Why Grow Heirlooms (Heirloom Vegetables)?

The actual loss of hereditary seed diversity looms large today because it could lead to a disaster unimagined. When farmers put their trust in only a small number of plant species and use them as crop foundations disasters like the Irish potato famine of the 1840s where 2 1/2 million Irish were displaced can not only take place but can become deadly. Had the Irish planted many diverse potato plants one would have probably resisted the potato blight that devastated the area landscape during that early time.

By learning how to buy heirloom seeds we can save these diverse jewels of the field ourselves.

Learning About Seeds

One particular type of seed named the first generation hybrid has been pollinated by hand, are almost genetically identical inside food types, have a patent on them, and are sold from seed companies throughout the world.

Another kind of seed is engineered genetically and is fast contaminating the seed supply of the planet threatening seed purity globally. DNA of plants are being altered for instance, a fish gene used to cold water might be spliced into a tomato plant to make it more frost resistant.

A third type of seed called heirloom are seeds that have been handed down throughout the generations and are genetic jewels of the garden.

Comparing heirloom seeds to hybrid apple types there happen to be over 10,000 heirloom apple seeds where as only a few hybrid types. Our farmers who till their backyards every year and the organic farmers who till much larger fields must keep the seed chain alive or heirlooms will disappear altogether. We need all the backyard gardeners of the world to keep the heirloom genetics alive and our food chain safe.

Seed Savers Exchange

The exchange is a tax exempt non profit group whose goal is to save the old time food groups from extinction. They represent thousands of backyard gardeners that are looking the world over for vegetables, grains, and fruits that have become endangered. Exchange members help maintain thousands of Amish, Mennonite, and Indian crops by publishing a 300 page catalog called the Seed Savers Yearbook. It has addresses and names of over 900 members with 6,000 varieties of rare fruit and vegetables offered to other gardeners worldwide. This distribution ensures their survival and helps spread the heirloom varieties worldwide.

Conclusion

There are other tax exempt non profit groups out there that offer the same advantages as the Seed Saver Exchange only to a lesser degree. The objective is and always has been to preserve the heirloom food groups so that garden varieties will not become extinct and our children and grand children can enjoy what the world has tasted and savored for centuries. It is important to understand that what we preserve now is producing a wonderful heirloom hand me down seeds that generation after generation will enjoy and not be lost to the hybrids. Old world heirloom seeds guarantee this heritage will not be lost. With groups like the Seed Savers Exchange this has become a reality.