If you had to pick four heirlooms to sell at market

Jarrod King · January 7, 2017

What would you pick? Which four varieties for you encompass the best mix of taste, appearance, and yield (remember you get paid by the pound!). I've got some in mind but wanted to hear other opinions.

I've tried growing way too many varieties in the past I think. It becomes quite a time sink keeping them all separate and I'm looking to streamline for the best of the best.

Marcus1 · January 7, 2017

German Queen
Mammoth German Gold
Paul Robeson
Oxheart

These four have produced well for me over the years and they bear fruit that look nice with few cracks and the flavor is very good. My customers are picky so appearance is very important.

Marcus

ginger2778 · January 7, 2017

Lithium Sunset- see my grow list photo thread
Cherokee Purple
Atkinson
Texwine
And a fifth- Not Chocolate Stripes(stable and I have seeds)
All incredibly productive, and so delicious, all keep pretty well once picked.
Photos of all in that thread, along with descriptions

pmcgrady · January 7, 2017

The farmers market I sold at last year, customers wanted red round baseball sized tomatoes, they didn't care what the name was or how they tasted... which is unfortunate but true.

ginger2778 · January 7, 2017

Quote:

Originally Posted by pmcgrady

The farmers market I sold at last year, customers wanted red round baseball sized tomatoes, they didn't care what the name was or how they tasted... which is unfortunate but true.

Mouth Breathers!

Jimbotomateo · January 7, 2017

Quote:

Originally Posted by ginger2778

Mouth Breathers!

Even my pal Chuck said he didn't like pbtd and when I gave them brandywine and German striped that didn't even comment on them.

. Guess they like tasteless baseballs.

.

imp · January 7, 2017

Quote:

Originally Posted by ginger2778

Mouth Breathers!

Even us'n mouf brevers don wanna be lumped in wit' no no taste peeps!!!!

My mother used to mutter "mouth breather" sometimes, haven't heard that in awhile, so thanks for the smile!

b54red · January 7, 2017

I would definitely stick with red or dark pink tomatoes just to get them started. With that said I would probably grow Red Barn and Arkansas Traveler. Both are red and quite productive with superb flavor. Both are beefsteaks and Red Barn is quite large. If you want a smaller red round type I would look at Red Brandywine sold by TGS. I still grow it most years because it is productive and my aunt only wants round red tomatoes.

If you really want to get the best of both worlds I would go with two hybrids which are both very productive one is Big Beef and the other is Brandy Boy. Big Beef would give you great production of red semi round red beefsteaks that are quite good and Brandy Boy would give you the taste of a great heirloom that is a bit earlier and more productive than most of the true Brandywine types.

As much as I personally love the black tomatoes I don't think they would sell without you giving away a lot of free samples.

Bill

AKmark · January 7, 2017

Crnkovic Yugoslavian
Chapman
Delicious
Yellow Brandywine

These are market tomatoes that always sell out and I cannot produce enough of, customer favorites.

mecktom · January 7, 2017

That's funny, Marsha!! I agree!

Worth1 · January 7, 2017

Quote:

Originally Posted by ginger2778

Mouth Breathers!

AKA Slack Jawed Yokels.
https://youtu.be/c7qhVJIPfck

pmcgrady · January 7, 2017

Quote:

Originally Posted by b54red

I would definitely stick with red or dark pink tomatoes just to get them started. With that said I would probably grow Red Barn and Arkansas Traveler. Both are red and quite productive with superb flavor. Both are beefsteaks and Red Barn is quite large. If you want a smaller red round type I would look at Red Brandywine sold by TGS. I still grow it most years because it is productive and my aunt only wants round red tomatoes.

If you really want to get the best of both worlds I would go with two hybrids which are both very productive one is Big Beef and the other is Brandy Boy. Big Beef would give you great production of red semi round red beefsteaks that are quite good and Brandy Boy would give you the taste of a great heirloom that is a bit earlier and more productive than most of the true Brandywine types.

As much as I personally love the black tomatoes I don't think they would sell without you giving away a lot of free samples.

Bill

What you speak is exactly what I'm thinking...
Red Barn
Mule Team
Cosmonaut Volkov
Big Beef
Momataro
It's good to have a couple hybrids that are resistant to blights or septoria for back up.

Cole_Robbie · January 7, 2017

Taxi has been my most profitable high tunnel variety by far. Maglia Rosa, Bosque Blue Bumble Bee, and Sky Reacher have all been good sellers.

I have a variety that came to me in a swap last year labelled "Russian." It shows a lot of promise. It makes big red attractive and delicious fruit, but what interests me most is that it makes a very small plant, only 3' tall or so. It would do fine on just a stake. Pruning and supporting indeterminate vines is time-consuming and costly.

SueCT · January 7, 2017

I don't sell for profit, but I am sure this varies depending on where you are. Nothing seems to attract people more or get a higher price than a basket of mixed colored tomatoes. At that point people are shopping with their eyes, which is why the perfect red round baseballs sell, also. So I would expect medium sized red, yellow and a few black round tomatoes would do best in my area. Some all red and some mixed colors. I am thinking if I were going to choose from what I had grown, Stump of the World or Box Car Willie, Azoychka, and Cherokee Purple would do well. Sometimes when people look for heirlooms they also like the quaint names. But you know your market.

HudsonValley · January 8, 2017

I don't sell tomatoes, but here's something relevant: There is an older lady in my neighborhood who collects cans and bottles (for their return-deposit value) to supplement her Social Security income. Each week during gardening season, I fill a critter-proof cooler with a few bags of tomatoes, zucchini, etc., for her. She takes everything I leave out and sometimes leaves me a kind note. But she once asked my husband if the Cherokee Purple and other dark-colored tomatoes were o.k. -- she wondered if they'd been bruised. I have to imagine that if she were shopping for tomatoes, she'd pass over many of our beloved heirlooms...

January 7, 2017	#1
Jarrod King Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: Norman, OK Posts: 23	If you had to pick four heirlooms to sell at market What would you pick? Which four varieties for you encompass the best mix of taste, appearance, and yield (remember you get paid by the pound!). I've got some in mind but wanted to hear other opinions. I've tried growing way too many varieties in the past I think. It becomes quite a time sink keeping them all separate and I'm looking to streamline for the best of the best.

January 7, 2017	#2
Marcus1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Colorado Posts: 124	German Queen Mammoth German Gold Paul Robeson Oxheart These four have produced well for me over the years and they bear fruit that look nice with few cracks and the flavor is very good. My customers are picky so appearance is very important. Marcus

January 7, 2017	#3
ginger2778 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Plantation, Florida zone 10 Posts: 9,283	Lithium Sunset- see my grow list photo thread Cherokee Purple Atkinson Texwine And a fifth- Not Chocolate Stripes(stable and I have seeds) All incredibly productive, and so delicious, all keep pretty well once picked. Photos of all in that thread, along with descriptions

January 7, 2017	#4
pmcgrady Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: Central Illinois Posts: 1,836	The farmers market I sold at last year, customers wanted red round baseball sized tomatoes, they didn't care what the name was or how they tasted... which is unfortunate but true.

January 7, 2017	#8
b54red Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Alabama Posts: 7,068	I would definitely stick with red or dark pink tomatoes just to get them started. With that said I would probably grow Red Barn and Arkansas Traveler. Both are red and quite productive with superb flavor. Both are beefsteaks and Red Barn is quite large. If you want a smaller red round type I would look at Red Brandywine sold by TGS. I still grow it most years because it is productive and my aunt only wants round red tomatoes. If you really want to get the best of both worlds I would go with two hybrids which are both very productive one is Big Beef and the other is Brandy Boy. Big Beef would give you great production of red semi round red beefsteaks that are quite good and Brandy Boy would give you the taste of a great heirloom that is a bit earlier and more productive than most of the true Brandywine types. As much as I personally love the black tomatoes I don't think they would sell without you giving away a lot of free samples. Bill

January 7, 2017	#9
AKmark Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Wasilla Alaska Posts: 2,010	Crnkovic Yugoslavian Chapman Delicious Yellow Brandywine These are market tomatoes that always sell out and I cannot produce enough of, customer favorites.

January 7, 2017	#10
mecktom Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Southern Virginia Posts: 342	That's funny, Marsha!! I agree!

January 7, 2017	#13
Cole_Robbie Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Illinois, zone 6 Posts: 8,407	Taxi has been my most profitable high tunnel variety by far. Maglia Rosa, Bosque Blue Bumble Bee, and Sky Reacher have all been good sellers. I have a variety that came to me in a swap last year labelled "Russian." It shows a lot of promise. It makes big red attractive and delicious fruit, but what interests me most is that it makes a very small plant, only 3' tall or so. It would do fine on just a stake. Pruning and supporting indeterminate vines is time-consuming and costly.

January 7, 2017	#14
SueCT Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Connecticut Posts: 1,460	I don't sell for profit, but I am sure this varies depending on where you are. Nothing seems to attract people more or get a higher price than a basket of mixed colored tomatoes. At that point people are shopping with their eyes, which is why the perfect red round baseballs sell, also. So I would expect medium sized red, yellow and a few black round tomatoes would do best in my area. Some all red and some mixed colors. I am thinking if I were going to choose from what I had grown, Stump of the World or Box Car Willie, Azoychka, and Cherokee Purple would do well. Sometimes when people look for heirlooms they also like the quaint names. But you know your market.

January 8, 2017	#15
HudsonValley Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2016 Location: Hudson Valley, NY, Zone 6a Posts: 626	I don't sell tomatoes, but here's something relevant: There is an older lady in my neighborhood who collects cans and bottles (for their return-deposit value) to supplement her Social Security income. Each week during gardening season, I fill a critter-proof cooler with a few bags of tomatoes, zucchini, etc., for her. She takes everything I leave out and sometimes leaves me a kind note. But she once asked my husband if the Cherokee Purple and other dark-colored tomatoes were o.k. -- she wondered if they'd been bruised. I have to imagine that if she were shopping for tomatoes, she'd pass over many of our beloved heirlooms...