Has a more pungent taste than regular arugula, leaves are deeply lobed. An Italian favorite. Growers: Look at our bulk prices.

Source: Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds

Straight 5" meaty purple pods turn bright green after two minutes of blanching. Less foliage than Royalty Purple Pod. Grows well even in cold conditions. Light brown seed. Resistant to CBMV, NY 15, PM.

Source: Fedco Seeds

Heavy producer of uniform dark green fancy 6-8" pods of exceptional length, ramrod straightness and superb taste. A gourmet market specialty.

Source: Fedco Seeds

Similar to the southwest Anasazi bean, this is a unique gem of a bean with an ancient origin. Popular in New England and other cool, short season areas, it is wonderful for baking. Plant directly, 6 seeds per foot in rows 18-36 inches apart when frost danger has passed. All beans do better when inoculated with rhizobial bacteria prior to planting. Harvest when pods turn brown and start to become brittle. Finish drying indoors in a ventilated area. Put dry pods in feed sack or pillow case and jog in place on top of it to separate seeds from pods.

Source: A private source

Haricot verts are the thin, tender beans from France which are considered a delicacy. Nickel is a bush variety from the highly regarded French seed house of Vilmorin. Thin, straight, stringless, and flavorful, Nickel produces long holding beans in concentrated harvests, allowing you to take more from each plant, and to do so less frequently than most other bean varieties and still get good quality beans. Easy to grow, these beans command a premium price in the market - if you can find them. Treat you and your family to Nickel beans this summer

Source: Territorial Seed Company

A heavy-yielding, warm-weather shell bean, 'California Black-Eyed' produces long pods with large seeds, which may be shelled and eaten fresh or left to dry on the vine. If closely planted, it also produces self-supporting vines. Be sure to eat some black-eyed peas on New Year's Day to ensure a year of good fortune.

Source: Territorial Seed Company

Also known as 'Old Homestead Brown Seeded Pole bean'. Delicious for shelling and especially well suited as a baking bean. The pods are 9", stringless, very fleshy and of excellent quality - never becoming tough. The vigorous vines climb well and are very productive, bearing pods in large clusters - white blossoms. Famous for the distinctive tasty flavor of both fresh pods and dried light brown seeds. Good freezer.

Source: Vermont Bean Seed Company

Kentucky Blue is the offspring of two very popular parents, Kentucky Wonder and Blue Lake. Its characteristic deep-green pods are 7-8 inches long and quite straight. The pods are easily seen on the 6 foot tall vines and can be continuously harvested over a long season. The taste is sweet and tender, even up to the larger lengths. An AAS winner. White seeds; 105 per ounce. BV.

Source: Territorial Seed Company

Open-pollinated. Selected for earliness from Crosby’s Egyptian and introduced in 1911. Quick emergence in cold soil and attractive purple tops make Wonder the choice for early beet greens and bunching beets. Both home gardeners (scarfed up over 1,700 size A) and commercial growers (bought 162 1-pounders and 8 5-pounders) like Early Wonder. CCOF-certified.

Source: Fedco Seeds

This old-fashioned variety is one of the sweeter varieties available. It is an excellent keeper, a beet developed before the days of refrigerators. Retains its sweetness and texture even when large. Spring sown beets are harvested in the fall. Fall leaves are tender enough to be used in salads. An all-purpose beet for fresh use and the best for fall harvest and winter storage.

Source: Southern Exposure Seed Exchange

A favorite at farmers' markets and in the home garden. Pacemaker III's round root has no zoning and a refined tap root. Excellent flavor and crisp texture. Perfect size for canning or pickling. Elegant ruby-veined tops grow to 12 inches tall. Resistant to downy mildew and Cercospora leaf spot.

Source: Territorial Seed Company

(F1) Minaret wins hands down as the best Romanesco variety available. It is characterized by an explosion of pointed spiral clusters thrusting from 4-5 inch light green heads on a 16 inch tall plant. Both the appearance and the almost cashew-like texture make Minaret an exciting addition to fresh salads and dips. Very uniform growing habit. Few side shoots.

Source: Territorial Seed Company

(F1) A uniform crop of broccoli is a beautiful sight in the garden. This is especially true of Liberty, as it not only delivers the nutritional value that broccoli is famous for, but it does it in an eye-catching manner that gardeners love. The exceptional dark-green rounded heads with finely beaded tight florets mature on sturdy 26 inch tall plants. Liberty grows well in various soil types and microclimates in the US and Canada. Great field holding ability for extended harvests.

Source: Territorial Seed Company

The broccoli to grow in hot summers like this past one. Arcadia rocks in conditions that reduce other broccoli to compost. Arcadia’s frosty bluish-green heads with very refined small beads hold a long time. Its gently mounded dome-shaped heads are consistently of marketable quality. Yes, Arcadia is big and rugged, standing up not just to heat, but also to rot, mildew and cold stress as well. The best broccoli for midsummer is good in fall, too. You never know what global warming might bring in 2006, so be prepared with Arcadia.

Source: Fedco Seeds

Green King’s exceptional tenderness made it the best-tasting of 23 varieties in our trial. Green King also scored high for its consistent yield of large high-quality 8" heads. Market growers will appreciate its uniform ripening. Vigorous plants bear thick blue-green domed heads with rather large beads. Side shoots are big enough to be marketable but not plentiful. Green King stands heat well. Sets the standard for maincrop hybrid broccoli and by far our best seller in the class.

Source: Fedco Seeds

If you've never grown a crinkle-leaved savoy cabbage, try Melissa and be ready for a treat! Maturing mid-season, it produces exceptionally solid, 6-7 inch, light green heads averaging 2 1/2 pounds each. Melissa is perfect for slaw and salads with its unmistakable rich savoy flavor. Very vigorous and cold-hardy. Can be planted in mid-summer for a late fall harvest.

Source: Territorial Seed Company

Over the years, we have tested hundreds of cabbage varieties at our London Springs research farm, and Ruby Ball remains the best red cabbage. Firm, 6-8 inch round heads have a mild, sweet flavor and weigh a manageable 3-4 pounds. We have seen Ruby Ball stand unfazed in the garden for 6 weeks without splitting, which allows the gardener extended fresh harvests. Ruby Ball stores moderately well after harvest. Japanese seed.

Source: Territorial Seed Company

An easy crop to grow providing it's planted during the month of July. China Express offers good bolt resistance and excellent uniformity, with the mild, sweet, and tender crispness of the finest Napa cabbage. The medium green, barrel-shaped heads are tightly packed and weigh 4-5 pounds after trimming. China Express will stand kitchen ready in the field through mild and moderate freezes. Thin to 12 inches between plants. Japanese seed.

Source: Territorial Seed Company

People have wondered why we don’t carry Purple Dragon. Here’s why. We’ve had Purple Haze in our sights since 2003 when chefs and growers devoured it with their eyes at MOFGA’s demonstration gardens. Once it progressed from their eyes to their mouths, they were pleasantly surprised because it has none of the harsh Dragon taste. The flavor, though average, is almost as refined as the orange carrots, and it improves with cooking. Also holds some of its color in cooking. Purple with orange stretch marks and an orange core, Haze is so attractive that you will want to kiss the sky. The 7" roots store fairly well—if you have any left to store.

Source: Fedco Seeds

Uniform deep orange, coreless roots are smooth, moderately tapered, five to seven inches long. excellent yield, ideal for dicing, canning, and freezing, we are really impressed with this variety.

Source: Ed Hume Seeds

The Vilmorins of France mentioned this variety in 1885 and said it had been grown a “long time” then. A large handsome variety with bright red-orange roots, smooth, 10”-12” long & 2”-3” in diameter. Sweet & tender. James Vick & Sons Company of Rochester, New York reported in 1924 that St. Valery was "The best and most handsome main crop carrot....Enormously productive. Very desirable for private gardens as well as for markets." Roots are 8-10" long, fine-grained, sweet and excellent for storage. 50-80 days.

Source: Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds

Rich dark Vates strain selected to stand longer. Resembles kale, but not savoyed. Thin to 12" apart for good size. Best as a fall crop. For greens into November; popular in the South for greens throughout the winter.

Source: Fedco Seeds

Crookham’s sugary enhanced hybrid has exceptionally sweet corny tender yellow kernels that taste as good as its name! Outstanding 8" ears every year. Resistant to ST.

Source: Fedco Seeds

Developed by Luther Hill of Andover Township, NJ, in 1902, and one of the parents of the venerable Silver Queen. The most popular sweet corn in parts of New Jersey for over 50 years. Sweetest open-pollinated corn I’ve ever tasted, Luther makes multiple 3-6" miniature ears on modest 4' stalks. Because the suckers often yield good ears, each plant, if spaced widely, can make up to four ears. A great way to introduce yourself to old-timey sweet corn the way it was before the hybrids took over. OCIA-certified.

Source: Fedco Seeds

Much as Agway’s Sugar & Gold became synonymous for all bicolor corn, Silver Queen has become a generic term for almost any late white sweet corn. New York Times reporter R.W. Apple found that most large farmers claiming to sell Silver Queen had actually switched to more modern hybrids. However, we know that at least some farmers are still selling the real McCoy, because that’s what we offer. Queen, a white hybrid, has long set the standard for late-maturing sweet corn with large handsome ears, replete with glossy white creamy sweet kernels that fill to the very tips. Although risky in short-season areas, it ripens for us most years a few days before Common Ground Fair in late September, sneaking in just ahead of our first killing frost. I can’t think of a better way to end the corn season. Caution: said to germinate poorly in cold soil, though we have heard few complaints.

Source: Fedco Seeds

This may be the highest yielding variety for pickling on the market today. The compact, vigorous plants will set 20 to 30 bright green pickles at one time and will produce over a 3 to 5 week period. Tolerates most weather conditions from cool to hot and drought. Good disease resistance.

Source: Vermont Bean Seed Company

Hybrid. Productive pickling cucumber is the only bacterial wilt resistant cuke available! Makes consistently firm, crunchy, tasty pickles. Bitter-free.

Source: Peaceful Valley Farm Supply

Very mild and sweet, the 10”-12" long, very slender fruit, are a beautiful light-lime green. One of the best tasting eggplants, superb flavor and very tender, good yields on 2’-3' tall plants. This heirloom from Thailand is becoming popular with gourmet chefs.

Source: Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds

This beautiful heirloom eggplant comes from Turkey. The 3", round fruit are best cooked when they are green to light orange. It has very sweet and flavorful flesh which imparts a strong, rich flavor to any dish. The small plants yield well. Great for ethnic markets. Very ornamental looking.

Source: Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds

Thai Long Purple Long, thin fruit are dark purple in color. I enjoyed these at my hotel in Bangkok. They are very mild and sweet, uniform and perfect to grow in a hot, humid climate.

Source: Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds

This old variety dates back to the 1850’s in America. Plants give good yields of 9" long club-shaped fruit, mild and firm fleshed. Plants are very hardy and yield well in the north.

Source: Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds

The classic Italian eggplant. Early and highly productive. Strong plants yield typical shaped medium-large, glossy, deep purple-black fruits. Very adaptable to most soils with excellent disease resistance.

Source: Vermont Bean Seed Company

(OP) Lepidium sativum 15-30 days. Also known as peppergrass, the spicy flavor of this cultivated green is a welcome addition to salads or sandwiches and is quick to mature. May be picked when leaves are about 2 inches tall. Just as easy to grow in containers on the window sill as in the garden. Can also be used for growing sprouts. Approximately 400 seeds per gram.

Source: Territorial Seed Company

(OP) 50 days. Barbarea verna One of the most cold hardy salad greens available! These peppery leaves are not only tasty, they are also packed full of vitamin C. Upland Cress was eaten in colonial times to ward off scurvy throughout the winter. Flavor and nutritional value are at their peak in the dead-of-winter. Attractive yellow blossoms. Approximately 200 seeds per 1/4 gram.

Source: Territorial Seed Company

Outstanding Rocambole from Idaho. Original source is unknown. Most likely a mutation of German red or, possibly, Spanish Roja but now it is superior to both. Our best producing Rocambole year after year. Better adapted to wet conditions than most others. Only drawback is frequency of double cloves.

Source: Filaree Farm

Our best Purple Stripe in performance year after year. Our top cooking garlic that holds shape and retains flavor after it is cooked. Very large bulbs that average 9 to 10 easy to peel cloves. From Shvelisi, Georgia. One of our best baking garlics.

Source: Filaree Farm

One of the few strains from this group introduced to North America a long time ago. Came to British Columbia from Romania. Cloves streaked and lined on buff brown background. Very good storage. Usually 4 to 5 cloves per bulb. Hot and pungent with a healthy, long lasting bite.

Source: Filaree Farm

Large bulbed vigorous strain; our best selling Artichoke. In 1990 taste test at Rodale kitchens this one was a top rated softneck. Discovered on the Colville Indian Reservation by Larry Geno; original source unknown. Four to five clove layers with 8 to 20 cloves. Bulbs over 3 inches possible. It seems to have higher soluble solids (i.e. denser, heavier bulbs) than other Artichokes. Mild but lingering flavor with a tingle.

Source: Filaree Farm

Well colored strain; a northwest heirloom from the San Juan Islands off the Washington coast. From Steve Bensel of Nootka Rose Farm in Waldron, WA. Mostly 5 clove layers and 15 to 24 cloves with up to 35 cloves possible if large outer cloves subdivide. Cloves streaked red on mahogany background with solid red clove tips. Colors fade in rich soil. Medium to large bulbs and very attractive braider. Strong flavor.

Source: Filaree Farm

From U.C. Davis via Horace Shaw in Oregon. Original source unknown. Deep solid burgundy cloves, 8 to 12 cloves per bulb. Very striking and medium to large bulbs. Clove tips not elongated like other Creole strains and the colors are darker. They have an initially sweet flavor accompanied with a heat that builds in intensity.

Source: Filaree Farm

Brassica napus (pabularia group) Called Buda Kale by Fearing Burr in 1863 and Ragged Jack by Vilmorin-Andrieux in 1885. Russian traders brought this Siberian heirloom to Canada in the 19th century. It has undergone a rousing revival in the last dozen years. Its oakleaf foliage colors after fall frosts. Red and purple leaves change to dark green when cooked. Use soon after picking, or chill leaves in cold water; otherwise wilts quickly. Vigorous edible landscape plant has proven a big hit with customers for its unsurpassed tenderness and delicate flavor.CCOF-Certified.

Source: Fedco Seeds

Brassica napa (pabularia group) A flat-leaf Siberian type, silvery green with white veining. Similar to Red Russian, but a few inches taller, a third more productive, with larger, more serrated leaves. Also, much hardier than Red Russian, will hold into November without protection and thrive in an unheated greenhouse, even if temperatures go down to 0°. If season is extended, White Russian will produce new clusters of smaller tender secondary leaves from old axils. As with other Siberian kales, flavor gets sweeter with frost. OT-certified.

Source: Fedco Seeds

A spectacular all-red kale! Frilly ruffled leaves take on a dramatic purple coloration in cool weather. Can be grown in summer but really comes into its own in fall. Quite cold hardy. Grows to 3'.

Source: Fedco Seeds

Winterbor was the most vigorous grower in each of our last three kale trials, showing the best cold hardiness and the richest blue-green color. Curled leaves are highly ruffled. “Great in summer, after a frost, and in winter,” says Bill Half.

Source: Fedco Seeds

Open-pollinated. Large purple-tinted savoyed leaves make the 18" plants very decorative. Color intensifies in cooler temperatures. Gene compares their taste to horseradish. I prefer to call it peppery. It is less hot during cool weather. This heirloom Japanese mustard is a standard ingredient in spicy mesclun. CCOF-certified. Also known as Gai choy.

Source: Fedco Seeds

This 1957 AAS winner is the best adapted mustard for a cool climate. Its hot mustardy flavor makes it a prime ingredient in piquant mesclun. Not as hot when parboiled. Will come back when cut; slow to bolt.

Source: Fedco Seeds

(B. juncea) Large, upright plants with crumpled leaves that have a delicious mustard taste, slow to bolt and very easy to grow. An old heirloom from the Southern U.S. and makes a mighty swell mess of greens.

Source: Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds

(OP) 105 days. An English heirloom onion that is a blue ribbon winner! This huge, straw yellow, 2 pound, 6-8 inch globe onion is amazingly sweet and firm for its size. A long-day sweet Spanish type, Ailsa Craig will store longer than other sweet Spanish onions. Perfect for exhibition or as a burger onion.

Source: Territorial Seed Company

Long, tall bulbs are unique and popular with Mediterranean chefs. Harvest this gorgeous onion in mid-summer for your own delight or sell this winner for top prices at market. They are a lovely shade of red. This heirloom from Tropea is rare in America.

Source: Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds

Famous for its giant size and sweetness, mild taste and crisp texture. A short-term keeper. Long-day type.

Source: Vermont Bean Seed Company

Oblong shaped, bright red onions, great for planting spring or fall, seems to do well in many areas. They are very mild and sweet, great for salads and pickling! A delicious Italian heirloom. Very rare.

Source: Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds

This green, a favorite with homesteaders, was found growing semi-wild in Bannack, the old Montana capital. Deep red-colored spinach-shaped leaves. We have rigorously maintained the brilliant red color of this variety which is rare in common Red Orach. Grows to 4-6 feet tall.

Source: Irish Eyes Garden City Seeds

Arrow is right on the mark for commercial growers who prefer it to all others. We sell more than 1,000 lb. every year. This heavy yielder sets the standard for midseason varieties. Long pods with up to 10 peas per pod (average 7-8) on vines up to 3'. Easy to pick because pods tend to set in pairs at the top. Tolerant to F, DM, CTV, W.

Source: Fedco Seeds

Bred by Dr. James Baggett at Oregon State University, Giant has been our most popular snow pea since we were obliged to drop Blizzard in 1993. A giant selection from a giant breeder, Oregon Giant is distinguished for its sweet rich green fat wide 4-5" pods, which are good for stir fries, steaming and eating out of hand. Will retain sweetness so they may be picked a little plumper than the thin-podded varieties. We recommend staking the intermediate 3-4' vines. Resistant to PEMV, PM and F1.

Source: Fedco Seeds

Ann Elder gets 200 of these little “sweeties” per plant. She calls them “cute little compact treasures full of heat.” Habanero and Limon are our only hotter peppers, as Thai Hot checks in around 80,000 Scoville units. Thai Hot’s small conical peppers ripen to bright red and stand erect above the foliage so fetchingly that it’s grown “in the trade” as a red and green Christmas potted plant. However, devoted followers of hot cuisine prize the sparks it creates. Early pinching will produce a bushy 8" plant that can be pulled, roots and all, and hung to dry for winter use or grown inside for both ornamental and edible enjoyment. MOFGA-certified.

Source: Fedco Seeds

Capsicum frutescens The name means “from Havana,” although they really are from other parts of Cuba and the Yucatan. A Scotch Bonnet-type, Habanero is one of the most fiery peppers in cultivation, registering a blistering 200,000-350,000 Scoville units, depending on how hot the growing season, from 30-80 times as hot as an Early Jalapeño. Each 1-1/2' plant will set 10-20 pendulous fruits which turn from dark green to tangerine as they mature. Fruits are somewhat wrinkled from stem to tip, with a distinct flavor you will always recognize once you’ve tasted them. A key ingredient in West Indian jerk sauce. We recommend greenhouse culture for the northern third of our sales area where consistent nighttime temperatures below 70° make productivity outdoors iffy.

Source: Fedco Seeds

Often curled and twisted, the wrinkled peppers grow 5-6" long, 1/2" across, and taper to a point. Dark green color changes to bright red. Prolific and hot. Pre-1827 heirloom. Pungent; 3,500 to 5,000 Scovilles.

Source: Fedco Seeds

A late Italian pepper with beautiful, big, yellow, 7" tapering fruit, very sweet, great fro frying or fresh. This wonderful heirloom is delicious & mild, a great variety for market.

Source: Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds

Early production of good-sized fruit in adverse conditions. Large glossy dark green 3-4 lobed peppers on tall bushy plants. A good large blocky market-type pepper where fruits will set. Caution: not adapted to northernmost areas.

Source: Fedco Seeds

Extra early and extra huge! Perfect pepper for short season areas. Bragging size, thick, blocky, 4-1/2" 4-lobed fruits are sweet and crunchy. Sturdy 22" plants begin bearing early and keep on producing for exceptional yields. Performs well under a wide variety of growing conditions. Tobacco Mosaic Virus and PVY tolerant.

Source: Vermont Bean Seed Company

Anxious for the first red potatoes from your garden? This is the one you want. Earliest red we sell. Very smooth skin, white flesh, good yielder of medium to large sized consistent tubers with shallow eyes. Stores well and is very popular in the potato belt.

Source: Ronniger Potato Farm LLC

Most likely the easiest and most adaptable red potato there is to grow. Not to mention the consistent flavor! Deep red skin and eyes, white flesh. The tuber of choice for new potatoes or fresh eating. Let this one sit in the ground for a week or so after maturing to let the skin firm up. Does well in muck and clay.

Source: Ronniger Potato Farm LLC

The superstar of the fingerlings and the easiest to grow. Developed in the Baltic Region of Europe/Asia and heralded as excellent for salads, it is a favorite among chefs and gourmet markets. Yellow, banana-shaped, waxy-type tubers with firm texture that have wonderful flavor baked, boiled and steamed. Produces heavy yields of medium sized tubers and has shown excellent field resistance to disease. Late variety.

Source: Ronniger Potato Farm LLC

Originating as a chance sport in one of Hollar’s California pumpkin fields about twelve years ago, Lumina is a “ghostly” white pumpkin that kids will love, excellent for both carving and painting. Lumina stores well if not exposed to frost, so a face painted on its smooth surface will last for weeks instead of days. Under stress, the fruit may develop blue patches. Fruits 8-10" high average 12 lb, variable depending on growing conditions. Cooks like its sweet yellow flesh. Whether you eat it, decorate it, or both, Lumina is sure to please. PVP.

Source: Fedco Seeds

Classic 10-12 lb. globe shaped pumpkins. The perfect standard for market growers, uniform fruit, perfect orange color and great yields. Hard skins make it good for shipping. Thick flesh is also good for pies.

Source: Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds

A unique eating and ornamental pumpkin, Fairytale has a deeply lobed, slightly squat shape and a magnificent mahogany brown color. A real eye-catcher in the field and at the market. Similar to Cinderella but more deeply ribbed, with a thick, strong handle. Numerous 12-18 inch fruit are borne on vigorous 10 foot vines. The flesh is deep orange and suitable for cooking and baking in pies. Approximately 5 seeds per gram.

Source: Territorial Seed Company

One of our best discoveries for Halloween pumpkins. Its heavy crown set will give you an early crop in plenty of time for Halloween. The dark orange fruit have medium ribbing, sit 16 inches tall, 12 inches wide, and weigh 16-24 pounds. The vigorous, compact vines fit well in smaller gardens and exhibit exceptional tolerance to powdery mildew. A real winner that's just right for kid picking! Approximately 6 seeds per gram.

Source: Territorial Seed Company

F-1 hybrid An instant sales hit when we introduced it in 2004. Raven sets the standard for dark zucchini. The smooth-skinned glossy shapely greeny-black fruits make Raven the likely winner in the zucchini beauty contest. But Raven’s merits go more than skin deep. Research by Dr. John Navazio showed that Raven’s dark pigmentation contains more of the antioxidant lutein, which helps preserve eyesight, than lighter-skinned zucchini varieties. Relatively early concentrated production so market growers might want to make succession plantings. Our trialer reported an average of 20 fruits per plant in 2003.

Source: Fedco Seeds

F-1 hybrid. Open plant habit and golden color make the cylindrical fruits easy to find. 1980 All-America winner from Seminis has caught on with home gardeners and market growers. This is the last year we will carry. Look for Sebring to replace it next year.

Source: Fedco Seeds

(43 days) True gourmet quality and high yields. Out-yields other crooknecks by 40 percent. Buttery-yellow fruits have thin necks and tender, crispy, white flesh. Harvest when 5" long or less for best flavor. Vigorous plants have an open habit that permits easy harvest. Tolerant to Powdery Mildew.

Source: Vermont Bean Seed Company

All the colors of summer squash in a single packet. A wonder-blend of green and gold zucchinis, yellow summer and Mediterranean squashes. Semi-compact plants take up less room and produce lots of squash. Experience almost limitless cooking opportunities with this beautiful, nutritious and interesting summer squash blend.

Source: Vermont Bean Seed Company

Stunning 1-1-1/2 lb. ivory-colored green-striped fruits shaped like miniature pumpkins sell themselves on the stand. New York Times food writer Regina Schrambling raves that “a roasted Sweet Dumpling squash is one of the most amazing things ever to emerge naked from an oven.” But make sure your Dumpling is ripe before you stick it in. Underripe Dumpling fruits taste starchy and insipid, nothing like the sweet dry and memorably rich deep orange flesh of the mature ones. Introduced by Sakata Seed Corp. of Yokohama, Japan, in 1976 and marketed as Vegetable Gourd. Did not sell well until they changed its name to the more appealing Sweet Dumpling.

Source: Fedco Seeds

This bush version of an old favorite was a 2002 AAS. Breeders Molly Jahn and George Moriarty of Cornell University improved Delicata in three significant ways: theirs is much more compact, the semi-bush plants spreading only 4-6', they are ten days earlier and they have good tolerance to powdery mildew which can decimate the older kind. The new bush variety does not sacrifice yield or storage capabilities. In 2003 we harvested 15 1 lb. fruits from only two bushes and they kept throughout the winter. However these gains come with a small price. Although Bush Delicata is almost as sweet as regular Delicata, its texture is not as smooth and there is some green background mixed into the creamy white coloration which detracts a whit from its beauty. A good choice, both for home gardeners who want a sweet taste treat but have limited space, and for commercial growers seeking to maximize yield and profits per acre. PVP. We have a little more than a year’s supply left of this Seminis variety.

Source: Fedco Seeds

Penny Kupinski of Harrisburg, MO, takes us to task for damning spaghetti squash with faint praise. “From your description you may not have had truly ripe spaghetti squash which is a deep gold. Pale yellow is nowhere near ripe and tasteless and tough. Takes a long time to mature even here…but has a wonderful nutty flavor when ripe and needs only a little salt and pepper to be excellent…the idea of pouring spaghetti sauce over it is too weird—may as well dip strawberries in sauce!! It is also a great keeper.” Oblong fruits, generally around 4 lb. with spaghetti-like strings in the flesh. Originally from northern Manchuria in the ’20s, first commercialized by Sakata in Japan in 1934 and brought to the States by Burpee two years later.

Source: Abundant Life Seeds

Zenith is back by popular demand! You’ll be talking about the high yields on this one! Zenith bears up to 40% more squash per plant than other butternuts. The fruit are exceptionally uniform, average 7–8 inches long by 4–5 inches wide, and have a thick cylindrical neck without crooks. Top-notch eating, the light brown skin contains a deep orange flesh that is favored for its sweetness.

Source: Territorial Seed Company

Introduced to America about 1860 by James Hogg, of Yorkville, New York, from seeds his brother Thomas sent him from Japan. We are so happy to reintroduce this piece of Japanese and American history. The beautiful fruit are very flat, ribbed and dark green to tan in color. The orange flesh is dry, fine-grained and sweet. Listed by both Burr (1863) and Vilmorin (1885). VERY RARE!

Source: Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds

A red-orange Japanese winter squash, fruit are 5-10 lbs. each and teardrop-shaped. The golden flesh is smooth, dry, sweet and rich, a great yielding and keeping variety.

Source: Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds

An old favorite, good yields with excellent tasting, rich orange colored flesh. Great baked!

Source: Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds

A lovely little squash that was developed in 1953 by the University of New Hampshire. Small, hubbard-shaped fruit weigh around 6 lbs. and have fine-grained, yellow-gold flesh that is sweet and of excellent quality. A great variety for marketing or for small households. Semi-bush vines are easier to handle.

Source: Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds

This green tomatillo is great in salsas or salads. This variety has diverse gene traits that produce two distinct variations of plants - one is erect and branching, the other more compact. Both are equally prolific. Does best when transplanted. Sow seeds in flats indoors and plant in garden in 6-8 weeks when all danger of frost has passed. Plant in rows 24-36 inches apart. Does not need trellising. Harvesting tips. Pick for salsa when the husks turn brown and begin to open. With additional time, they will become more seedy, but also get sweeter, for eating raw.

Source: Seeds of Change

Delicious, grape tomatoes from Thailand, "The Land of Smiles!" The crisp pink fruit are bursting with natural goodness, sweet and rich. This tomato is popular all over the Kingdom. The brilliant pink grape shaped, 1 oz. fruit are perfect for fresh markets, restaurants and more! Good yields and fruit is uniform.

Source: Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds

(F1) 65 days. Sun Gold's fruity or tropical flavor is a big hit with everyone who tastes it. The bright apricot-orange round globes are 1 1/4 inches across and are borne on long, 10-20 fruit, grape-like trusses. The vigorous indeterminate vines produce equally well in the field and the early spring greenhouse. Plan on setting up your lawn chair between Sun Gold and Sweet Million for blissful snacking. F1, F2, V.

Source: Territorial Seed Company

Principe Borghese Cherry Tomato OG Vigorous det. Bears small fruits in prolific clusters over a long season. An Italian heirloom variety of excellent flavor used for sun-dried tomatoes as it has few seeds and little juice. In our humid climate, we require a solar dryer or a 100° oven to dry the fruits successfully. Also makes a tasty sauce, although you’ll need a lot of the little tomatoes! CSA grower Jill Agnew lauds them for holding their perfect shape so well without cracking. Amy LeBlanc, investigating eight different sources of this variety, found at least three different strains. Two of the eight sources, including Fedco, had fruits with a nipple at the blossom end. According to Amy, these pointy fruits taste better than the oval fruits. MOFGA-certified.

Source: Fedco Seeds

(F1) Trial ground visitors can't get enough of this one! They keep sneaking back for these flavor packed cherry tomatoes. The indeterminate 3 foot tall plants produce 1-1 1/2 inch fruit in grape-like clusters. A truss of these two bite size tomatoes is welcome next to any mixed greens salad. Very disease resistant. F1, F2, TMV. Also available as a plant.

Source: Territorial Seed Company

Ind. Near the top in our 2005 sauce test for its rich tomatoey sweetness and good texture. Red cylindrical fruits covered with orange-yellow striations, something like an Amish Paste with stripes from an Orange Banana. The actual parents are said to be Antique Roman and Banana Legs, and the fruits have the distinctive nipple of the latter. Plants bear an early abundance of meaty 4-5 oz. fruits. Roberta’s highest yielder in 2005. An underground favorite of many seed savers, Roman is just beginning to find its way into commerce. IA-certified.

Source: Fedco Seeds

Ind. This superb large elongated paste tomato won our tomato sauce taste test in 1997, besting several well-known varieties. It was not as good in our 2005 test, thin with moderate flavor. We received seed from Annette Smith of Blue Beech Farm in Danby, VT, and have named the variety in honor of her farm. Our Maine seed grower complains that it is not seedy (good for sauce, not good for seed production) and she has given it a similar but uncomplimentary name! Smith got the tomato from her neighbor’s niece’s uncle who brought it to Vermont from Italy during World War II. This Roma type has been acclimated in Vermont for the last 50 years so it is much more adaptable to cold climates than Roma. It usually makes a richly textured sweet sauce that’s just brimming with flavor. Fruits, averaging 6-8 oz, often have green shoulders. Needs long season, but this year with its mild extended fall, it managed to ripen all its green fruit. A Fedco introduction. MOFGA-certified

Source: Fedco Seeds

Ind. I never would have believed that the best tomato sauce comes from an orange tomato. But the proof is in the eating and Orange Banana has several times been the clear winner of our annual autumn paste taste at the Shipmans. Comments from this year’s tasters include, “the best flavor and sweetness yet, wow!” and “gourmet candlelight.” No wonder Banana has become a staple of David’s famous tomato sauces. Its amazing sprightly sweet flavor, reminiscent of Sungold but with more depth and diverse tones, makes an ambrosial sauce by itself and adds a vivid fruity complexity to any sauce with other tomato varieties. Attractive cylindrical orange fruits 3-4" long average 4-5 oz. Good yield and plant vigor in 2005, adequate previous years. Its robust flavor would justify growing Orange Banana even if plants were feeble. Rumored to be especially attractive to the tomato hornworm whose good taste may belie its homely appearance. MOFGA-certified.

Source: Fedco Seeds

Green 1½ - 2½" fruits with various shades of yellow to yellowish-green stripes, sweet zingy flavor. Very productive plants, sure to be a best seller at farmers markets' and valuable in the restaurant trade. Introduced in 1985 by Tom Wagner of Tater Mater Seeds. Indeterminate, 75-80 days from transplant.

Source: Seed Savers Exchange

Compact plants bear plenty of wonderfully rich, dark mahogany-brown tomatoes that average about 4 ozs. Fruit is smooth and somewhat elongated with a pointed tip; in fact, this variety is what some gardeners grew as Black Prince years ago. Black tomatoes have a delicious blend of sugar and acid and a distinctive, complex flavor that is to be savored. Some folks say this variety is one of the best-tasting black tomatoes and prefer it also for its nice, medium size. Russian heirloom. Indeterminate.

Source: Tomato Growers Supply

Introduced to other SSE members by North Carolina member Craig LeHoullier in 1991, seed obtained from J. D. Green. Unique dusty rose color. Flavor rivals Brandywine, extremely sweet. Productive plants produce large crops of 12 oz. fruits. Indeterminate, 80 days from transplant.

Source: Seed Savers Exchange

3-5 oz. fruits. Memorably sweet with a bit of tartness. Pale- yellow fruits have a pink blush and soft peachy skin. Delicious eaten fresh. Indeterminate. (80-90 days)

Source: Seeds of Change

Also called Radiator Charlie. Longtime favorite with good yields of very large, smooth, pink-skinned fruits even in droughts. Very meaty fruits with few seeds, much like Giant Belgium, but not quite as large. Very mild, delectable, sweet flavor. Indeterminate.

Source: Totally Tomatoes

Det. Recommended as a “hedge” in northern climates for cold summers like 1992, 1996, 2000 and 2004. (Do you notice a pattern in these dates?) When most other varieties fail to ripen in time, Oregon Spring matures good-sized fruit in August, actually performing best during cool summers. Develops more cosmetic defects in the heat and humidity. Bears succulent almost seedless fruits, up to 4" but somewhat variable. Tastes unusually good for such an early variety. Bred and developed from Russian parents by Dr. James R. Baggett of Oregon State University. Potato-leaf foliage. Not suitable for market growers. Resistant to V.

Source: Fedco Seeds

Det. Impressive seedling vigor and flavorful firm 7 oz. fruits merited a 1983 AAS award. Best-looking tomato seedlings I’ve ever raised. A favorite of both home gardeners and commercial growers. Wide disease resistance includes V1, F1,2, ASC, N, S, and TMV. From Seminis, we have a two year supply before we drop it.

Source: Fedco Seeds

(F1) Ripens mid-August at London Springs, Oregon. The 3-5 inch, round firm slicers are very solid, and have above average crack resistance. Fantastic's meaty, bright red fruit are rich in beefsteak flavor that makes this a favorite. At the Seattle P-Patch's tomato taste-off, Fantastic seems to win or at least place in the top 3 every year. Indeterminate, it does better if staked. Very high yielding. The most popular hybrid we sell. Also available as a plant.

Source: Territorial Seed Company

(OP) 65-70 days. The best yellow tomato for short season gardeners. Taxi matures its bright yellow tomatoes in just 65 days. This determinate variety grows to about 2 feet tall and 2 feet across. Expect heavy yields of mild, non-acid tomatoes for 3-4 weeks. Great for the lunch box and salsas. Also available as a plant.

Source: Territorial Seed Company