EL SOBRANTE, Calif. — The home of Don and Jody Edwards is referred to as "the tomato patch."

Photo by Linda Later

Jody and Don Edwards display potted tomato seedlings they grow each year to give away. These gifts have opened doors of friendship.

Annually, they grow tomato plants from seeds, then throw open their gates in early spring to give their labors away to Hilltop 1st Ward members, neighbors, and any friends they meet along the way.

A short time before the designated pick-up date, they distribute that year's tomato list, which gives the name, type, and profile of each plant, to the community so residents have an opportunity to plan their gardens.

"Don and Jody make certain that not one soul in the ward is in need of tomato plants or tomatoes," said Bishop Richard Later of the Hilltop 1st Ward. "If ward members cannot grow plants in their own yard, they go to the home of Don and Jody during harvest days and pick all they want."

Just after Christmas, Brother and Sister Edwards place their order for seeds. When it arrives, the planting process begins. New identity tags are written, small pots are prepared, and the floor of their living area becomes a nursery. After the seedlings sprout, they are moved to Brother Edwards' greenhouse, where temperature controls and nutritional needs are administered with loving hands and watchful eyes.

In the meantime everyone — from the parcel service delivery man who delivered the seeds to the helpful vendors at garden centers — is invited to the give-away-tomatoes day at the Edwards' home

Brother Edwards is a home teacher to Ron and Susan Humann. Brother Humann said, "Don came over to the house to visit with us one evening because my wife was a member. It was then that he gave me that famous 'list' of all the varieties of tomatoes he was growing and told me to choose whatever I wanted. He said, 'I'm the tomato man, and I don't want you going to the store to buy tomatoes. If you need tomatoes, come and see me.' But we didn't have to. He brought them to us. Don's tomatoes are 10 times better than anything in the store.

"Over the years I had a lot of questions about the Church, especially about the history, and Don brought tomatoes and a lot of knowledge. He could talk for hours, and I wanted to listen to him. Last year my wife and I decided to drive to all the Church history sites. Don brought me books and I felt like I knew those places before I got there. I never would have thought I would some day join the Church, but the end of last year, Dec. 14, 2002, I was baptized by Bishop Later, and on the 15th Don confirmed me."

Esther Bahadosingh works with Sister Edwards. She said that the summer candy in the office is "Jody's cherry tomatoes. Everyone thinks they're being greedy when they take a whole handful, but Jody keeps washing them and bringing baskets full of them."

The "Tomato Garden of El Sobrante" had to move last year. Just before the tomatoes went into the ground, Brother and Sister Edwards received a notice from their landlord that the home they were renting had been sold. Ward members scrambled to find an adequate home, and, when they found it, worked to get the garden space tilled and fertilized for the tender plants. In the meantime, Brother and Sister Edwards offered tomato plants to their former landlord and his real estate agent.

April 15, 2003, was a typical spring evening at the Edwards home. A new neighbor Brother Edwards had been conversing with over the fence for a few months came to their home to pick up tomato plants. Brother Edwards helped the neighbors, the Bittners, select plants, and in the process, discovered that Mr. Bittner sings. As ward music chairman, Brother Edwards invited him to join the ward choir. "But he's Catholic," Mrs. Bittner explained. "It doesn't matter," said Brother Edwards. "If he enjoys singing, he will be singing with other people who enjoy singing." As they left with tomato plants, Mr. Bittner said he would consider the invitation.

Will Brother and Sister Edwards keep up with needs? "So far we have had sufficient, and it always surprises us," she said. "People come over, and somehow, there is enough. We can only plant so many, but it is always sufficient."

"Don reserves visitation rights," said Bishop Later of the plants Brother and Sister Edwards give away. "He likes to hear how well his tomatoes are doing. It's almost a race in the ward to see who will grow the first ripe tomato."

"I began this to help the members of our ward obey [President Spencer W. Kimball's] direction that everyone have a garden. Now I see other benefits," explained Brother Edwards. "We are a host family in our ward, and it allows us to serve our neighbors and for them to get to know our beliefs, and us."

"Don and Jody Edwards use their time, talents and means to bless lives," said Bishop Later. "The tomatoes are not what is important, although we love their example of caring for earth life. The lesson here is in the application of their resources to bring about the work of the Lord."