We are so happy to have discovered this forgotten variety developed by Ken Fisher.
A bit of history:
In the early days of the Garden Seed Inventory, Ken Fisher (of Fisher’s Seeds, Belgrade. Montana—see Northern Light for info on Fisher’s seeds) was the only person listing Gold Dust, a variety he had developed. Here is how he described it in 1985:
Gold Dust – 65 Days – Extra early golden-yellow tomato developed by Fisher’s from a cross of Sunray & one of our early inbreds, large smooth fruits produced on semi-determinate plants.
However, in the early 1990s, a new tomato, also named Gold Dust, was introduced to the seed trade. This Gold Dust was created by the University of New Hampshire. Here is how Gold Dust (#2) was described in the 1995 Garden Seed Inventory:
Gold Dust – 60-65 Days – Extra early orange skinned and fleshed smooth fruits on semi-determinant plants, firm, crack resistant and blemish-free, uniform ripening, developed at the University of New Hampshire.
From that point on, Fisher’s Gold Dust got lumped in with the U of NH’s Gold Dust in the Garden Seed Inventories, and the description for the U of NH’s Gold Dust was the only one published. Fisher’s Gold Dust essentially vanished from the seed trade.
How do we know we have Fisher’s Gold Dust? Our original seedstock of Gold Dust comes from the Seed Savers Exchange (SSE) and the Gold Dust in the SSE collection was donated by Ken Fisher. We are confident we have Fisher’s Gold Dust and are happy to help this tomato get its rightful place in the seed trade again.
How to Plant: Start seeds indoors 6-8 weeks before the last frost. Plant seed 5mm (¼ inch) deep. Keep moist. When true leaves appear, transplant to a larger container if needed. Transplant outside after the danger of frost has passed/later spring.
