Sybil Gorby, a 92-year-old resident of Tyler County, West Virginia, has been planting seeds from the same heirloom tomato lineage since 1965. Every spring, she cultivates the seeds in her garden, and by mid-August, she is rewarded with plump, shiny, and delicious tomatoes. Gorby believes there is something exceptional about these seeds and the tomatoes they yield year after year. Gorby still lives on the same farm where she and her late husband built a home 60 years ago. She has had a green thumb since she was a teenager, and her love for gardening began while helping to look after her neighbor's garden. Seeing a seed bloom and then blossom into edible deliciousness gives her a feeling of pride.
Once she and her husband moved to the farm, Gorby was eager to have a garden of her own. At its peak, it was 40 by 40 yards and brimming with fresh fruits and vegetables as well as flowers and plants. She grew potatoes, green beans, corn, and squash, among other crops and flowers. Gorby always had enough food and vegetables to feed the whole community, and she never accepted money for her produce, preferring to give it away.
Gorby's daughter, Sandy Marody, grew up eating the heirloom tomatoes and believes there is something magical about them. The seeds just grow into wonderful tomato plants. According to The Washington Post, sometimes the seeds turn into giant heirloom tomatoes, including one from last year's harvest. Marody shared a photo of her mother holding the large fruit on Facebook, which went viral, with people being impressed by the size of the tomato.
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