Are you a gardener, or thinking about becoming one? There are so many reasons to grow you own food, but it can be tricky to choose the right variety of produce. Here are a few options that were developed right here in West Virginia and are well-suited to our climate and countryside!

The West Virginia '63 Centennial Tomato was developed by West Virginia University professor Mannon Gallegly in 1963.
Southern Exposure Seed Exchange (used with permission)
It is especially significant in the produce world because it was one of the earliest blight resistant strains of tomato. Some refer to it as "The People's Tomato." You can order seeds here, or you may be able to find them locally.
In 2017, Gallegly and colleague Mahfuz Rahman used the West Virginia '63 Tomato to develop the Mountaineer Pride Tomato, which was larger and had even more disease resistance.
Southern Exposure Seed Exchange (used with permission)
You can get seeds for it here. Other tomatoes from West Virginia include the Mason Marvel PhD Tomato, the Mortgage Lifter Tomato, and the Hillbilly Tomato.

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West Virginia is also famous for apples. The Grimes Golden Apple was first cultivated in 1832 by Thomas Grimes in Wellsburg, West Virginia (it was Virginia at the time).
Wikimedia/Alois Lunzer
It's a self-fertile apple (which is relatively rare) and can still be found growing on many old homesteads. It has a rich, sweet flavor that many claim is even better than its famous offspring, the Golden Delicious.
The world famous Golden Delicious apple was developed by accident in Clay County, West Virginia on the Mullins Family Farm.
Forest and Kim Starr/Wikipedia
It is most likely a descendent of the Grimes Golden Apple, and it has been named West Virginia's state fruit.

There are multiple other heritage and heirloom fruits and vegetables that, while not originating in West Virginia, have been successfully grown here for hundreds and hundreds of years: Caseknife beans, Goose beans, Coal Camp beans, Bloody Butcher corn, white-seeded pole beans, and many more. Do you grow any heritage produce in your garden? Did you buy the seeds or were they passed on from a friend or family member? We’d love to hear from all of you experienced gardeners in the comments!

If you are not a gardener, check out this farmers market where you can get still get fresh-grown produce to enjoy even without growing it yourself!

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