(80 days)1930's. A fabled tomato, this was developed by a man named "Radiator Charlie", who cross-bred his best tomatoes for 6 years, until he was happy with this one. People would drive up to 200 miles for his plants, which he sold for $1.00 each in the Depression! They were so popular that he was able to pay off his mortgage - hence the name. The pink/purple fruit is large & meaty, with a wonderful taste to go with its story!
SORRY SOLD OUT FOR 2010. (78 days) 1930's. Indeterminate. Aptly-named, this heirloom works hard and requires little care. It's a great choice for market growers or home gardeners looking for a main crop, all-purpose tomato. The 8-12 oz fruits are red and uniformly round, tasty and are produced continuously until frost. The plant is disease-resistant and tolerates stress and drought well. In other words, an all-round great performer. Limited quantities this year.
(90 days) Determinate. From the U.S. Plains area, this tomato was very popular at late summer/fall weddings, used in the wedding dishes and even in decorations to symbolize a prosperous marriage. Seeds were often given to the wedding couple to start them off in their new life as a farm family. Large (10 oz), smooth, round fruits are bright orange and have virtually no cracking. Hevy producer, excellent for market growers.
(80 days) Indeterminate. This tomato has an ancient history – it was brought to the U.S. from Germany in the 1700’s and settled in a Mennonite community in Virginia as a family heirloom. The Seed Savers’ Exchange introduced it to the public in 1985. Large (1 lb +) fruits are yellow with a red flush throughout, and are great slicing/sandwich tomatoes. The yield isn’t prolific but the rich taste makes them worth growing.
(85 days) A Polish heirloom paste tomato with red, elongated (4-6”) fruits that resemble red peppers. It is considered one of the best paste tomatoes for taste, and can be eaten fresh as well as used for sauce.
NEW FOR 2010!! 80 days. Indeterminate. Introduced in 1925, this meaty tomato is a deep rose-red with few seeds and a sweet, mild flavour. The medium-sized fruits are borne in clusters of 2-5. This variety produced well for us in cool, wet conditions, but is also known to do well in hot, humid weather - making it pretty awesome. Good for fresh eating or making sauce.
(75-85 days) Indeterminate. Introduced to North American from Argentina in 1951, this tomato was touted for its high disease-resistance and crack-resistance (hence the name). I found it encouraging that in 1951 anyone was trying to spray plants *less*, so I decided to check out this variety. What I found was a highly productive, mid-season tomato that consistently produces perfectly round, red tomatoes (this *was* the 50's) with a nice full tomato flavour. Definitely worth trying.
(80 days) Determinate, with small, plum-shaped cherry tomatoes. Good taste; preferred variety in Italy, where it’s from, for making dried tomatoes. In dry weather, whole branches can be hung to dry.
Indeterminate.Potato-leaved, it produces a good yield of large, 1-lb or more fruits, which are a medium-pink colour (despite the name). Often called an early ‘Brandywine’, it has thick, meaty flesh with few seeds and an outstanding flavour. Resists cracking.
(90 days) This tomato is ancient, probably dating from the 16th C. Indeterminate, it has deeply fluted fruit that is a reddish-brown in colour when ripe, with green gel around the seeds. Considered quite ugly, but I find it quite beautiful. Full of taste, it is well worth growing.
(80-90 days) Indeterminate. 1793. Can be traced back to Chiapas, Mexico. Smooth, thin-skinned fruits resemble miniature beefsteaks.
