Chef Hubert

paulgrow · October 29, 2013

Have anyone heard about this? 6 bucks for 10 seeds, give me a break.

Chef Hubert is a beautiful 3" red tomato with deep blue shoulders. One of this summer's surprises, this gorgeous tomato came up in a row of Tom's Blue Green tomatoes. We decided to name it after Hubert Des Marais IV, the Executive Chef of the Fairmont Orchid in Hawaii. Chef Hubert actively supports our work with heirloom type tomatoes, and other crops, using organic and sustainable permaculture farming practices. According to Chef Hubert, his namesake tomato is amazingly flavorful and succulent when ripe. The "Bonus": when they are still a day or two from their peak ripeness, they are firm yet possess a nice, sweet but uniquely different taste!
This is a good, all-around tomato, excellent for many uses: on sandwiches, in salads, grilling, etc. Grow it and it will immediately become one of your favorite tomatoes.
We should warn you though, enjoying this tomato may bring on an incredible urge to visit the Fairmont Orchid on the Big Island of Hawaii. It's just a tomato, but it seems to have some mysterious, sub-conscience effects on the behavior of those who grow and consume it...
$6.00 for 10 seeds. For more information and to order Chef Hubert click here.

Doug9345 · October 29, 2013

Quote:

Originally Posted by paulgrow

Have anyone heard about this? 6 bucks for 10 seeds, give me a break.

Tom releases many what I'll call limit run varieties through both Tom Wagner seeds and New World Crops. As far as the price is concerned it's in the range of many hybrids in small quanities once you add shipping and I suspect that it is less than the market will bear as the general advice for ordering from either site is when you see something you want order right then. I've seen varieties disappear in a matter of days.

Likely he could charge more and still sell out. People are just happy to get access to his varieties and breeding lines of tomatoes and potatoes.

As far as that particular variety I'm sure it's something that Tom Wagner has bred, and that it it will be interesting.

Go to the Research and potato forums here. Tom will periodically talk about what he is up to.

**Tom Wagner** · October 29, 2013

Wow! This is neat...seeing a topic that relates to my work even though at first glance I had not the foggiest.

http://www.tomwagnerseeds.com/index....ef-hubert.html

[IMG]http://i.imgur.com/UksYNON.png?1[/IMG]

http://www.tomwagnerseeds.com/media/...hubert_2_2.jpg

I had nearly forgotten about the single plant that showed up in a row of Blue Green in Hawaii. Gary told me about it over the phone and I am guessing that it is an F-1 hybrid with perhaps Cascade Village Blue as the male parent in an accidental outcrossing. It should be easy enough to maintain the red flesh in the progeny but a few greens, yellows, browns, may show up too! I made a suggestion that we cross it back to Blue Green to see if the progeny would prove up the direction of the original cross. The other suggestion is to take cuttings and keep it alive for a few clonal generations since it might be hard to reproduce it exactly.

I am not surprised either that Gary put it into the rare category....taking produce to the market doesn't leave many tomatoes as back up for seed extraction from a single vine. I do rely on customers to help me out with the value of each and every seed lot...if they find uniqueness...those things can be piled on with single seed descent.

Gary finds that happy accidents in tomatoes are fun to work with. Several generations of tomatoes in Hawaii is rapidly building up a distinctive local flare among the tomato lines. Finding a chef to support this work is part of the GROW LOCAL phenomenon. I am glad to be a part of it despite of my absence.

The six dollar price of the seed goes towards replanting the seed...laying down drip lines....transplantiing....hiring "wolfers" to tie up the plants and pick them. I am sure Chef Hubert would appreciate more tomatoes like the fruit he tried earlier. It might be wise to sample each fruit in the next generation and have him select the one with his flavor approval in the next and ensuing generations.

I've got to stop here and plan out which varieties to send to a south Asian country today for a grow out to test for uniformity. It won't include the Chef Hubert but will certainly include any number of F-5 and F-6 seed to measure the degree or lack of variability and then send seed back to the states for a premier grower to test for huge bulking capabilities. I hope the Asian grower will extract seed from single plants to allow for the least amount of segregation. If all fifteen plants in Asia are identical it may not matter but if one plant seems to fit the description best...a single plant extraction will be encouraged. If I get the funding I will personally visit the grow outs in the USA next summer. Fifty plants are need to bulk up a variety...100 is better, however.

Salsacharley · October 29, 2013

I personally justified $6 for 10 seeds and not only snagged the Chef Hubert but also the Wild Card Blues at the same price. I justify the cost with the exclusivity of the cultivars, the reputation of Tom Wagner, and the opportunity to save seeds...not to mention supporting Tom's work. I appreciate those few growers who successfully take that big step into developing fascinating new varieties.

I thought an interesting note is that in addition to Wagner's release of Chef hubert and Wild Card Blues, they are offering the wild variety L Pimpinellifolium that they have used to develop new varieties. Jan Cunningham and Lee Goodwin have been developing some amazing new "wild based" varieties too at J & L Gardens.

I might as well mention Fred Hempel and his mind blowing stuff, too.

And Brad Gates, and Craig LeHoullier of course, and I apologize for any I haven't mentioned.

Charley

**Tom Wagner** · October 30, 2013

I am making tentative plans to visit Hawaii and my webmaster there in the next couple of weeks. Maybe enough tomatoes on the Chef Hubert will be left for me to sample. I hope to take a couple of days to do nothing but make hundreds of crosses and perform some seeding chores.

In case anyone read my previous post...I have selected 15 kinds of my more stable tomato lines to send to Asia via a phytosanitary permit. Trying to limit a select group of tomatoes for increase is a daunting task....but the good news is that many more people will be able to access sizable quantities of my varieties without the sold out label posted all over the place.

dustdevil · October 30, 2013

I'm with you Paul. $6 for 10 seeds is a bit steep for most people. Most tomato growers are interested in the specs and not a bunch of flowery meaningless hooha used to describe it. I wonder if I can trade a slightly used ShamWow for a pack?

Fusion_power · October 30, 2013

Shillealaghwow if you do.

NathanP · October 30, 2013

I have bought several of Tom's material. Partly I am doing it for the genetic material. I know the quantity of seed is low, but for someone like me, intent on saving my own seed, including the genetics of his tomatoes in whatever I grow is a plus. In the 2nd year, I have more than enough seed to do whatever I want to do. Many of his carry genetic resistance to late blight (a problem in my area), and the varieties of colors and shapes keeps me from getting bored.

nancyruhl · October 30, 2013

Fusion Power. I was hoping someone else would ask what that means, but they haven't, so I will.

**carolyn137** · October 30, 2013

Quote:

Originally Posted by nancyruhl

Fusion Power. I was hoping someone else would ask what that means, but they haven't, so I will.

Nancy, look at the post above Darrels where you see sham, and the look at Darrel's word Shill which he elongated to something Irish and I'm trying my best to explain this delicately, but I think you should pick up on what is being said about seed costs and tomato descriptions.

Carolyn

nancyruhl · October 30, 2013

I think I am picking up what you are laying down. Thanks.

dustdevil · October 31, 2013

Stay with me tomato gals...here's a ShamWow in action:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QwRISkyV_B8

**Tom Wagner** · October 31, 2013

I find it humorous and view many of the comments bounced around as good fun...that said, one darn near needs an Urban Dictionary nowadays to follow what some perceive as oblique insults. If I had to repeat all of the marginal words on this thread...I swear I would turn red-faced!

I appreciate all the customers who come to one or more of my seed sites hoping to latch onto something different. I defer to my webmaster on tomwagnerseeds.com and allow him great autonomy to add new lines or collections from my work as he feels fit. If he and a local chef go all ShamWowish about a single tomato clone and use flowery language....let them! I tell my webmaster (Gary) not to get so excited about unexpected things in the tomato rows as they may not be reproduced from seed exactly.

Some of the chefs over in Hawaii are eager to get heirloom type tomatoes grown on the big island organically and are always on the lookout for nuances of tomatoes they can wax eloquently about. Folks who know Chef Hubert write about how they spend half a day out fishing...come back for a special gourmet meal by Hubert and then spend the night at the resort...and drop a thousand bucks for the packaged privilege.

Those of us in the blue tomato breeding know what is involved to get a large slicing blue tomato with red flesh. Add some flavor nuances ..... go ahead...grab the seed if there is yet some available. Play around with it at the same time I will be playing around with it.

The Chef Hubert tomato is but one tomato line that deserves additional research and development into meristem tissue work...cuttings, grafting....and rest assured...I will push for funding to do just that...minus patents if I can help it.

I need to taste the tomato variety we are talking about here and determine if it is a one in a million tomato that is worth one and a million dollars! If not...it is just a six dollar gamble, or as many of my detractors' only trade seed...a sixty cent a seed gamble....

**carolyn137** · October 31, 2013

Quote:

Originally Posted by dustdevil

Stay with me tomato gals...here's a ShamWow in action:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QwRISkyV_B8

How many Shamwows , made in Germany, do I need? I don't know, but two min worth of that Youtube video were worth watching.

Reminds me of the guy who used to sell Oxiclean.

Carolyn

**carolyn137** · October 31, 2013

I find it humorous and view many of the comments bounced around as good fun...that said, one darn near needs an Urban Dictionary nowadays to follow what some perceive as oblique insults. If I had to repeat all of the marginal words on this thread...I swear I would turn red-faced!

.. wrote Tom.

Good thing you're seeing it as humerous as I think several are.

You turning red-faced?

I saw you red-faced when we met at that Tomatomania event in CA years ago. You sitting next to me at the table where I was signing my newly released book for those who wanted me to.

Then we left, you drove around trying to find a place for us to eat, found one, got into some heavy discussions about tomato varieties and certain individuals, and that's when you got red-faced.

Carolyn

October 29, 2013	#1
paulgrow Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Allen Park, MI Posts: 178	Chef Hubert Have anyone heard about this? 6 bucks for 10 seeds, give me a break. Chef Hubert is a beautiful 3" red tomato with deep blue shoulders. One of this summer's surprises, this gorgeous tomato came up in a row of Tom's Blue Green tomatoes. We decided to name it after Hubert Des Marais IV, the Executive Chef of the Fairmont Orchid in Hawaii. Chef Hubert actively supports our work with heirloom type tomatoes, and other crops, using organic and sustainable permaculture farming practices. According to Chef Hubert, his namesake tomato is amazingly flavorful and succulent when ripe. The "Bonus": when they are still a day or two from their peak ripeness, they are firm yet possess a nice, sweet but uniquely different taste! This is a good, all-around tomato, excellent for many uses: on sandwiches, in salads, grilling, etc. Grow it and it will immediately become one of your favorite tomatoes. We should warn you though, enjoying this tomato may bring on an incredible urge to visit the Fairmont Orchid on the Big Island of Hawaii. It's just a tomato, but it seems to have some mysterious, sub-conscience effects on the behavior of those who grow and consume it... $6.00 for 10 seeds. For more information and to order Chef Hubert click here. __________________ A world without tomatoes is like a string quartet without violins. ~Author Unknown~

October 30, 2013	#6
dustdevil Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: WI, USA Zone4 Posts: 1,887	I'm with you Paul. $6 for 10 seeds is a bit steep for most people. Most tomato growers are interested in the specs and not a bunch of flowery meaningless hooha used to describe it. I wonder if I can trade a slightly used ShamWow for a pack? Last edited by dustdevil; October 30, 2013 at 01:25 PM.

October 31, 2013	#15
carolyn137 Moderator Emeritus Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Upstate NY, zone 4b/5a Posts: 21,169	I find it humorous and view many of the comments bounced around as good fun...that said, one darn near needs an Urban Dictionary nowadays to follow what some perceive as oblique insults. If I had to repeat all of the marginal words on this thread...I swear I would turn red-faced! .. wrote Tom. Good thing you're seeing it as humerous as I think several are. You turning red-faced? I saw you red-faced when we met at that Tomatomania event in CA years ago. You sitting next to me at the table where I was signing my newly released book for those who wanted me to. Then we left, you drove around trying to find a place for us to eat, found one, got into some heavy discussions about tomato varieties and certain individuals, and that's when you got red-faced. Carolyn __________________ Carolyn

October 29, 2013	#3
Tom Wagner Crosstalk™ Forum Moderator Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: 8407 18th Ave West 7-203 Everett, Washington 98204 Posts: 1,157	Wow! This is neat...seeing a topic that relates to my work even though at first glance I had not the foggiest. http://www.tomwagnerseeds.com/index....ef-hubert.html [IMG]http://i.imgur.com/UksYNON.png?1[/IMG] http://www.tomwagnerseeds.com/media/...hubert_2_2.jpg I had nearly forgotten about the single plant that showed up in a row of Blue Green in Hawaii. Gary told me about it over the phone and I am guessing that it is an F-1 hybrid with perhaps Cascade Village Blue as the male parent in an accidental outcrossing. It should be easy enough to maintain the red flesh in the progeny but a few greens, yellows, browns, may show up too! I made a suggestion that we cross it back to Blue Green to see if the progeny would prove up the direction of the original cross. The other suggestion is to take cuttings and keep it alive for a few clonal generations since it might be hard to reproduce it exactly. I am not surprised either that Gary put it into the rare category....taking produce to the market doesn't leave many tomatoes as back up for seed extraction from a single vine. I do rely on customers to help me out with the value of each and every seed lot...if they find uniqueness...those things can be piled on with single seed descent. Gary finds that happy accidents in tomatoes are fun to work with. Several generations of tomatoes in Hawaii is rapidly building up a distinctive local flare among the tomato lines. Finding a chef to support this work is part of the GROW LOCAL phenomenon. I am glad to be a part of it despite of my absence. The six dollar price of the seed goes towards replanting the seed...laying down drip lines....transplantiing....hiring "wolfers" to tie up the plants and pick them. I am sure Chef Hubert would appreciate more tomatoes like the fruit he tried earlier. It might be wise to sample each fruit in the next generation and have him select the one with his flavor approval in the next and ensuing generations. I've got to stop here and plan out which varieties to send to a south Asian country today for a grow out to test for uniformity. It won't include the Chef Hubert but will certainly include any number of F-5 and F-6 seed to measure the degree or lack of variability and then send seed back to the states for a premier grower to test for huge bulking capabilities. I hope the Asian grower will extract seed from single plants to allow for the least amount of segregation. If all fifteen plants in Asia are identical it may not matter but if one plant seems to fit the description best...a single plant extraction will be encouraged. If I get the funding I will personally visit the grow outs in the USA next summer. Fifty plants are need to bulk up a variety...100 is better, however.

October 29, 2013	#4
Salsacharley Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2013 Location: New Mexico Posts: 2,052	I personally justified $6 for 10 seeds and not only snagged the Chef Hubert but also the Wild Card Blues at the same price. I justify the cost with the exclusivity of the cultivars, the reputation of Tom Wagner, and the opportunity to save seeds...not to mention supporting Tom's work. I appreciate those few growers who successfully take that big step into developing fascinating new varieties. I thought an interesting note is that in addition to Wagner's release of Chef hubert and Wild Card Blues, they are offering the wild variety L Pimpinellifolium that they have used to develop new varieties. Jan Cunningham and Lee Goodwin have been developing some amazing new "wild based" varieties too at J & L Gardens. I might as well mention Fred Hempel and his mind blowing stuff, too. And Brad Gates, and Craig LeHoullier of course, and I apologize for any I haven't mentioned. Charley

October 30, 2013	#7
Fusion_power Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Alabama Posts: 2,250	Shillealaghwow if you do.

October 30, 2013	#8
NathanP Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2013 Location: RI Posts: 183	I have bought several of Tom's material. Partly I am doing it for the genetic material. I know the quantity of seed is low, but for someone like me, intent on saving my own seed, including the genetics of his tomatoes in whatever I grow is a plus. In the 2nd year, I have more than enough seed to do whatever I want to do. Many of his carry genetic resistance to late blight (a problem in my area), and the varieties of colors and shapes keeps me from getting bored.

October 30, 2013	#9
nancyruhl Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Metro Detroit, Michigan Posts: 1,051	Fusion Power. I was hoping someone else would ask what that means, but they haven't, so I will.