LATHROP — Animal House is coming to the farm.

A 5K Food Stomp and Tomato Fight —  believed to be the first of its kind — is being staged at Dell’Osso Family Farm on Saturday, Sept. 21.

Instead of a mud run participants will stomp through grapes, wade through watermelon seeds, run through smashed pumpkins, and blaze their way through other produce filled pits to reach the grand finale of being able to participate in a full-scale tomato fight.

“We’re going to be using fruit and vegetables that stores won’t take because it looks different and is usually plowed under,” noted Susan Dell’Osso.

So instead of letting the unwanted portion of crops go to waste, Susan and her husband Ron came up with a way for people to play with their food.

And even if you don’t run you can gain entry to the tomato fight. Participants can stay as long as they want and hurl tomatoes like snowballs.

The Dell’Osso family launched the Pumpkin Maze which draws upwards of 150,000 people annually 16 years ago. They also established an artificial snow tube mountain and an ice rink for Christmas on the farm at the Mathney Road exit on Interstate 5. The farm has also hosted several mud runs.

Produce fights aren’t anything new for many who were raised on farms.

Susan Dell’Osso said her husband Ron used to participate in tomato fights as a youth using unmarketable tomatoes

She recalled Ron telling a story of his mother taking him to the doctor when he complained about not being able to hear. The doctor quickly found the cause of his lack of hearing — a tomato seed had gotten stuck in his ear.

Advance registration for the 5K is $55 through Aug. 15 and then  jumps to $65 after that. The tomato fight only is $35  for early registration and $40 Aug. 16 and later. Registration ends Sept. 17.

For more information go to www.foodstomponthefarm.com