Just a thought on this thread...
We get various types in our grocery stores here in Canada
Through the growing season, local grown are usually on offer, as are USA grown, though the latter are frequently hydroponic, and typically lower quality, as you might expect, as they are grown at a distance, and likely picked green to be "ripened", if you can call it that, with gases, similar to banana's...
Our local roadside stands finish off anywhere between late October and mid November, when we are dependent on USA, Mexican and Chilean produce.
The American produce that we get offered (you guys probably save the best for yourselves!) is pretty much what we locally refer to as "woodies"; the Chliean, when you can get it, is not bad, but hardly an "heirloom" (I'm understanding my beloved "BeefSteaks" to be "heirlooms"? Please correct me and advise what I should be attempting to grow this year!)
Noted that the cluster tomato's, the vine ripes, etc, were selling for $2.99a pound a week ago, but for $3.99 you could get 5 lbs of tomato in a tray pack, from Mexico...I bought the Mexicans, and we are enjoying the heck out of them, near perfect, correct texture, etc...just lacking that extra few days on the vine, and "time-picking" them in the mid-morning, when they've soaked up the previous night's watering and "sugared" that bit from the morning sun...
Lifter