Quality products made in your own backyard
Skip to content

Delectation of Tomatoes

Heirloom Seeds and Seedlings

Principles and ideas which inform the efforts of Delectation of Tomatoes include:

-Optimal human health depends upon consumption of a wide array of nutrient-dense fresh fruits and vegetables, free of harmful chemicals and contaminants;

-Such food is best acquired from backyard gardens or from local farmers who offer their freshly harvested produce through farmers markets, CSA’s, local restaurants and specialty stores;

-Big corporate farms tend to be profit-driven, impersonal, unconcerned about healthy soils and sustainability, typically concentrate money in the hands of the few, and can rarely match the quality, diversity and nutritional levels of locally produced agricultural products.

In light of these considerations, Delectation of Tomatoes offers, specifically to local gardeners and small farmers:

-Seeds of over 3,000 varieties of fruits and vegetables representing a remarkable collection of heirlooms from around the world, including 1,000 varieties which are not tomatoes (i.e. peppers, melons, squash, beans, lettuce, corn, etc.);

-Seedlings of more than 500 varieties each spring, customizable (with advance requests) to the needs and curiosity of individual gardeners and farmers;

-Fresh produce on a limited scale, based upon what is not needed for seed production;

-Service upon request, including lectures, workshops and onsite training about garden and farm planning, extending the growing season, raising food at high elevation, ecologically responsible and sustainable growing practices, seed saving, self-reliance, etc.

If you want to live, you must eat; if you eat, you might as well eat healthy; while you’re at it, please enjoy eating a wide diversity of tasty and interesting heirloom fruits and vegetable from around the world!  Gardening and eating fresh, local, naturally grown food are cheaper than psychotherapy and unnecessary doctor bills which result from diseases which can be largely prevented with good nutrition. The idea is to make these nutritious products so readily available, so interesting and so tasty that people will be far less tempted eat the faux food found in fast and processed “food”.  Enhanced physical, psychological, social and financial health will be some of the benefits that emerge from this endeavor.

Shop Online

Can be found here:

  • Online
  • Our Facility
  • Local Events

Reviews

Lot of knowledge and a willingness to share it . Best Tomato descriptions in the business . I grow 5000 plants and sell the fruit from them for my living . Dale has the varieties I need to succeed .

Iris Bauer,

Facebook Review

Always a pleasure. Prompt shipping of orders and quick email responses.
Many varieties that aren’t available anywhere else. True to type and always excellent germination. Good job!

Clifton Hedrick,

Facebook Review

My favorite tomato seed vendor! My “go to place” for rare and unusual tomato varieties. Highly recommend!

Shelley P. Hauser,

Facebook Review

East Carbon, UT

  • 170 W Geneva PO Box 655
  • East Carbon, UT 84520

Dale K. Thurber, Ph.D
Founder/Sole Proprietor

Delectation of Tomatoes, etc. was registered as a business in the State of Utah in February 2011.  The founder, sole proprietor, and only producer in this endeavor is Dale K. Thurber, Ph.D. From an early age, Dale had a keen interest in the natural world, spending as much time as possible outdoors observing and collecting plants and small animals.  He has been an avid gardener since age 8 or so. Professionally, he served as an endangered species biologist for more than 20 years, conducting research and management in 20 states. For several years he also taught college courses in the biological sciences.

In early 2010, frustrated with the limited selections and exaggerated claims from the big seed companies, Dale won an online auction of a collection of seeds from documented giant tomatoes.  Later that year, he took a course called, “Grow Utah Farmers, Direct Market Track”, and decided to try to make a go of turning his gardening hobby into a small business.

After fits and starts, bumps and bruises, and adjustments to changing circumstances, Dale now focuses primarily on production of seeds and seedlings, with fresh produce taking a secondary role.  With over 2,300 varieties of tomato seeds in inventory (and they keep coming in…), Delectation of Tomatoes houses one of the largest private collections of heirloom tomato seeds in North America, with a special emphasis on large-fruited varieties:  320+ varieties that can produce tomatoes of 2 lbs. or larger!

Supporting Delectation of Tomatoes means supporting the preservation, propagation and promotion of an amazing diversity of fruit and vegetable varieties from around the world, while also enjoying and appreciating the best that Nature has to offer.  You will also be promoting your own health and supporting the local economy.