Red Barn

[Tania]

what a great tomato!

Alhough it has been quite late in my garden this year, the taste made up for the long wait.

All the fruits are in 12-24 oz range, very pretty, with rich tomato flavor. Too bad I don't have pictures (I thought I did, but apparently this was not the case )

I know that Carolyn distributed it to GW members in 2005. Carolyn, if you are reading this, would you be able to share some historical information about this wonderful variety?

[carolyn137]

Tania,

Yes, I did distribute quite a bit of seed for Red Barn b'c I also think it's a great variety.

Red Barn as well as Box Car Willie and Mule Team and Great Divide and Pasture were all bred by Joe Bratka's father.

Joe found the seeds in glass jars in a tool shed on their/his property and couldn't germinate any of them so sent seeds to me.

I was able to germinate the ones I listed above and there were maybe 2-3 others that I couldn't germinate. And I've always wondered what those might have turned out to be, but I did my best and failed with those.

I think it was in the summer of 2004 that I had 3# fruits from both Red Barn and Tidwell German, so Red Barn does have the capacity to grow large. I can say that that summer was also a wet one and under those circumstances some varieties will put out large fruits.

[Deer Park]

Hi Tania!

Where did you get your Red Barn if I might ask?

I have grown Red Barn and Red Penna for a couple of years now but only gotten small to medium size fruit. I must not have the real thing of either one.

Climate and soil conditions are good here in the early spring and I routinely have very large fruit so I'm sure that isn't a factor.

Michael

[remy]

Michael,
Just so you know,(I think I wrote it on the seed packet, but I can't remember,) the Red Penna seed I originally got from Carolyn. There is a photo of a one on my seeds for trade post. It should be big when you grow it : )
Remy

[Tania]

Originally Posted by Deer Park

Hi Tania!

Where did you get your Red Barn if I might ask?

I have grown Red Barn and Red Penna for a couple of years now but only gotten small to medium size fruit. I must not have the real thing of either one.

Climate and soil conditions are good here in the early spring and I routinely have very large fruit so I'm sure that isn't a factor.

Michael

Michael,

I got my Red Barn seeds from Linda Black (GW) who got it from Neil Lockhart 04

[carolyn137]

I got my Red Barn seeds from Linda Black (GW) who got it from Neil Lockhart 04

And in the SSE Yearbook Neil cites his source as Joe Bratka in 1999 but that can't be right b'c Joe sent me the seeds for all of those I mentioned above b'c he himself couldn't germinate the seeds that he found in the glass jars in the tool house.

I have a feeling that Neil has made an error and either got them from me, since I'm the one who introduced them and first listed them in the Yearbooks, or perhaps I sent back to Joe seeds from all that I germinated for him after I grew them out and then he sent out those and/or grew out plants, saved seed and then sent them out.

Neil refers to Joe with an SSE ID but Joe was only a member for one year back in the very early 90's, before Joe even sent me those seeds to germinate, so I do think he has something mixed up as to his source.

it's too long ago for me to remember.

Whatever; it's a large very good tasting, usually blemish free variety as are the others that Joe's father bred and I germinated for Joe such as Great Divide, Box Car Willie, Mule Team and Pasture.

There were three that I could not germinate and I always wondered what they would have been like.