Scarlet Bee Balm just starting to bloom June 9

We are approaching the half way mark with the Off The Vine republishings…wow. I hope that you are finding them of value - and having fun reading them! Here is the typical opening column by Carolyn.

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C and C’s Column

by Carolyn

We knew there might be times when publishing Off the vine might be delayed , and this is one of them. A series of events in both Craig’s and my lives made it impossible to get this issue to you earlier. I would suspect, as we have pointed out before, that this might happen again in the future but while an issue might be delayed you will always receive the number of issues that you paid for. As most of you know, we both have demanding full-time jobs and other responsibilities which we must attend to.

It’s time to renew your subscription if your mailing label has 22 next to your name (22 means Volume 2, #2). Separate renewal notices will not be sent out so if you’ve decided to stay with us, please send your renewal, clearly marking it as a renewal., after you’ve read this issue. Subscription renewal prices for current subscribers are $5 for one year (3 issues) and $2 for two years (6 issues) for US residents; $6 (US) for one year and $14 (US) for two years for Canadian and Mexican subscribers and $7 (US) for one year and $16 (US) for two years for all other foreign addresses. These rates reflect the increase we announced last February which commences with Volume 3, which will probably be published in May, 1996. We have started stating the new prices in any notices published such as the summer SSE edition and others. Any New US subscribers (not renewals) are expected to pay $7 for three issues and $14 for six issues.

We have two guest authors in this issue. Dave Cain lives in Fairmont, WV and has grown heirloom tomatoes in his garden for many years. He writes from the heart and I thought you’d enjoy his musings on gardening in the hills of West Virginia. Darrell Merrell has told you quite a bit about himself in his article and I can only add that he, like Dave Cain, is a warm, generous, caring person. Are all tomato people so nice? I’m beginning to think so. Darrell is willing to share information with anyone who asks. His address is 2208 West 81st Street, South, Tulsa, OK 74132-2623 and his phone number is (918) 446-7522. Craig and I have each written articles about our summer, 1995 tomato grow-outs, and our methods of germinating tomato seeds. And I interviewed Jeff McCormack of Southern Exposure Seed Exchange for our featured “tomato” person. Most of you are probably aware of his excellent catalog of heirlooms (will list address is next issue) and we thought it would be interesting for you to know him on a more personal level. Craig and I have known Jeff for several years and consider ourselves fortunate to be able to call him a friend!

Amy Goldman wrote an article on Desert Sweet tomatoes for our last issue and I mentioned that she was intent on winning the top prize at the Dutchess County Fair. Well, she did it, with 38 blue ribbons. However, she’s decided to retire from “active competition” while on top and is going to find new challenges, such as beating the world record for pumpkins and such. Go for it Amy, whatever it is you decide to conquer!

Our regular subscribers know that last February we made available to Off the Vine readers F2 seeds from some interesting crosses done by Stanley Zubrowski and Tad Smith. We plan to do the same thing again, with some new crosses available, but I can’t distribute the F2 seeds and meet my seed obligations to Seed Savers Exchange at the same time. So, we’re asking for someone to volunteer to distribute the F2 seeds to our readers. Please give me a call at (518) 783-5565 evenings before 9pm and let me know if you’d be interested in helping us. We would deeply appreciate it. I would imagine that a few hours per week for two to three months would be the time requirement.

I spent three days at the Rodale Institute for Research in late August where I presented a workshop on heirloom tomatoes. I had sent seed and their staff did a beautiful job of growing them out for demonstration purposes. I was pleased and surprised to find many other heirloom tomatoes also being grown because Rob Cardillo, the photographer for Organic Gardening, was using them as subjects for file photos. The workshop went well and I met some very nice folks. Chuck Wyatt and Howard Essl drove up from the Washington, DC/Baltimore area (a long drive), and I was delighted to meet them since I had only corresponded with them via phone, e-mail and letters in the past. The most animated member of the group was Jim Weaver, a Mennonite farmer and Off the Vine subscriber. He’d ridden his bicycle many miles to attend and certainly enlivened the day. I still can’t believe he really doesn’t like to eat tomatoes, especially after seeing some of the varieties he grew and donated to Organic Gardening for their taste testing session which was held the last day I was there (article by Rob Cardillo in the latest Organic Gardening). Unfortunately I had a plane to catch and couldn’t attend. Jim’s heirloom tomatoes were the most beautiful ones I’ve ever seen! I had a chance to visit his farm, unannounced, and while he was out in the fields

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Yet another classic from Carolyn. There are some names she referenced I’d not thought of in many years - Chuck Wyatt, and, especially, Howard Essl. Pretty nostalgic stuff to read.