Pages 22 and 23 of "The Organic Way" Issue 172, Summer 2003. Old McDonald.

Saving tomato seed is really easy. Just remove the pulp and seeds into a bowl and let it ferment for a few days (they say this kills any diseases), wash the seeds off and then dry on a towel. Tomatoes tend to be self fertile so chances are good you'll have the same type next year.

Did you know that many of the most popular and tasty heirloom tomatoes over here are from eastern Europe? North American plant explorers have done a great job bringing back hundreds of varieties, more than any one of us could grow in a lifetime. I wonder, now that those countries have adopted western style economics, whether many of those varieties will last much longer.

Traditions can die so fast these days. Here in New Jersey, up into the 1960s, there were dozens of types of pole lima beans. Growers would get together for cook-offs and tastings. Types were passed down through the generations as prized family possessions. My own beans were acquired by a late friend of mine during the 2nd World War from Quaker family here in New Jersey, and they had probably been growing them for hundreds of years. They are a worry to me, I don't want to be the final link.

Over here we have the Seed Savers Exchange, which is a wonderful organization. They collect and grow out garden heirlooms, and provide a place for gardeners to share their seeds. But such links are tenuous, hanging on the dedicated work of few individuals. The future seems uncertain. To me the wonderful diversity of heirlooms is an outgrowth of local culture, and here in America, local culture is as nearly extinct as the mastadon.

Sorry for the rant, and good luck with your tomatoes. You'll have no problem.