With three kids, all their activities, 115 or so chickens, all their eggs, 6 goats, 4 cats, 1 rabbit, 1 dog . . . there's always a lot going on around here. But one thing that's not going on right now is seed starting. Normally, at this time of year, the guest room would have been transformed into a grow room with grow lights hanging from the ceiling to heat the seeds planted in tubs atop the bed. But, not this year.

Because the house is on the market, I'm having to reign in some the crazy stuff. Some of our homesteading things must remain. Surely a potential buyer can look past the compost pail on the kitchen counter, for example. Asking him to overlook the tubs of dirt and smell of earth and tarp-covered bed and newspaper growing pots, though, might be a little much.

This is definitely saddening to me. One of the things it means is that I had to just skip beyond the 15 or so pages of gorgeous heirloom tomatoes in the Baker Creek seed catalog. I just couldn't let myself even look. I guess I'll be buying plants this year. I haven't done it in awhile and don't really know how to go about it. What varieties should I try? Will I be able to get good, healthy, pesticide-free varieties in local stores, or will I need to order? And, if I need to order, from where should I do it?

I'd welcome any help from those who've had good luck with tomato varieties you've begun as plants.

Thanks!