I actually found the email for you :-) here is the relevant part: We are currently designing our bigger and better 2012 seed catalog. At a whopping 196 pages, it contains new varieties of seed, more high-quality photographs, and more planting instructions and growing tips. If you have not previously received our catalog, get on our mailing list now so as to not miss out on your early copy in December. We are also in the process of updating our website, rareseeds.com. While it may take a couple of weeks to complete the updates and changes to our website, do check us out. We will have the new catalog on line as soon as possible. All orders shipped now will contain only seeds packed for 2012.

I like the fact that they have reviews of the different varieties on their website with the reviewer's city and state. It helps to know what grew well (and tasted good) where. Also, I had wondered about the prairie dresses! I wondered if it was a religious thing. They reminded me of the dresses the women at the Warren Jeff compound wore. Interesting to know it's just a gimmick! I ordered quite a few seed packets from them this year because I had heard good things about them and liked the varieties they offered. Since this is my first time ordering from them, I don't know how they will do yet. I agree that the catalogue is beautiful, but heavy on anti-GMO articles.

As Maxine says in her cartoon, 'when you get old nothing whistles at you except the tea kettle', so I guess it is nice when someone is still 'jealous' of anything I do. LOL Dawn, they also have a list at the cash register in the store so I do sign up there when I think about it. To most of the world it would be just a seed store, but to gardeners it is a fun place to visit. They have a bakery that always has nice smells and some good looking stuff, but since I bake all of that at home, it's not a big draw for me. I have eaten at the restaurant once and it is OK, not wonderful, but OK. If it were mine, I would serve soup, salad, and lots of homemade bread, and nothing else. That way they could showcase what they grow, and a limited menu would be easy to handle, and it's always going to be vegetarian anyway. It's nice to have a place to eat in the event you want to stay all day. I have enjoyed looking at the chickens and turkeys and such. There is a big garden in front of the seed store which I always check out, but a lot of the gardens elsewhere were covered with row covers the last time I was there. I think that is the way we all need to garden to keep it as organic as possible and not spray. Of course, if I had to spray it, I wouldn't grow it, so I am always looking at a better way to grow. On festival days they have local -uhh- talent, that come in and perform and they seem to be a big draw. I am probably too critical, but it just isn't my kind of music. Last year Al and I went one month in the Fall, stayed overnight, and one of my friends was furious to learn that we had gone and didn't invite her. We agreed to take her to the next festival the next month. Al got sick and couldn't go so she and I went back. I could have just sat there and listen to one speaker after another, but she could only make it through one. We did visit every booth, and every store, and spent a lot of time picking out seed packs, because it was her first trip. I think she bought close to 30 packs and she plants a small garden. I'm sure her gardener son benefited the most from that shopping trip. That was the day we ate there also. That week she became sick with H1N1 and I was just sure I would get it since we had spent hours in the same car just a few days before, but I didn't. Anyway, when you can build a business in the middle of no where and still draw the crowds that the Gettles do, then you are doing something right, and it's not his wardrobe that draws them (grin). It is miles down a dusty gravel road and you actual do have 'to go the extra mile' to get to it. It seems to be a very good business for them and in addition, they are able to see the world as they travel. They now have a store in Missouri, one on the east coast and the left coast, and I hope getting so big doesn't have a negative impact. Maybe we need to do a caravan road trip next year.

What's so great about having a problem with seeds one year and continuing to sell them the next? ***** That surprised me as well me MA friend, b'c in the past when there have been wrong varieties, and the two I remember so very clearly, German Red Strawberry and Black Pearl, were pulled ASAP. For those who don't know, Black Cherry was developed by Vince Sapp, the now deceased husband of Linda Sapp, now sole owner of TGS ( Tomato Growers Supply) in Fort Myers, FL. and a long time friend of mine. i think it's a great cherry and another so called dark one that I also like is Kazachaka. No seed co that deals with OP varieties is perfect but they have different ways of getting seed. Those ways are to do almost all their own seed production, subcontract out or to buy wholesale off the shelf. And most do a combo of those methods. Baker Creek subs out to lots of BC members for various seeds but I know also get a lot of their seed elsewhere as well. About the only two places I know of where almost 100% of the tomato seed is produced by the Co are Sandhill Preservation and Glecklerseedmen and those are also the only two places I know of where tomato seed no older than 2yo is sold. Remy posted above, and she has a great seed site herself called The Sample Seed Shop which has superb feedback from anyone who has dealt with her, but remy, I'm going to assume that you do all you own seed production as well since folks speak so highly of your tomato seed both to germination and trueness of varieties. But ya know, after all these years of knowing you I never asked you directly about that. LOL I think Tania also does seed production for all of her tomato seed as well, but again, I never asked her directly. And I'm sure there are others who do most of their own seed production as well, but I can only speak to the ones I know of. And there are some professinal places that do subcontracting as well. But I won't get into that here. Carolyn