Tomatoes are originally from South America but hundreds of varieties have been bred and adapted in Canada to meet our short season and diverse climates. In 1994, a group of members realized that most of these varieties were in danger of disappearing, and encouraged gardeners to discover, multiply, and share seeds of Canadian tomatoes.
Over time, many of those varieties have become available again from a handful of seed companies, and through our Member Seed Exchange, but we still have work to do. In 2024 we involved 118 members in a Community Seed Growout for Canadian tomato varieties, so you might have grown one of these treasures yourself!
If you'd like to grow a Canadian tomato, search our Member Seed Directory and watch for our next Community Seed Growout because we'll grow them again!