i live in north west arkansas and am looking at fig trees at a local nursery. They have the Celeste and brown turkey varieties. I an asking for suggestions of which variety you suggest. I am looking for a good tasting fig with cold hardiness, good production and forgiving for a new comer to grow. Will be planting them into the ground. I have read some in the forum and have found the information valuable. Thanks

Down here around Little Rock there are lots of Celeste in the ground. I would think either would do OK for you. My suggestion would be to plan to protect the young tree the first year, but after that it should weather out just fine.

Booger,
IMO, there are 6 cultivars that should be considered "Gateway Fig Varieties" for novice gardeners and Fig Newbies (being a fig newbie myself) they are;
Brown Turkey, Southern...
Celeste...
Green Ischia...
Violet de Bordeaux...
White Marseilles...
Hardy Chicago...
These Cultivars are readily available, represent the various "flavor groups" and can be productive in containers or in-ground (with winter protection) in most regions of the continental USA. The only problem is that the cultivars that are available at most local nurseries may sometimes be suspect. As an example I purchased a large 2 year old Celeste in a 3 gallon pot Locally that did not produce any edible figs in 3 years (it dropped all), but I purchased 4" pots with well rooted Celeste cuttings from two recommended online nurseries (EL... Edible Landscaping being one ) and they both produced ripe edible figs in the same season.
Good Luck...

Booger,
I live in Lowell,
We need to go with more cold resistant variaties up here.
Big important thing also is to have protection from the North wind,  Plant on south side of house, garage, barn, big boulder etc.
Pop me an email and we can discuss more. I may be able to help guide you towards reputable places to buy as well as maybe work out a deal on a plant or two ourselves.
Greg

Thank you all for the suggestions. Looks like I am going to go with the Celeste. I have space for two trees at the house and future spaces on the farm. Am going to go with trees from White River Nursery in my area. Really wanted to get trees in the ground this week. I cant harvest them if they are not in the ground. Have heard that the brown turkey and Celeste are gate way trees. May I will get hooked on figs. Thank you Greg and possibly others in my area that we can learn and share with each other. Please continue to post if you wish. There is plenty to learn from this group and may influence what we plant at the farm.
Scott

If you are planting 2 trees, why not one of each?  Then likely you will extend your fresh fig season, as well as having 2 distinct flavors.

Hi booger,
If you have the space for and the $$ , plant 2 of each.
When you buy a tree even of a good strain, you can still buy the worst one without noticing it or have a critter mess it up for you.
Buying two would lessen that risk - knowing that before you know of the mistake almost 2 or 3 years would have passed by !
And you would have to start at the beginning ... And with all fruiting trees that is the most frustrating ...

Brown Turkey in less than ideal location will taste like crap. Celeste, unless you have the one that won't drop the figs.. you will end up with a tree that is good to look at, but won't have any edible figs. VdB is a good fig, but it will take hit from cold. your best choice might be Hardy Chicago if you can find one. 

Pete, I thought VdB was cold hardy? I heard it did real good in zone 7. Is that not your experience?

gene, only figs to take hit down here last fall was VdB. damage wasn't bad at all. just an inch or less on the younger branches. and that was just from being out at 26 or so for 3 nights. might be just my bad luck.