Artisan Seeds photos
 

I am not good about taking photos, but I am going to try to do better this year. I will be chronicling our breeding projects and posting other tomato photos here -- starting with Orange Jazz. Illustrating my "not good about taking photos" point -- the photo here was taken by Aaron Whaley.

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Next week I will be traveling to our winter breeding nursery in Mexico, and I will put any interesting photos here.

I should also post a photo of one of our current farm dogs: Sarabi, the crazy Saluki.

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[QUOTE=Fred Hempel;543482]I should also post a photo of one of our current farm dogs: Sarabi, the crazy Saluki.[/QUOTE]

Awww... I lived with a crazy Saluki for a while.

Not to take away from your tomato pic, Fred, but Sarabi is just so adorable. Those eyes! Melts my heart...

I started a few of your varieties this year Fred. Orange Jazz, Blush and one of your dark cherry varieties. Can't remember the name.

Habitat,

Did you rescue your Saluki too?

Sarabi was a street dog, for an unknown period, in Dubai. I assume, however, that originally she had very loving owners because she is very affectionate, and even uses here "hands" show it.

She does not get along with other dogs well though. I assume because of some tough times living in the streets.

[QUOTE=habitat_gardener;543670]Awww... I lived with a crazy Saluki for a while.[/QUOTE]

I hope they do well for you! I think you have some of our best!

Watch out for Verticillium though with Orange Jazz. It seems to be susceptible. Our cherry varieties resist it pretty well, though.

[QUOTE=Delerium;543680]I started a few of your varieties this year Fred. Orange Jazz, Blush and one of your dark cherry varieties. Can't remember the name.[/QUOTE]

I am really looking forward to seeing this variety in Mexico this week. It is called "Taste" and if all goes well we will be releasing it later this year. The variety comes from the same exact cross that produced Blush.

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[QUOTE=Fred Hempel;543813]I am really looking forward to seeing this variety in Mexico this week. It is called "Taste" and if all goes well we will be releasing it later this year. The variety comes from the same exact cross that produced Blush[/QUOTE]

That looks excellent Fred, I presume it will be a fresh eating tomato? Also wondering if it will have the wispier foliage as some of your others do. Good luck with your Mexico trip and travel safe.

Pappi

Yes, Pappi. This one is fresh-eating with wispy foliage.

Looks good Fred. I have some pics of the jazz pre-releases I could post if you'd like a few more up. cant wait to try taste this year.

Please go ahead and post.

[QUOTE=moray-eel-bite;543823]Looks good Fred. I have some pics of the jazz pre-releases I could post if you'd like a few more up. cant wait to try taste this year.[/QUOTE]

Yellow Jazz (pretty sure?) Cut and whole

[URL=http://s1289.photobucket.com/user/Moray-eel-bite/media/Jazz%20cut_zpszbwt0nsr.jpg.html][IMG]http://i1289.photobucket.com/albums/b501/Moray-eel-bite/Jazz%20cut_zpszbwt0nsr.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

[URL=http://s1289.photobucket.com/user/Moray-eel-bite/media/Jazz%20ripe_zps5miosiar.jpg.html][IMG]http://i1289.photobucket.com/albums/b501/Moray-eel-bite/Jazz%20ripe_zps5miosiar.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

Sunol

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Marzano Fire
 

Marzano Fire

[URL=http://s1289.photobucket.com/user/Moray-eel-bite/media/Marzano%20Fire_zpsjhgfnbot.jpg.html][IMG]http://i1289.photobucket.com/albums/b501/Moray-eel-bite/Marzano%20Fire_zpsjhgfnbot.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

That is a very nice Marzano Fire photo!

Feel free to use it elsewhere if you want. I can send you a full size copy.

If "Taste" is only half as delicious as Blush is, then I'll have two of your varieties on my "eternal list"!

I have either Jazz or Orange Jazz just starting to blush right now. Color of fruit is a little funky but should change within the next couple of days. There are about 10 fruits on the plant with barely any foliage. One of the fruits is HUGE.

Plant was one of 2 left over from the summer/fall. The other plant was a Big Beef Hybrid which also looks horrible and has over 15 tomatoes.

I planted a bunch of Jazz/O Jazz for spring time. They definitely did not like starting in the heat last fall or was it the white flies?

I will post pictures once the fruit looks nice. Come to think of it we ate one already and it was Jazz and delicious.

Jazz, which is pink, is really big. The biggest tomato we have developed, by far.

Like other beefsteaks, flavor varies between fruits, but some always seem to be very good.

Unfortunately, it is susceptible to Verticillium and to white-fly spread Tomato Yellow Leaf Curl virus. So is Orange Jazz.

We are working on similar new varieties that have better resistance. They are still a few years off.

Taste is very good. [URL="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5aJ0cbQZ8YY"]We developed it a few years ago, with a chef at Taste Catering in San Francisco.[/URL]

Our top lines turned out to have low productivity though, and so we went back and re-selected for plants with "Taste" flavor, but better productivity.

When I see it growing in Mexico later this week, I will know if it is ready to release or not. I'm crossing my fingers.

[QUOTE=clara;543912]If "Taste" is only half as delicious as Blush is, then I'll have two of your varieties on my "eternal list"![/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=Fred Hempel;543811]Habitat,

Did you rescue your Saluki too?

Sarabi was a street dog, for an unknown period, in Dubai. I assume, however, that originally she had very loving owners because she is very affectionate, and even uses here "hands" show it.

She does not get along with other dogs well though. I assume because of some tough times living in the streets.[/QUOTE]

Daisy belonged to my housemates. She followed one of them home on a rainy day, they tracked down the breeder/owner, and it turned out the owner did not want her back! By that time, Daisy had "wormed her way into their hearts" even though she ate the windowsills while they were at work. They solved that problem by keeping the bedroom door open so she could sleep on the bed during the day. They also had a beagle mix and a cat, both of whom Daisy got along with, but they were careful to keep her away from other cats. The whole menagerie came with them when they drove from NJ to CA.

When Daisy had a toy or treat she wanted to save for later, she'd "bury" it in the middle of the living room by making burying motions with her muzzle.

The other dog was an escape artist, and Daisy was her loyal follower. About once a month or so, we'd go looking for them, and it was easy to track them down because people noticed the pair of them.

What a difference 2 days makes:

The last tomato on this plant started the same color, but turned into a beautiful striped vivid orange-pink. It occurred duing our coldest weather.

These look ready to pick.

Is that multi-lobed shape the norm for OJ?

That looks like Yellow Jazz (which does have that lousy shape frequently).

Orange Jazz is much more consistently rounded, and it typically has a nice blossom end too.

Yellow Jazz needs work. Which is why we are not selling seed for the variety.

[QUOTE=BigVanVader;544742]Is that multi-lobed shape the norm for OJ?[/QUOTE]

Just back from Mexico, and there will be photos... within the next week.

Lots of exciting fruits, and we made some leaps forward with regard to productivity and disease resistance this year.

Look forward to them Fred!

Awww. Can one place an order for the dog?

[QUOTE=Fred Hempel;545946]Just back from Mexico, and there will be photos... within the next week.

Lots of exciting fruits, and we made some leaps forward with regard to productivity and disease resistance this year.[/QUOTE]

Bring on the disease resistance varieties - I'm ready.

I picked those 2 fruits too early; only ate one and letting the other change colors inside the house. Here is one changing color still on the vine. It has the beginnings of the beautiful one I mentioned earlier.

Catch my wife on the right day, and she'll pay you to take it.

[QUOTE=NarnianGarden;545985]Awww. Can one place an order for the dog?[/QUOTE]