow squash, onions, cucumbers, kale, Swiss chard, garlic, and several kinds of eggplant and peppers both sweet and hot.On Tuesday, Thursdays and Saturdays, volunteers led by Caira pick the produce and bring it to Nahant Fish and Lobster across the street from Short Beach at noon. They leave behind the produce and a request for donations of funds to pay for seeds and tools.?Usually we have a line of people waiting to load up on the peppers, cucumbers and tomatoes,” said Caira. “Tomatoes are by far the most popular.”This year, the harvest has produced so many that popularity can?t keep up, which is why Caira brought them to Town Hall.Schumann said while the crop has been overwhelming, Caira?s “labor of love” has obviously been well-received. “It?s great to have fresh produce in Nahant,” she said.