A Fresh Crop

Jennifer Polanz

Whether you’re growing a commercial crop, growing veggie starts for retail or growing for local markets, All-America Selections has you covered when it comes to new winners for 2022. The organization, which has been trialing garden crops going on 90 years next year, recently announced edibles selections for 2022. Find out more about All-America Selections, including where to visit display gardens, details on past winners and more, at all-americaselections.org.

Lettuce Bauer from Vitalis Organic Seed (National Winner)—One judge tested Bauer in a home hydroponic system to rave results: “The dense, compact growth makes this an excellent candidate for controlled environment production.”

Another judge says: “High-quality and high-yielding lettuce with dark color, dense heads and sweet crisp leaves.”

Pepper Dragonfly from Bejo Seeds Inc. (National Winner)—Judges say this plant produces beautiful purple peppers with thick, sweet walls. Fruits are kept high on the plant and the purple color doesn’t fade. One plant can produce 40 fruits.

Tomato Purple Zebra from Frogsleap Farm and distributed by A.P. Whaley Seed Company (National Winner)—Judges loved the color inside and out on this variety, noting it would be a very marketable fruit for farmers markets. “Overall, this tomato has a better taste and thinner skin than comparisons with excellent disease resistance,” says the AAS description.

Tomato Sunset Torch from Frogsleap Farm and distributed by A.P. Whaley Seed Company (Regional Winner: Mountain/Southwest, Southeast, West/Northwest)—This variety features high resistance to multiple diseases, including Tomato Mosaic Virus (ToMV), Verticillium Wilt Va/Vd and Fusarium Wilt Races 1 and 2, as well as intermediate resistance to Tomato Yellow Leaf Curl Virus (TYLCV) and Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus (TSWV). Judges also like its early yields and mild, sweet flavor.

Tomato Pink Delicious from Bayer Seminis (Regional Winner: Southeast & Heartland)—This tomato has it all: early harvest, excellent flavor and texture, disease resistance, and even improved germination. “Definitely a winner for an ‘heirloom’-looking tomato, but with all the benefits of a hybrid!” one judge notes. IG