Gardening: Winning vegetables to try out this summer

W. Ray Hastings, founder of All-America Selections (AAS; http://www.all-americaselections.org), had an idea in 1932.
He proposed a system of trial gardens across North America where breeders would supply seeds of their latest flower and vegetable varieties. Skilled, impartial judges would assess the plants.
The first winners were announced in 1933 and, for the first time, home gardeners, farm seed and florist magazine editors had a reliable source of information about the best new varieties. Tod