BOSTON — Congressman Richard Neal, dean of the Massachusetts delegation and top Democrat on the House Ways and Means Committee, alongside 26 current and former state, regional and local leaders from the 1st Congressional District, are endorsing Ed Markey for reelection to the United States Senate.

“Ed Markey has a tremendous record securing victories for western Massachusetts, and we need him back in the United States Senate,” Neal said in a statement. “I’m proud to have worked with Ed to secure funding for West-East Rail, rural broadband, clean energy and other critical infrastructure investments that will support economic development for decades to come. We can always count on Ed to fight for us, and I’m proud to endorse him for reelection.”

Commercial farmers are invited to participate in the 40th Massachusetts Tomato Contest, which will be held at the Boston Public Market on Tuesday, Aug. 19.

Tomatoes will be judged by a panel of experts on flavor, firmness/slicing quality, exterior color and shape. Growers can bring tomatoes to the market between 8:45 and 10:45 a.m. on Aug. 19 or drop their entries off with a registration form to one of the regional drop-off locations on Monday, Aug. 18.

The local drop-off location is the Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture (CISA) office at 1 Sugarloaf St. in South Deerfield. Tomatoes can be dropped off between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 18. When dropping off tomatoes at the CISA office, guests are advised to enter the building through the side door on Graves Street. There will be a table set up in the lobby for the tomatoes.

The 40th Massachusetts Tomato Contest is sponsored by the state Department of Agricultural Resources and New England Vegetable & Berry Growers Association in cooperation with the Boston Public Market.

For complete details, including drop-off locations, contest criteria and a registration form, which must be included with each entry, visit mass.gov/info-details/annual-massachusetts-tomato-contest. With questions, contact David Webber at 857-348-3689 or David.Webber@mass.gov.

An earlier version of this briefs package included an incorrect date for when entries for the 40th Massachusetts Tomato Contest can be dropped off at the Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture (CISA) office at 1 Sugarloaf St. in South Deerfield. Tomatoes can be dropped off between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 18.