Amherst County Gold tomato seeds were brought to Irish Creek in 1932 by the Hamilton Family.
Tomatoes are a garden favorite and the most popular homegrown vegetable. The fruits come in various colors from yellow to red to purple and size small to large.  Tomatoes are grown as an annual, but in frost-free climates, they are perennials. The plants can grow 3 to 10 feet tall and 1 to 4 feet wide. The plant usually has glandular hairs that are very "sticky." While the portion eaten is botanically a fruit, tomatoes are considered a vegetable due to their savory flavor. All green parts of the tomato plant are poisonous. They are in the Solanaceae or nightshade family which includes potatoes, eggplants, and peppers.
Tomatoes are native to Peru, but they have spread worldwide after the Spanish colonization. China is the largest tomato-producing country, followed by the United States, Turkey, India, and Italy.