Can you name some more varieties that have the old time tomato taste you like? I've heard that terminology used for some pretty different tomatoes. I still haven't tried Rutgers, Marglobe or Ramapo (but I'm thinking about trying Rutgers and similar next year). Some of my favorites for taste are Tatura, Burpee Gloriana, Green Giant, Early Girl F1, Pruden's Purple, Poca Roja (a red tomato that came from a pack of Big Sungold Select seeds), Brandy Boy, Marmande, Mountain Princess, and Green Tiger. The order of that list could change as easily as the wind.

Your pepper leaves are puckered? I would check the backside of the leaves first for sucking insects (aphids, plant bug, leaf hopper). The tomatoes seem to be damaged more on the bottom of the plant than the tops. Judging from the photos and the area you are in I would guess you are hit with early blight. I am in Wisconsin too and early blight and septoria leaf spot are bad some years on tomatoes. It may be from the walnuts but doubtful. Tomatoes will not grow well by black walnuts. They will develop hollow stems that break easily. I have first hand experience with this. Normally if the walnut tree is too far away or too small you will be ok. As the tree gets bigger and the roots get into the garden area you may have a problem. Walnut roots will have juglone that is toxic to many plants. Move the garden father away from the walnut or cut down the walnut when this happens. The juglone levels will subside with time. However I do not think your problems are from the walnut trees at this time. To prevent comon tomato diseases, always limb up the lower branches to about 18"-24". This helps as often on septoria asthe spores splash up from the ground. Yo also get better airflow under the tomato as wet, damp leaves will be more prone to tomato foliar diseases. Others use a mulch under the tomatoes be it plastic or organic. Finally if necessary, a preventative spray with a fungicide containing the active ingredient "chlorothalonil" will prevent most tomato fungal diseases. One common brand is "Fungon-il" that is an Ortho product. Many home growers in the US have to spray with a preventative fungicide or they will be wiped out by early blight. Thankfully I grow an old heirloom variety and so far have had no blight issues despite my neighbor who grows tomatoes not far from my garden. His tomatoes get wiped out every year by early September due to early blight and septoria leaf spot. i never spray my tomatoes and hope my luck continues.

why did you cut it apart??? .. even a damaged plant... can produce??? 2nd pic ... is the trunk actually squeezed by the tie up???.. is all the damage above said tie? ... when did the black fabric go down ... what if anything have you changed in the last month ... etc ... ken

Somewhat sadly, fungicides are mostly preventative. They don't kill fungus once it is established. Gurney's First Start™ Seed Starter is sterile. The ProMix stuff is peat-based, and I think it is intentionally not sterilized, but pretty certain not to be fungally infected. So I suspect that's not the problem. The fact that you have some experience doing seed starting makes this especially strange. I assume that you've kept control of the temperatures. 5 week old seedlings need fertilization. What have you used?