Red
Pink
Black
Blue
Green
Striped
Yellow/Gold/Orange/White/BiColor
Beefsteak
Cherry
Cool Weather***
Determinate
Dwarf
Eastern European
Experimental - Crosses, F2's. F3's
Giant***
Heart
Hot Weather
Hybrids F1's - These seeds are commercial varieties and have been purchased. A $1.00 per pack donation is requested so that
seeds can be purchased again for future swaps. These seeds are being offered at a very nice discount.
Knock Your Socks Off - your favorite for flavor that almost no one knows about
Micro Dwarf - 14" or less
Multi-flora
Novelty*** (weird things like Stick, T4, etc...)
Oldies but Goodies - great old varieties that have almost disappeared
Paste/Plum/Canners/Stuffer
Potato Leaf
Striped
Very Early (55 DTM or less)

Everything Else

Beans
Cole Crops
Flowers
Cucumber
Eggplant
Onion
Squash
Misc.

*** are categories where few varieties may show up

Many individual varieties can go into multiple categories.

To enter a category it is suggested that you have 10 packs with a minimum of 5 seeds each of one variety rubber banded together. No staples. You can enter as many categories as you would like.

***There is also the BONUS category - send in your extra packs of seeds to enter. There is no minimum or maximum number of packs but the more you send in makes it a better swap for everybody.

I have a question I have seeds from Big Hill which is a bi color beefsteak. Problem is this variety was developed to cross readily and I didn't bag the blossoms. The seeds may be pure Big Hill or a cross of Big HIll and any of the tomatoes around it. I am thinking they would fit best in the experimental category...

wykvlvr wrote: ↑Tue Oct 04, 2022 12:56 pm I have a question I have seeds from Big Hill which is a bi color beefsteak. Problem is this variety was developed to cross readily and I didn't bag the blossoms. The seeds may be pure Big Hill or a cross of Big HIll and any of the tomatoes around it. I am thinking they would fit best in the experimental category...

I'll likely put it in the Y/G/O/W/BC category for several reasons. It's a bi-color (which are few), it's a "rare" variety (never been in the swap), and it's unknown if there are crosses among the seeds. The Experimental category is for seeds that are known to be crossed. If any grow outs produce off-type fruit, those seeds can go into the Experimental category, next year.

Perhaps listing it as "unbagged" on the label would be best.

okay will list it as bi color unbagged

MissS wrote: ↑Tue Oct 04, 2022 9:27 am To enter a category it is suggested that you have 10 packs with a minimum of 5 seeds each of one variety rubber banded together...

I understand this to mean I send in 10 packs of something in Category X and then get 10 different packs of Category X back. Is that correct?

DriftlessRoots wrote: ↑Thu Oct 06, 2022 2:27 pm

MissS wrote: ↑Tue Oct 04, 2022 9:27 am To enter a category it is suggested that you have 10 packs with a minimum of 5 seeds each of one variety rubber banded together...

I understand this to mean I send in 10 packs of something in Category X and then get 10 different packs of Category X back. Is that correct?

You've got it!

When an individual variety can go into 3 different categories, you just pick the one of the 3 categories that you want it to be entered in?

colcol2 wrote: ↑Tue Nov 14, 2023 4:40 pm When an individual variety can go into 3 different categories, you just pick the one of the 3 categories that you want it to be entered in?

That'll work, if that's what you want.

If you want any of the other categories that the variety falls under, you can list them, too.

Beyond the named varieties wish list, it would be best to list categories wanted, from most wanted to least wanted. And, also list any categories not wanted (if any).

I sent a few seeds, but didn't categorize them.
I apologize.
Some were to "restock" varieties your list shows low.
If there were any questions, don't hesitate...

Thanks, Gary.

Could someone please explain the difference between these categories?

1) Oldie but Goodie - An old variety (how old?) that isn’t often distributed?
2) Knock Your Socks Off - a tomato that really impresses you by productivity or taste?
3)Experimental - is this a cross, offtype, unstable or something grown out that had its name mislabeled?
4) Novelty - this means something unusual? Like unique color, variegated, fuzzy, extremely large over 2 pounds, bizarre shape?
5) Nifty Fifty - 50 baggies or 25x2 - does this have separate qualification than the above 4 categories? Or is is just 50 baggies of a tomato that falls into oldie but goodie, knock your socks off, experimental, or novelty?

Assuming a tomato does not fall into category 1-4, it’s not well distributed, and there is no history on the internet or it’s newer (not an oldie) does that make it nifty? For example, a variety obtained through seed saver exchange or a swap, but no vendors or databases list it. So you can’t confirm age or it’s not old, it’s not a knock your socks off, it’s stable, and it’s not unusual, does the rarity/availability make it nifty?

I am assuming anything falling in these categories should be run by Gary? And to receive back these categories you have to submit to them with Gary’s approval? I don’t see a list of the varieties that fall into this, so I am guessing they fall into the mystery part of the MMMM swap.

I am growing out 7 kinds that may fall into these categories so I am just looking for a better understanding for documenting, harvesting, and packaging. Thanks!

NYTomatoNewbie wrote: ↑Sat Mar 09, 2024 10:54 pm Could someone please explain the difference between these categories?

1) Oldie but Goodie - An old variety (how old?) that isn’t often distributed?
2) Knock Your Socks Off - a tomato that really impresses you by productivity or taste?
3)Experimental - is this a cross, offtype, unstable or something grown out that had its name mislabeled?
4) Novelty - this means something unusual? Like unique color, variegated, fuzzy, extremely large over 2 pounds, bizarre shape?
5) Nifty Fifty - 50 baggies or 25x2 - does this have separate qualification than the above 4 categories? Or is is just 50 baggies of a tomato that falls into oldie but goodie, knock your socks off, experimental, or novelty?

Assuming a tomato does not fall into category 1-4, it’s not well distributed, and there is no history on the internet or it’s newer (not an oldie) does that make it nifty? For example, a variety obtained through seed saver exchange or a swap, but no vendors or databases list it. So you can’t confirm age or it’s not old, it’s not a knock your socks off, it’s stable, and it’s not unusual, does the rarity/availability make it nifty?

I am assuming anything falling in these categories should be run by Gary? And to receive back these categories you have to submit to them with Gary’s approval? I don’t see a list of the varieties that fall into this, so I am guessing they fall into the mystery part of the MMMM swap.

I am growing out 7 kinds that may fall into these categories so I am just looking for a better understanding for documenting, harvesting, and packaging. Thanks!

1) Oldie but Goodie - an "old" variety that has just about disappeared from circulation. I'm not going to put an age on it, other than at least a few decades. As so many new varieties are constantly popping up, and most people want the new, this is a small effort to try to keep exceptionally tasty, (but likely having a boring name or color) older varieties circulating.

2) Knock Your Socks Off - this is ALL about taste, nothing else. Somewhat like Oldies but Goodies, hopefully varieties that almost no one has heard of.

3) Experimental - These are crosses, either homegrown F1s, saved seed of commercial F1s (now F2s), F2s of any kind, F3s, etc...or anything that shows up in your garden and you have no idea what it is, other than it is not what you expected. Not much comes into the swap labeled for this category, so most people just classify seeds as bonuses.

4) Novelty - Way out of the norm varieties, like Stick, T4, Reisetomate (spelling), hollow stuffers, wild types, variegated, fuzzy, etc.... Antho tomatoes were once in this category. It's basically no longer a category, with few seeds sent in. Like 3), people send them in as bonuses.

5) Nifty Fifty - 50 packs (minimum 5 seeds each) of a single variety, or 25 packs of two varieties. These should be varieties unknown, or nearly unknown to the swap. There should be some exceptional quality to the tomato, such as flavor, production, disease resistance, hot or cold tolerance, "beauty"?, etc...or even a great background story to it. Varieties are not to be mentioned anywhere in swap threads. Varieties must get my approval, via PM, as some participants may not know that a variety was widely distributed only a few years ago. The reason for the Nifty Fifty is that it makes my job a lot easier. Putting the same variety into 50 packages, is quick and easy, with little decision making. Now imagine my receiving 1 pack each of about 100 different varieties (like this year...) The NF category doesn't have a lot of participation, as most people don't save enough seed to participate. However more people are sending in 20, or more, packs of some varieties, rather than the requested 10 for a category. Often enough, people want an unknown family heirloom to get distributed as far and wide as possible, and they might make the effort to send in 100 packs of it.

Now, to make things as confusing as possible, most participants, especially long time ones, don't even make specific requests for the categories, any longer. When they send in 10 packs of a variety, I don't know if it's assumed that I'm supposed to return 10 varieties of a category.

Most of it doesn't matter, because most people seem to like the surprises of varieties they've never expected, or never heard of.

And, as you mentioned about varieties that cannot be found in an internet search, those are generally the best to be sent in to the swap. There likely should be a judgement call on your part, as to how many packs to make up, mostly geared toward taste. If you're unsure about the taste, 10 packs, if you really like it, the number of packs is up to you.

My fingers hurt, and I've got to get back to packing seeds.

@Tormato Thank you for the explanation, it helps me figure out what to send and how to package to make your life easier when it comes to distribution. I hope I will have some neat varieties to run by you this fall.