Good News from the Garden | | |
Greetings!
It's that special time of year! As our way of saying thank you for being part of the TomatoFest® community, we are thrilled to announce our
Annual Heirloom Tomato Seed Sale - featuring over 400 of our favorite varieties at special sale prices, now through January 19th, 2026.
Take advantage of this Tomato Seed Sale to acquire tomato seeds for the varieties that you want to grow. Even if you do not have the space to grow them this year, some varieties will not be offered in the future.
We guarantee the quality of TomatoFest® Heirloom Tomato Seeds
(Note: The balance of our 500 varieties will be at our regular price and we still require a $15 minimum order. Your order may mix sale items with regularly priced items)
Please allow 7-10 business for shipping during our busy season.
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Gary always said,
"It's all about LOVE"
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Tomato seeds for this gorgeous, tall, leafy variety were sent to Gary in 1990
from a gardener in Boone County, WV who shared that
he had been growing these, and a favorite red variety for 40 years.
He was given the tomato seeds from his Uncle
who had grown them in Tennessee.
For the past several years we included them in our seed trials under the name "No Name #4", and harvested the seeds each year from a few preferred fruits. In 2006 while eating some of this fruit just off the vine, Gary was so pleased with the flavor that he said to my me,
"Now this (slurp) is my kind of gold!"
I suggested he call it "Gary Ibsen's Gold," harvest more tomato seeds, and share it with our friends and customers.
Gary Ibsens's Gold produces lots of very juicy, big and brilliant orange-gold globes with tropical fruit flavors, with enough acid balance to guarantee a
burst of tomato delight!
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Introducing Dwarf Tomato varieties from
Dwarf Tomato Project
Now in our seventh year offering these unique dwarf varieties,
we’re proud to continue responding to the requests of gardeners
with limited space; whether you’re growing in a small backyard,
on a balcony, or in containers.
Our dwarf tomato varieties are extremely popular for their compact size and impressive productivity, producing heavy yields on short, sturdy plants. Perfect for gardeners who want full-sized tomato flavor in a
smaller footprint!
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Sarandipity Dwarf
Regular, rugose leaf, dwarf (tree type) variety that produces prolific yield of round, medium, uniformly sized and shaped tomatoes that ripen
to a rich brick-red, chocolate color with vertical green, metallic-looking stripes.
The flavor is mild and sweet.
History: Developed by the Dwarf Tomato Project. It originated from a cross made by Ray South between an early Cheeky selection (from Dwarf project work) and Black Zebra and named Streaky. Sarandipity Dwarf was selected and named by Craig LeHoullier.
Craig chose to combine the serendipitous nature of great dwarf project discoveries with his daughter Sara's name, hence Sarandipity.
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Choose from our selection of 19 Heirloom Tomato Seed Collections
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German Red Strawberry
This German heirloom
produces large, red,
oxheart shaped tomatoes
that are shaped like a much larger strawberry.
Plants yield an abundance of meaty, 3-inch wide by 3 1/2-inch long fruit that can grow to 1 pound.
Copious amount of delicious, robust, "old-tomato" flavors with a lingering sweetness.
A perfect tomato for slicing into sandwiches.
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Carbon
Originally from the
Ukraine region,
our organic tomato seeds produce vigorous indeterminate, regular-leaf tomato plants that yield copious amounts of
red-mahogany-bronze,
5-oz., plum-shaped fruit. Exceptional, rich, fruity, tangy taste. RARE.
It has become one of our favorite black tomatoes.
You are certainly going to want grow this precious heirloom. Try it out!
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Orange Russian 117
Orange Russian 117 is a beautiful cross between Russian 117 and Georgia Streak producing huge, 1-2 lb., heart-shaped, yellow-orange, bi-colored fruit with pink striping and yellow flesh with ribbons of scarlet-red inside.
This is a fantastic meaty tomato with pronounced, complex, well-balanced, sweet flavors. Once you have tasted one of these you will most likely include it in your garden every year.
RARE.
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Chocolate Striped Icicle
Produces heavy yields of
beautiful, small (2-3"),
plum-shaped tomatoes
with attractive striping.
Fruit has exceptionally
good, sweet flavors.
An exciting choice for snacking fresh or adding to a salad or making a delicious sauce.
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Dwarf Saucy Mary
Regular leaf, dwarf plant, produces loads of 4-6 oz., Roma-shaped,
yellow-green flesh tomatoes with dark and light green stripes.
Delightful sweet and tart flavors. Makes a beautiful tomato sauce.
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Cherokee Purple
Heirloom from Tennessee cultivated by Native American Cherokee tribes.
Very productive plants producing loads of dusky rose to purple colored, 12 oz.-1 lb., beefsteak tomatoes with deep red colors to the interior flesh
and dark shoulders.
A very popular market variety because of it's rich, complex and sweet flavors. One of the best tasting heirloom tomatoes. Chef's favorite!
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Quedlinburger Fruehe Liebe
Old German heirloom variety
that translates to
"Early love of Qued Linburg"
Small, spindly vines produce
1 1/2-inch, round, 4-lobed fruit
in clusters of 4.
These tomatoes have great flavor
with good acidity.
Developed for cool rainy nights. Prolific even during colder summers.
This is one of my favorites due to its long growing season and abundant fruit.
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Amish Gold
This amazing variety produces indeterminate, regular-leaf tomato plants that yield HUGE crops of
1 1/2"-2" long, oblong shaped, gorgeous golden tomatoes with sharply-pointed end.
Fruit has the gold color and flavor of the Sungold, the meatiness of the Amish Paste and delicious
sweet/tart tomato flavors
that will have you want this as a
favorite tomato in your garden.
TomatoFest® is one of the only sources for this wonderful
rare tomato seed.
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(My son Jake was with me in the tomato fields)
Marvel Stripe
Beefsteak originally from Oaxaca, Mexico.
Largest of the bi-colored tomatoes.
Indeterminate, regular leaf plant produces 3-4-inch, 1-2 pound,
beautifully delicious tomatoes,
with sweet, mild, fruity flavors.
Very popular market tomato.
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It is with great sadness that I share the news of Gary’s passing.
Known affectionately as “The Tomato Man,” Gary was beloved by so many.
His passion for heirloom tomatoes and his generosity in sharing his knowledge brought joy and inspiration to gardeners near and far.
Gary leaves behind a lasting legacy in the world of heirloom tomatoes, one rooted in curiosity, care, and community. His dedication to preserving and celebrating these unique varieties has enriched countless gardens and lives.
We will miss his warmth, his wisdom, and his unwavering enthusiasm.
Gary’s spirit lives on in every seed he shared and every gardener he inspired.
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(A card sent by one of our happy customers!)
Dear Gary and Dagma and fellow tomato lovers at TomatoFest
I just wanted to give you all a long overdue Thank You
for your tomato seeds over the years
( especially the packs of freebies! )
Planting and tending to your tomatoes
is something I look forward to each year.
What started out as a few carefully chosen seeds to plant
has turned into an obsession.
Somehow, I managed to plant fifty varieties
on our small suburban plot of land.
Dagma’s Russian Yellow & Gary Ibsen Gold are thriving!
The Neighbors thank you too.
What started as a few plants carefully handed over the fence in 2020 to our elderly neighbors has turned into a tradition.
Now people just expect them, which I love.
So thank you, for all your hard work and tenacity
that goes into TomatoFest.
A lot of people here in Louisville, CO. appreciate you!
All the best,
Anita from Colorado
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Since 1998 TomatoFest®
continues to donate FREE tomato seeds to established community and educational non-profit organizations who share their harvest with others in need. We invite school gardens and community gardens to contact us.
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There is music, and dance, and family in our heirloom tomato vineyard.
One of our favorite delights is inviting our grandchildren
to help harvest our organic tomatoes.
In 2022, with new knees, I wanted to walk with Sage
after the day's harvesting between the rows of our tomato plants.
I asked Dagma to get a photo of us together.
As I held Sage's hand and started walking,
Dagma pulled out her iPhone and shot this video to
Louis Armstrong singing Disney's "Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah,"
a song I used to sing to my children when they were young.
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This award winning poster features 30 of America's most popular heirloom tomato varieties.
Photographs by Dagma Lacey and reproduced by the highest quality lithography on premium matte-finish stock,
the result is a perfect marriage of science and art — and food.
Size (24" x 36”)
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Thank You for your continued support.
Wishing you much joy in your garden and a most bountiful harvest!
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Visit our Instagram page for delightful cooking content and beautiful family heirloom tomato videos!
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Your Gardening Friend,
Dagma Lacey
"Every Seed A Possibility"
Please note you you will be receiving and responding to Gary@tomatofest.com
until I get the transfer made to dagma@tomatofest.com.
Thank you for your understanding.
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