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Welcome Gardeners!
This has just been a super year here in Amishland! I was asked, by editor Nick Pabst of
Farm & Ranch Living magazine
to write an article about Amish and Mennonite heirloom seeds. A much abbreviated (ok, I admit I am wordy) but still two page article, using my photos, came out in their April/May spring planting issue. The response was absolutely overwhelming. I received phone calls, letters, packages with seeds, and emails from all over the country, and the world. Many "plain people" contacted me and chatted. They asked for seeds that they had fondly remembered and could no longer find. Some offered their family's heirloom seeds, many of which I will be growing out this coming season.
I made so many new gardening friends. Gardeners really are just the most down to earth , friendliest, most enthusiastic people. Many old timers regaled me with tales from their farming past. They told of tomatoes and vegetables that they loved and seeds that were, sadly, lost. I want to thank each and every one of you who took the time to contact me. I am forever richer for your sharing your memories.
Then, later in the year, I was again contacted by another magazine. Mary Shepherd, the effervescent editor and publisher of a brand new publication
Farmer's Markets Today
asked to write a special feature on Amishland Heirloom Seeds after seeing my website. The premier issue of that magazine had a lovely two page spread, also using my photos. She called it "Taste and History are Preserved in Heirloom Seeds- Every Seed has a Cultural and an Ethnic Story to Tell", which pretty much sizes up the philosophy of my seed business.
Again, the response from all over the country was amazing. I had many market growers and small farmers contacting me. They often asked for specific seed suggestions and planting advice and there was lots more friendly chatting!
The weather here in Amishland still was in drought with only three short rainstorms all season long. Our spring and summer was very late in coming and unseasonably cool. The tomatoes did great this season (no rain=no fungal diseases-yippee!). However, this year's eggplants, cukes and peppers really lagged behind in production.
I tried a new product, called "Kozy Coats", that was similar to the "Wall O' Waters" (solar powered, water filled season extenders) I am always touting. These were red, providing that portion of the light wavelength spectrum that plants respond to (“far red”), thereby enhancing photosynthesis (the life processes of plants). It said that the plants would be much earlier and twice as large. I figured that was the standard exaggerated advertising. I was totally amazed! My tomatoes in the red ones were lightyears ahead of the others, ripened earlier and just plain beat all the poor plants that were left to fend for themselves. They also really helped my peppers fully ripen in this cool summer. Like everyone who gardens, you learn quickly that Mother Nature calls the shots, but you can still try some new ways to trick her.
I am very excited about my 35+ new heirloom and exotic seed selections for 2008 that I grew out. I am especially enamoured with the wildest looking and rarest tomato I have ever grown, "Riesentomate aus Siebenbürgen Tomato" (a Transylvanian Heirloom! ). Check it out, you will be amazed! If you want to grow something silly and fun, try "Hedgehog Cucumber." And if you are searching for rare and genuine Amish and Mennonite heirlooms, please see my new " Amish, Mennonite and PA Dutch Seeds" page. For the best true story about a tomato, read about the white "Fantome du Laos Tomato".
I may be only one lone person doing all this work myself, but I never feel alone. I have all of you fellow gardeners believing in the seeds I am preserving. To me that makes it all worth the bugs, slugs, heat, sleet, cold, mold, mud, crud, schlepping, prepping, aches, stakes, soil, and toil.
Happy Gardening!
NEW & AVAILABLE SEEDS FOR 2008
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| | **Red Tomato Page: |
- RIESENTOMATE AUS SIEBENBURGEN - translates from German as " Bunchtomato from Siebenbürgen( Transylvania) ~Rarest, Weirdest Tomato of All !~Looks Like Red BRAINS! ~ Must See!~ONLY USA SEED SOURCE!~(Note:This is NOT Riesenstraube Tomato)
- VOYAGE TOMATO ~ SUPER RARE- Looks like Red Brains~Almost identical to "Riesentomate aus Siebenbürgen" Tomato
- GLICKS 18 MENNONITE TOMATO-~ Genuine Mennonite Heirloom~ Scarce~
- RED BRANDYWINE TOMATO ~Local PA 1885 Heirloom~Scarce!
~Back Again:
- BLOODY BUTCHER TOMATO~BACK AGAIN~
Earliest Tomato of All!
MULE TEAM~ HEIRLOOM RED TOMATO -Back! for 2008
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| **Pink Tomato Page: |
- EVA'S SCHOENECK ( BEAUTIFUL CORNER) PINK TOMATO ~EXCLUSIVE~ Lancaster County Heirloom ~ Only Source
- TODD COUNTY AMISH TOMATO~Scarce, hard to find Genuine Amish Heirloom
- AMISH POTATO LEAF TOMATO ~Scarce, hard to find Genuine Amish Heirloom
- BEAR CLAW -( QUISENBERRY STRAIN ) ~Super RARE Heirloom
- DEPP'S PINK FIREFLY TOMATO ~Scarce Kentucky Heirloom
- BRANDYWINE TOMATO-GLICK'S STRAIN ~The Best of the Brandywines !
- THE DUTCHMAN TOMATO ~SCARCE~Limited Quantity~Order Early!~
| | **Striped/Yellow/Orange Tomato Page: |
- YELLOW TRIFELE TOMATO - Scarce Russian Heirloom~Only USA Source~Looks like Al Capp's "Schmoo"!-
- PLUM LEMON TOMATO ~ Great Russian Heirloom~Looks Just Like Real Lemons!
- GIANT LEMON UKRAINIAN TOMATO ~ Rare~Only USA Source~Limited Quantity~Order Early
- GREEN GAGE TOMATO ~1800's Heirloom~Very Scarce~Green Interior
- SCHIMMEIG CREG TOMATO ~NEW~SUPER RARE~Limited Quantities~Order Early!
*These Are Back Again:
- ROUGHWOOD GOLDEN PLUM TOMATO
~BACK AGAIN!~ ONLY COMMERCIAL SEED SOURCE
SUMMER CIDER TOMATO ~BACK AGAIN!
SCHIMMEIG STRIPED HOLLOW TOMATO ~aka SCHIMMEIG STOO TOMATO~ BACK AGAIN~Scarce~Limited Quantities~ORDER EARLY~
SPECKLED SIBERIAN TOMATO ~NEW PHOTO!~Only USA Source
| **White Tomato Page: |
- FANTOME DU LAOS~"GHOST OF LAOS" TOMATO~Exceedingly Rare~Only USA Seed Source
| | **Belarusian/Ukrainian/Russian Tomato Page: |
- GIANT BLACK UKRAINIAN TOMATO- Rare ~only USA Source
- KIBITS UKRAINIAN TOMATO ~ Tiniest Tomato Plant Ever !~ Ideal for Containers~Only USA Source~
- "MONOMAKH`S HAT " RUSSIAN TOMATO -Translated from "SHAPKA MONOMAHA"~Only USA source! ~Limited Quantities~Monster Sized Fruit!~LIMIT 1 PACK PER CUSTOMER
- BEAR CLAW UKRAINIAN TOMATO~RARE!~Different from " Bear Claw Quisenberry Strain"~Only USA Source!
- RUSSIAN BOGATYR TOMATO ~( Translates as "Russian Warrior") ~Only USA Source~A tomato Worth Fighting For
- JAPANESE BLACK TRIFELE aka (in Russian:Tomat Jaapani Trüffel), aka Black Russian Truffel Tomato ~ Scarce!~
~Back Again :
- AMAZON CHOCOLATE TOMATO -SCARCE
~ EVERYONE'S FAVORITE TOMATO~BACK AGAIN!
| | **Eggplant Page: |
~Back Again :
- AFRICAN BURKINA FASO EGGPLANT
~Aubergine Du Burkina Faso- (Solanum Aethiopicum)- BACK!~Super Rare & Exotic African Eggplant~Very Limited Quantity~Limit 1 Pack Per Customer~Order Early
| | **Pepper Page: |
**Sweet Peppers:
~ Extremely RARE French Heirloom~Limited Supply~Order Early
ULRICH'S FARM ITALIAN SWEET PEPPER~NEW~
BOGATYR UKRAINIAN SWEET BELL PEPPER ~ Translates as Warrior ~Only USA Source!~
ROTUNDA UKRAINIAN ROUND SWEET PEPPER~Only USA Source!
BULLS HORN RED SWEET ITALIAN PEPPER aka CORNO DI TORO PEPPER~Italian Heirloom
SWEET YELLOW STUFFING PEPPER~Lancaster County Amish Heirloom~
SWEET RED STUFFING PEPPER~Lancaster County Amish Heirloom~
**Hot peppers:
- PETER PIPER'S PECK O'PEPPERS MIX
~MOSTLY HOT VARIETIES!~ Sold as a Mix Only
CAYENNE LONG THICK TYPE CHILE PEPPER~NEW~(Not Thomas Jefferson Cayenne)
SCOTCH BONNET CHILE HOT PEPPER~( Capsicum chinense) ~Way Too HOT!!~150,000-325,000 Scoville units!~Hard to Find
| **Beans/Peas Page: |
- MENNONITE HYACINTH COLOR POLE BEAN~RARE LOCAL HEIRLOOM~Not Dolichos Lab Lab-Only Source
- PURPLE POLE BEAN TRIO~ mix of " Purple Marconi Pole Bean", " Purple Podded Pole Bean" and " Trionfo Violetto Italian Pole Bean"
~Back Again:
- ALMAS PA DUTCH PURPLE BURGUNDY LIMA BEAN
~Rare heirloom
| | **Rare Veggies Page: |
- PSYCHEDELIC HEIRLOOM RADISH MIX~7 Scarce and Very RARE Varieties~As a Mix Only!
- PSYCHEDELIC CARROT MIX ( formerly called: Heirloom RAINBOW CARROT Mix) NEW COLORS ADDED THIS YEAR! ~(PLEASE NOTE- THESE CARROT SEEDS ARE SOLD ONLY AS A MIX, NOT SEPARATELY )
- HEDGEHOG CUCUMBER~( Cucumbis Africanus) ~ Super Rare~Weird and Strange Shape~LIMITED QUANTITIES~ORDER EARLY !
- EVA'S GROUND CHERRY~NEW FOR 2008~
- PIERCE LESHER FARM GROUND CHERRY -NEW FOR 2008
- JOB'S TEARS~(Coix lacryma-jobi "KARRELL"or "FLUSSKARRELL" in PA Dutch~
- KAISER ALEXANDER CUCUMBER ~ EXCEEDINGLY RARE! ~Only USA Source~Limited Quantities~LIMIT 1 PACK PER CUSTOMER
These 2 cucumbers are now in limited quantities:
~VERY RARE~VERY LIMITED QUANTITIES~ORDER EARLY ! ~LIMIT 1 PACK PER CUSTOMER
JIMMY'S WHITE CUCUMBER (Pre - 1900) Heirloom - ONLY SEED SOURCE! -LIMITED QUANTITIES -ORDER EARLY~ LIMIT 1 PACK PER CUSTOMER
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