{"id":6313,"date":"2026-10-24T15:47:23","date_gmt":"2026-10-24T15:47:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/en\/?p=6313"},"modified":"2026-10-24T15:47:23","modified_gmt":"2026-10-24T15:47:23","slug":"elser-farms-brown-derby","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/en\/elser-farms-brown-derby\/","title":{"rendered":"Elser Farm\u2019s Brown Derby Review & Photos"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n
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\ud83c\udf45 Quick take:<\/strong> Elser Farm\u2019s Brown Derby is an indeterminate<\/strong> beefsteak with a unique greenish-ochre to brownish-orange skin and vibrant tricolor flesh. Growers consistently praise its sweet, rich, and slightly tangy flavor, often comparing it to a ripe mango or the famous Dwarf Uluru Ochre. While it’s an indeterminate vine, most growers note it stays relatively compact (around 5 ft \/ 1.5 m), making it great for side rows in a greenhouse. Yields are reported as high, especially when given plenty of sun. Full summary \u2193<\/a><\/div>\n

Growers’ Notes and Photos<\/h2>\n
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Svetikk (Svetlana) \u2b50 Pro Grower (29,423 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n
\ud83d\udccd Moscow Region, Russia (USDA Zone 4)<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Elser Farm\u2019s Brown Derby. Indeterminate. The vine was vigorous, grew it in the greenhouse and it was doing great at first. But then it got too much nitrogen and started dropping blossoms because of the weather (constant rain and high humidity). Since it was shaded due to tight spacing, I pruned the plant heavily, leaving only the bottom truss where just one single fruit survived, just enough for me to taste it. Seeds came from SvetaR with the highest recommendations as her sweetest and most delicious variety from last season.<\/p>\n

Beautiful oblate shape, greenish-ochre color with an orange tint inside. Weighed about 12.3 oz (350 g). Buttery flesh, very good flavor but with a decent amount of tartness. Dwarf Uluru Ochre<\/a> is still better though! \ud83e\udd2d<\/p>\n

Didn’t save many seeds, only got them from this one mater.<\/p>\n

\"Elser<\/a>
\n\"Elser<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Olga39 (Olga) \u2b50 Grower (215 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n
\ud83d\udccd Kaliningrad, Russia (USDA Zone 6)<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Grew this one in 2019. In my opinion, it’s a very worthy and interesting variety with a rich and complex flavor. Every single truss ripened for me. The taste actually evolved as I harvested the higher trusses, going from good to absolutely outstanding.\"Elser<\/a>
\n\"Elser<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Tatka (Tatyana) \u2b50 Pro Grower (35,139 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n
\ud83d\udccd Kazan, Russia (USDA Zone 4)<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Svetikk said:<\/strong>
\nElser Farm\u2019s Brown Derby… I pruned the plant heavily, leaving only the bottom truss where just one single fruit survived, just enough for me to taste it…<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Sveta, did you happen to regrow this one this year?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Svetikk (Svetlana) \u2b50 Pro Grower (29,423 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n
\ud83d\udccd Moscow Region, Russia (USDA Zone 4)<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Tatka said:<\/strong>
\nSveta, did you happen to regrow this one this year?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

No, I wanted to but I only have a few seeds left. I did regrow my favorite Dwarf Uluru Ochre though. And a segregation I got from Cresta di Fuoco turned out very similar in both color and taste.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Irina Fedorova \u2b50 Pro Grower (1,660 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n
\ud83d\udccd Kaliningrad, Russia (USDA Zone 6)<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Grew Brown Derby this year, really liked it. The vine isn’t super tall, but it’s sturdy with massive leaves. Trusses don’t kink, and it threw out both large and medium fruits. Absolutely loved the flavor, honestly didn’t seem any worse than my beloved Uluru. Once again, forgot to take pictures.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Petrofka (Natalya) \u2b50 Pro Grower (8,068 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n
\ud83d\udccd Nizhny Novgorod, Russia (USDA Zone 4)<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
You gotta want it. First variety to hit my wishlist for the new season \ud83e\udd26\u200d\u2640\ufe0f<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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FLOKSA (Olga) \u2b50 Grower (397 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Absolutely love this gorgeous variety. Been growing it for quite a while now. Seeds originally came from Marinessa. It doesn’t grow too tall for me, so it’s perfect to tuck along the greenhouse wall. The flesh is buttery and very unique. And the flavor is sweet with some special twist to it. If there are similar varieties out there, I definitely want to try them. As of today, Elser Farm\u2019s Brown Derby stands way out from the rest of my tomatoes.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Verusik1982 (Vera) \u2b50 Newbie (13 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Hey folks, I ordered seeds for this beauty this year. What’s the maturity on it, mid-season? I\u2019m really tight on space, so I\u2019m guessing it needs to be as close to the sun as possible? I only have one spot left for either Uluru or this one. Which one should I actually plant? Thinking about sticking it on the sunny side of the greenhouse.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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FLOKSA (Olga) \u2b50 Grower (397 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Verusik1982 said:<\/strong>
\nThinking about sticking it on the sunny side of the greenhouse.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

That\u2019s exactly how it grows for me every year, in the second row but facing the sun. Didn’t bake at all in this extreme summer heat. Definitely not an early variety though.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Irina Volga (Irina Rubleva) \u2b50 Pro Grower (902 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n
\ud83d\udccd Volgograd, Russia (USDA Zone 6\/7)<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\"Elser<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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TatyanaSh (Tatyana) \u2b50 Pro Grower (5,471 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n
\ud83d\udccd Moscow Region, Russia (USDA Zone 4)<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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My Derby. Flavor-wise, it’s my biggest discovery this year. There are tasty tomatoes, and then there’s this one, it’s just something special. The flesh is tender, almost like a ripe mango, with a bright zippy tang to it. You just want to eat this slicer raw, without any salt or spices, just like a treat. So incredibly good!Mine turned out mid-sized (definitely better to plant it on the edge of the greenhouse) and mid-late season. Weights were around 7-14 oz (200-400 g). The color in the photo didn’t translate perfectly, it’s more of an ochre in real life.<\/p>\n

Huge props to @SvetaR for the seeds, thank you!<\/p>\n

\"Elser
\n\"Elser<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Anela (Elena) \u2b50 Pro Grower (3,218 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n
\ud83d\udccd Kazan, Russia (USDA Zone 4)<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Olga39 said:<\/strong>
\nIn my opinion, it’s a very worthy and interesting variety with a rich and complex flavor…<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Who did you buy your seeds from?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Olga39 (Olga) \u2b50 Grower (215 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n
\ud83d\udccd Kaliningrad, Russia (USDA Zone 6)<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Anela said:<\/strong>
\nWho did you buy your seeds from?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Bought the seeds from Danko. Why do you ask, are there different strains of “Derby” out there?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Anela (Elena) \u2b50 Pro Grower (3,218 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n
\ud83d\udccd Kazan, Russia (USDA Zone 4)<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Olga39 said:<\/strong>
\nBought the seeds from Danko. Why do you ask…<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Your photos are just beautiful.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Olga39 (Olga) \u2b50 Grower (215 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n
\ud83d\udccd Kaliningrad, Russia (USDA Zone 6)<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Anela said:<\/strong>
\nYour photos are just beautiful.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

It grew on the south side of the greenhouse, soaking up the sun \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Verusik1982 (Vera) \u2b50 Newbie (13 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Big thanks, y’all. We aren’t huge fans of tart tomatoes, but I’ll plant one vine just to test it out.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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FLOKSA (Olga) \u2b50 Grower (397 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Here is the coloring I get! Never gets as bright as the photos above. But the flavor is always a bomb!\"Elser<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Murka (Masha) \u2b50 Pro Grower (9,772 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n
\ud83d\udccd Nizhny Novgorod Region, Russia (USDA Zone 4)<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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One of my absolute favorite ochre-colored varieties. The flesh is dense, buttery, and incredibly delicious. Fruits are huge, around 10.5-14 oz (300-400 g).It\u2019s an indet vine, reaches about 5 ft (1.5 m) and does great in a side bed.<\/p>\n

\"Elser<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Ellis_Cu (Tatyana) \u2b50 Grower (131 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n
\ud83d\udccd Kolomna, Moscow Region, Russia (USDA Zone 4)<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Grew this one this year. Super delicious variety with sugary flesh, the plant was absolutely loaded. Grew it outdoors under an awning. Turned out crazy productive! Loved it so much, probably the best new-to-me variety this season.\"Elser<\/a>
\n\"Elser<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Full Summary: Plant, Yield, Taste and Growing Tips<\/h2>\n