History of The Dubois Tomato, an Heirloom Tomato

What is an Heirloom Tomato?

How experts define heirlooms can vary, but typically they are at least 50 years old, and are often pre-WWII varieties. Most heirlooms come from seed that has been handed down for generations in a particular region or area, hand-selected by gardeners for a special trait. Others may have been developed by a university a long time ago (again, at least 50 years), in the early days of commercial breeding. All heirloom vegetables are open-pollinated, which means they’re pollinated by insects or wind without human intervention. In addition, they tend to remain stable in their characteristics from one year to the next.

Heirloom tomatoes have become increasingly popular and more readily available in recent years. Many gardeners agree that most heirloom varieties boast greater flavor than that found in hybrids, especially among tomatoes.

While hybrid plants typically yield a crop that is uniform in both appearance and timing, heirloom vegetables may produce a “mixed bag” harvest. The harvest may come in less predictably, and fruit size can vary greatly even on the same plant.

Despite their sometimes odd looks and quirky ways, heirlooms bring lots to the table (literally!).

Where did The Dubois Tomato come from?

Graham’s Greenhouse has been selling the “Dubois Tomato” dating back to the 1930’s, when Marion Graham purchased some tomato plants from Dubois, PA. Many of the Graham’s and local gardeners grew the plants that summer, and everyone that ate the tomatoes loved how big and tasty they were. Since everyone that tried the tomatoes liked them so much, the Graham’s decided to save the seeds, and grow them again the next year. And we have repeated this process every year since then!