Mr Price has been running a tomato-growing competition for a number of years now, but this is the first time it has taken place at the Oak Tree Retirement Village.

The prize will be a $5 lottery ticket.

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He hopes to encourage all residents to participate, with each $5 entry fee going to Daffodil Cottage.

"I've got about 15 so far; there's about 47 units in the village and I'd like to see 47 entries," he said.

"There's a lot of residents here sitting in their units saying 'what do I do today?'. And so I would like to see a tomato plant on everybody's front door.

"Particularly in the village at the moment, we are limited in what we can do. It gives people something to talk about and something to look at."

Each competitor can grow any tomato plant they choose in any way they desire, as long as they don't purchase a seedling with tomatoes already growing.

They are also not allowed to pick their own tomato. Once they think it's ripe, they must ask another competitor to agree that it's ready.

Mr Price said his secret to growing terrific tomatoes is "plenty of sun, plenty of fertiliser and the right variety".

However, he admits he still doesn't know which is the right variety because "I've run this competition for quite a few years and I have never, ever won".

"I think I'm the best tomato grower in Bathurst, but I don't seem to win," he said.

As well as raising money for a good cause, Mr Price hopes the competition brings positivity into the village during a tough time.