Seed Stories: The Peg O’ My Heart Tomato

For Peg Davis, having her ‘Peg O’ My Heart’ tomato accepted into the Seed Savers Exchange collection was a dream come true. It all started nearly 50 years ago when…

A man smiles and holds several large green tomatoes

Stewardship Stories

Hope and Practice: Craig LeHoullier

Hope and Practice with Craig LeHoullier: ‘Participating in Seed Savers Exchange Changed My Life.’ It is hard for me to believe, but my discovery, joining, and total immersion into Seed Savers Exchange happened in 1986. SSE was a mere child of 11, and I was a young husband, father, and relatively inexperienced gardener of 30. Though I am still a husband and father—and soon-to-be grandfather—my gardening experience has grown significantly, with much of the credit going to the life I’ve lived as an SSE member.

A woman smiles and holds up a large tomato, with two more tomatoes on a table in front of her

Stewardship Stories

Peg Davis: The Tomato Lady

Peg Davis of Snow Spring Farm in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley finds happiness and purpose in growing and stewarding heirloom tomatoes, including ‘Peg O’ My Heart, which she recently donated to Seed Savers Exchange.

A collage of various images of heirloom plants, including 'Moon & Stars' watermelon, 'German Pink' tomato, 'Three Pound Coffee Can' asparagus, 'Grandpa Ott's' morning glory, dill, and 'Good Mother Stallard' bean

Varieties

50th Anniversary Heirloom Seed Collection

Great seeds, great seed stories. Seed Savers Exchange has stewarded both since its founding in 1975. To mark our 50th year, we’ve released a limited-edition heirloom seed collection featuring six of our most-cherished varieties.

large tomatoes and purple morning glory flowers staged in a picture frame with a red barn in the background

Stewardship Stories

Behind the Catalog Cover Shot

The 2025 Seed Savers Exchange Catalog proudly offers more than 600 unique, open-pollinated varieties, but its cover showcases only two—the delightfully delicious ‘German Pink’ tomato and the mighty yet majestic ‘Grandpa Ott’s’ morning glory (with the historic barn at Heritage Farm providing the backdrop).

Three orange tomatoes on a wood plank surface.

Varieties

‘Oma’s Orange’ Tomato: A Tradition of Love

Betty Moore, a Seed Savers Exchange member from Stow, Ohio, holds a cherished family heirloom—a tomato variety that has been part of her family for years. This tomato has a rich history dating back to 1937, when Betty’s mother, Oma Rachel Lively Miller, received it from a relative upon her marriage. You might know it as ‘Oma’s Orange’ tomato.

Varieties

‘German Pink’: the tomato that started it all

Here at Heritage Farm—the Northeast Iowa home of Seed Savers Exchange—the ‘German Pink’ tomato is perhaps best known as “tomato number one” or “the tomato that started it all.”

Whole green tomatoes and two green tomato slices

Stewardship Stories

Stewardship Stories: Bill Minkey

Over 26 years, Bill Minkey has donated nearly 500 varieties of tomatoes, beans, lettuce, and peas to the Seed Savers Exchange seed bank collection, and in 2017, Bill listed 1,011 varieties in the Exchange.

A whole tomato between two halved tomatoes on a wooden surface

Recipes

Recipe – Sugo: Juice of Life

Sugo: Juice of Life, submitted by Robin Morgan, Seed Savers Exchange intern and Italian chef. The Italian word sugo means both “juice of life” and a tomato-based pasta sauce. To call something sugo is to say it is rich, interesting, and worthy.

A wooden box of red, orange, yellow, and white tomatoes of varying sizes

Recipes

Recipe: Golden Tomato Tart

Golden Tomato Tart, submitted by Rosalind Creasy, author, photographer, and Seed Savers Exchange advisor. This spectacular tart can be served as an appetizer or as an entrée for a light lunch. It is quite dramatic made with gold tomatoes or any combination of colorful homegrown luscious tomatoes. Any leftover marinade can be used as a base for a vinaigrette dressing.