It became available last year if you ordered the seeds directly from NJAES.

If you want to order seeds, they're available now from Southern Exposure Seed Exchange (and I've seen them on other websites too, though I don't remember which ones):

Seeds of Rutgers 250 at SESE

I think I saw tomato plants of Rutgers 250 in one independent nursery in Texas last year, but I didn't buy any. I might grow this one next year. By the time I saw seeds were available this year, my tomato plans were already made and I didn't want to change them.

I'm hoping its flavor will be the same as the original Rutgers from years ago.

Thanks Dawn!

Ordered the 250s and Original Strain. If they get here in time, I'll add a few to the lineup!

You're welcome. I hope you'll let us know what you think of Rutgers 250 if you grow it. I have high hopes for it. I did like the Original Strain but still didn't feel like it was the Rutgers of my long-ago memories.

I've grown some of the long-gone commercial varieties that Rutgers/NJAES have brought back in the last decade, namely Ramapo and Moreton, and was really pleased with them. It warms my heart that they are trying to bring back great-tasting commercial varieties that fell from favor for whatever reasons.

The typical tomato breeder nowadays seems to breed commercial varieties for everything---size, shape (square-ish tomatoes waste less space in shipping boxes), color (red, red, red), sturdiness (to prevent squishiness in shipping boxes and on shelves), disease resistance/tolerance, pest (nematode) resistance/tolerance and shelf life. However, they aren't breeding for the two things most important to me---flavor and texture/thin skin. I'm excited that Rugters and NJAES are trying to bring back once-great commercial varieties with great flavor and juiciness and texture/skin that aren't rock hard.

There may be hope for the commercial tomato industry yet, though I don't think grocery store tomatoes ever, ever, ever will come close to matching the amazing qualities of home-grown ones. At least, not as long as they pick 'em green, gas them to artificially turn them red before they actually ripen and then sell the unripened, sort of red, mealy, poorly-flavored and poorly-textured tomatoes to unsuspecting consumers.