I am obsessed with growing tomatoes. Growing everything and anything is a passion, but tomatoes hold a special place in my gardens. It all began when I was very young, encouraged by my grandfather and father as they led me through their own gardens. Somehow, 40 years has passed between my own first garden, planted in 1981 while a newlywed and grad student, and my current efforts in Hendersonville, North Carolina. My focus on tomatoes, specifically heirlooms, began when I joined Seed Savers Exchange in 1986. Since that time, I’ve accumulated and trialed thousands of varieties. For the last 15 years I’ve co-led a tomato breeding project, resulting in over 120 new dwarf growing types found in various seed catalogs across the country. Along the way I wrote two book – Epic Tomatoes, and Growing Vegetables in Straw Bales – and maintained an active schedule bringing my gardening stories to events across the country.