Market growers do not sell many varieties. I was in our FM today. Except for a yellow tomato all were red beefsteak type. On top of that, they don't tag the name of what they are selling, is it hybrid, heirloom ???. If you ask the person at the cash register you will hear " I Don't Know ". Sorry to hear it is that way at your market. Policies are very different around here. For such a low population area we have a surprising number of long-established markets in our area and well-labeled, well-informed heirloom sales are quite popular. Can't say what they may be like in the Dallas area but hopefully they are better than what you have experienced. Otherwise they serve little purpose. And from the link below it appears there are many of them, several with excellent reviews and at least a couple of them that specialize in heirloom varieties. Dave Here is a link that might be useful: Dallas area Farmer's Markets

Thanks Trudi, i appreciate your comment, I know you grow many varieties every year. Thanks Carolyn, I appreciate your response as well. I don't post here much but i do read this forum often, I agree about seed catalogs being a bit gushy and not really very reliable about varieties which is why I asked some folks here on the tomato forum for their experiences. There have been times when many folks will agree about taste, production and such, which have lead me to try some fine varieties. I understand about the variables as I have experienced some of this in my years of growing especially having moved around a bit, now finally to our current home in zone 5. Since I have discovered some fine varieties from reading here and I only have room for 6 plants I am trying to choose carefully which is soooo difficult. Thanks again Wendey

I am a fabricator: IMHO a seam at the sink is a less than optimum choice particularly on quartz. Properly done a full size seam on quartz is "nearly invisible". nearly invisible means you would not notice it unless you specifically looked for it. such a seam requires that the seam edges be properly prepared in the fab shop (no chips and absolutely square 90 degree edges) and a vacuum tool with jacking mechanism is used to pull the seam edges together at install. unfortunately the vacuum tool for installation can't be used on the narrow rails in a seam at the sink situation. I also have a basic objection to putting seams in the busiest place in the entire kitchen. For me it is also objectionable to have the seam in the edge showing in the sink cutout. some fabricators sell the idea that sink seams are better because they're shorter but IMHO it is almost impossible to consistently get a "nearly invisible" seam on a sink rail. Fabricators like sink seams because it eliminates the risk of cracked sink rails which can be very expensive for the fabricator and can occur even if the fabricator and installers do everything right. To me this is a quality shortcut. I hate (really hate) cracked sink rails but they happen even with install crews like mine that have 30+ years of experience. the only time we recommend seamed sink rails is when the customers sink is a very large (typically 3 bowl) undermount that requires a cutout so large the sink run countertop becomes too fragile to transport and install.

You might have read this story elsewhere but I think about it all the time so I will share again. My maternal GM was a very accomplished seamstress. One day, long ago when I was a surly teenager, she pulls an expensive silk fabric and decides she's going to teach me how to sew. I wasn't at all interested so I suggested we start "easy" with a cotton or something. She says: "nonsense, any idiot can follow this pattern". Guess what happened:. I ruined the thing. She was so mad at me and I was so aggravated about being forced to do something in which I wasn't interested. She always regretted that neither my mom or I were interested in sewing and I, in the spirit of full rebellion, stayed as far away from sewing as possible. That is until the day, many years later, that I saw a pair of shorts I liked with a ridiculous price tag. DH got me a $20 sewing machine (toy like) and it got me started. I LOVE doing basic things like pillows, repairs, personalizing stuff. Just love it. I often wonder whether GM is watching and relieved that somebody took up her hobby/passion. It is a bittersweet story b/c she and I never got along. Not really hatred but rather total misunderstanding of one another. Mutual loss..... I am jealous of all who write and reminisce about their wonderful grannies, a gift to be sure.