Yup, soil is definitely a big factor.
Where I grew up, in the farmlands of central PA, my valley was blessed with most fertile soil, on top of a rich seam of Valentine limestone; percolation was great & the ph was pretty much self-regulating. At my present location, I've a thin topsoil on top of heavy clay, thanks to those who 50+ years ago "developed" what was once a forested plateau; percolation sucks, and the ph varies greatly all over my property.
Given the small area available here for gardening - the whole property is a mere 8900 sq. ft. - and the soil conditions, I have, over the course of several years, built a raised bed of organic material that extends about 18 in. below ground level and 8 in. above. Percolation there keeps the plants adequately protected even when the rest of the area is awash in runoff from a neighboring property after heavy rains. An occasional dash of greensand suffices as supplement.
With a limited space with suitable soil, I'm constrained to determinate tomatoes if I'm to have any space left for other crops. And, as Rutgers was the variety that I first tried as a kid, one that never failed me, it's the one that I here prefer.
You, on the other hand, seem to be in the envious position of having a rather large area for gardening, such as I recall from childhood days. My parents rented a portion of what had once been a farm, that portion including the house, sheds, milk house & barn. Along with a garden of considerable size - from recollection, roughly equal to that of my present property in total - surrounded by a fence that served for growing grapes, there were also a variety of fruit trees (apple, pear, 2 or 3 types of sour cherries & an oxheart cherry) and various berries, such that, aside from peaches & bananas, our need for store bought fruits & vegetables was exceedingly small.
Had I the space & the time, I'd try growing every variety of tomato known. Until then, keep on enjoying your own personal Tomato World.
