Hi Bigg Joe,
Did you mean Kentucky is known for their heirloom tomatoes? If so, you are in luck. If you make a detour in Louisville, you can stop at Theinemans. They have a huge collection of heirloom tomato plants to choose from each spring. My friend Gary Millwood helps out the nursery in picking out what to grow, etc. The link below is for the nursery.
Remy

Here is a link that might be useful: Thienemans Nursery

You're right, I meant heirloom tomato plants, thanks. I checked out their website and I remember passing their exit everytime we go to see our son in school.

I can second Theinemans. I live about half between Indy and Louisville and usually visit there each spring. Gary is great and very helpful. I have searched all along I65 in Indiana and there doesn't seem much selection.
I haven't been but I have heard several vendors at the Bloomington Farmers Market have heirloom plants. Several of the vendors also sell at farmers markets in the Indy area. I think you might have a better chance at farmers markets than at nurseries.
I start most of mine from seed now, but I still go and visit Gary at the nursery.

Duane

There is a nursery about 35 miles south of Lexington going on I75 South in Berea called the Potting Shed. It had the best selection of heirloom tomatoes that I ever seen. They had around 50 or so different varieties. To give you an idea, here are some that I remember off the top of my head:

Aunt Gertie's Gold
Aunt Ginny's Purple
Barnes Mountain Pink
Barnes Mountain Yellow
Beefsteak
Big Rainbow
Brandywine Sudduth
Cherokee Purple
Depp's Pink Firefly
Evergreen
Giant Belgium
Gold Medal
Juanne Flamme
Mortgage Lifter
Pruden's Purple
Purple Russian
Speckled Roman
True Black Brandywine
Vinson Watts
White Queen
Yellow Brandywine

The list above made me remember I had a link to the tomato list from this spring from Gary.
Remy

Here is a link that might be useful: Thieneman's 2009 Tomato List

Thanks for all the info on Thieneman's. That 2009 list was great. I can see myself planting more tom's next year. Do you think if I went down there the first weekend in May they would still have a good selection of plants? On a side note, do they have a good selection of pepper plants? Thanks.

Thieneman's starts selling their tomato plants around April 18th give or take a few days. Some things sell out the first weekend. Of course it can depend on the weather, but remember they might be 1-2 weeks earlier gardening wise.

They do have some peppers but not a lot but they do have an excellent herb selection.

For pepper plants The Chile Woman in Bloomington IN has awesome stuff.

Here is a link that might be useful: The Chile Woman

Greetings, BiggJoe! I don't get to Garden Web as often as I use to. Thanks to Remy and Duanne for responding to your post. 2010 will be my tenth year as a volunteer at Thieneman's Nursery. We have developed a great following of folks who enjoying growing some of the best tomatoes available! Last year we showcased about forty varieties of Kentucky Heirlooms; this was probably the fist time this many Kentucky varieties were available at one time!
We started some weeks ago considering what varieties to grow for next season; I am still working toward that end.
Plant sale of the Heirloom Tomatoes is usually the Friday - Saturday and Sunday of the last weekend of April. The Kentucky Derby is always the first Saturday of May and it is generally safe for planting at that time.
It always pleased to discover a new grower interested in heirloom tomatoes! Keep in touch!
Gary

Thanks Gary for the info. I was wondering about coming down there the first weekend in May, I figured it would be a madhouse in town. Expect to see me the last weekend of April! And thanks again.

BTW, I might come down there a couple of weeks early to see if you guys can help me on "potting mix and fertilizer" for my tom's.

biggjoe - you might want to check around and see if any of the colleges grow and sell plant's in the spring - there are several that do here in Calif and there is also a couple of big tomato selling events - Tomatomania, The Greenscene and Fullerton Arboretum they sell up to 200+ varieties and sell 40,000 plants in one weekend - it's huge - I am sure you might be able to find something like that in Kentucky - maybe someone will let you know

I live about 30 miles north-east of Louisville on I-71. There's a fabulous nursery a few miles from my house...Starview Greenhouse & Nursery, in LaGrange Kentucky. They always have a very nice selection of tomatoes, both heirloom and hybrid. Last year I got Arkansas Traveler, German Johnson, Hillbilly, Mortgage Lifter, and Aussie's. Their plants are always really healthy. They've got a pretty good selection of pepper plants as well, from what I remember. They also have a nice herb selection.

I'm going to have to check out Thieneman's...I've heard of it, but had never been.

I have noticed that a lot of nurseries/greenhouses are starting to carry some heirlooms/op tomatoes. Some have more than others but at least it is nice to see some variety instead of the usual suspects.

Another source that I don't think was mentioned is checking with some of the larger farmers market in the spring. I have noticed that some of the folks who are selling their produce in the summer have started selling seedlings in the spring for the extra income. Most state ag departments or colleges have a list of farmers markets with details and if they are open in the spring during planting time I would be very surprised if they didn't sell plants.

Fayette Seed in Lexington offered MANY heirloom varieties in spring. I bought Cherokee Purple and Pink German from them. That is just the tip of the iceberg with their selection though. They may be a good stop for you if you venture into Lexington. They also sell 4cuft bags of vermiculite for $18 if you are into square foot gardening (Perlite too for the same).

BiggJoe, I think the nursery has germination mix for sale but not the kind of materials you need to grow tomatoes in. Your best place to go is one of your box stores in your area which has a good selection.
Let me remind you, I am a vounteer at the nursery and am there early spring helping with germinaton of seed. I don't have a regular schedule as one who is employed -- I am there at my convience.
I am sure to be there the last weekend in April, so please introduce your self to me. We are expanding to a larger assortment of both Sweet and Hot Pepper varieties this spring. Germination on pepper varieties will begin in January.
We will be posting a listing of the plants which will be avalable sometime in early April; I will post here the link to the list.
Gary

Thanks for all of the replies and info. I'll be looking for that listing in early April.