Now We Need Seeds!

This is the first year I've bought seeds at Gary Ibsen's TomatoFest, but when I visited their internet site at http://store.tomatofest.com/ I couldn't resist getting some of the seeds that would make my coming Summer of the Passive Systems a real adventure in diversity.

The pictures and descriptions are both drawn from their site. You should check it out. The tomatoes are arranged in the picture above with the Abe Lincoln in the upper left and the rest read left to right.

Abe Lincoln 12 oz

A popular heirloom tomato introduced in Illinois in 1923 by the Buckbee Seed Co. These organic tomato seeds produce brilliant red, round, medium-sized, 12 oz. tomatoes in clusters up to 9. A good disease resistant tomato. Delicious, rich, slightly acidic tomato flavors. You'll want to grow these certified organic tomato seeds year after year.

Dona 6 oz

This excellent variety was bred by the French specifically for their customers in markets, where flavor and quality standards are uncompromising. Slightly flattened, almost seedless, round tomato with a sweet/acid balance (just like the commercial hybrid) that few modern tomatoes can match. The heavily producing plants yield 6 ounce, juicy fruits that are smooth, meaty, and deep-red in hue. Good disease resistance.

Amy's Sugar Gem 2 oz

Developed by Dr. Jeff McCormack who crossed the small fruited 'Red Cherry' with the larger heirloom 'Tappy's Finest'. 'Amy's Sugar Gem' is named in appreciation of Amy Hereford whose grandmother "Tappy" introduced Jeff to heirloom tomatoes in 1982. The 'Sugar Gem' portion of the name refers to the sweet flavor and the tiny light gold sparkles in the red skin. Our TomatoFest organic tomato seed produces indeterminate, regular-leaf, tall, sprawling, vigorous tomato plants that yield HUGE crops of 2 oz., 1 1/2" golf ball sized, red, meaty, juicy tomatoes that have a small core and delicious sweet, well-balanced flavors. A perfect choice as a snacking tomato, salad tomato or for tomato sauces. Sweet! "Candy-on-the-vine," not to be missed!

Atkinson 8 oz to 1 lb

Introduced 1966 for southern, hot and humid areas by Auburn University. TomatoFest organic seeds produce indeterminate, regular-leaf, vigorous plants with good yields of 8 oz. to 1 lb., red, globe-shaped tomatoes that are very meaty with good, old-fashioned tomato flavors. Tomatoes are meaty. This is an outstanding tomato for sandwiches, salads and canning. Great for growing in Southeastern U.S. and tropical regions. Disease Resistant. A good choice to grow as a fresh market tomato.

Bloody Butcher 4 oz

A sensational and very popular, early producing tomato variety. A good choice for a tomato as you wait for later varieties to harvest. Our organic tomato seeds produce indeterminate, vigorous, potato-leaf plants that yield copious amounts of 2", 4 oz, fruits that are deep-red color, inside and out. Five to nine fruits per cluster with a rich heirloom tomato flavor. Plant produces well until frost. A good tomato variety for cooler growing regions since fruits ripen quickly. A good canning tomato.

Black Cherry 2 oz

The only truly black cherry tomato. Our TomatoFest organic tomato seeds produce large, sprawling, indeterminate, regular-leaf, vigorous tomato plants that yield abundant crops in huge clusters of 1", round, deep purple, mahogany-brown cherry tomatoes. Fruits are irresistibly delicious with sweet, rich, complex, full tomato flavors that burst in your mouth, characteristic of the best flavorful black tomatoes. Beautiful to mix with other colored cherry tomatoes. Unique tomato variety. Disease resistant. Once you try it...you want MORE.

Grouped by size:

• 1) Amy's Sugar Gem and Black Cherry in the 2 oz range


• 2) Dona and Bloody Butcher in the 4-6 oz range


• 3) Abe Lincoln and Atkinson 8 - 16 oz