Why We Love Heirlooms

Heirlooms are open pollinated plants that have a long history of being cultivated and saved within a family or group, evolving by natural or human selection over time. Many older varieties have been passed down from generation to generation simply because of their outstanding flavour. Modern seed geneticists have the burdon of developing varieties for industrial farmers that are uniform, high yielding and with a long shelf life; rarely is flavour ever part of the equation.

Most hybrid tomatoes are perfectly shaped, tough skinned (better for shipping), and can be stored off the vine for months.  These may be desirable qualities for the supermarket industry, but not the consumer, unless you value flavourless tomatoes with the texture of styrofoam.  There is very little resemblance between these and the robust flavour of heirloom tomatoes.  They may not have perfect shape, but we find their uniqueness beautiful, not a flaw.  They may be more perishable, but that's ok, they will not be travelling far.

Several older varieties of seeds are becoming extinct, and being replaced by only a handful of modern varieties.  An estimated 75% of crop diversity has been lost in the last century.  The decline of genetic diversity puts us at risk of widespread crop losses due to a single pest or disease.

Open pollinated plants are adaptive, meaning that by saving the seeds you are able to grow plants that adapt to the conditions, soil, and climate of your area.  As heirlooms pre-date the age of gene splicing we can be assured that they are GMO free.

Heirloom plants have a story to tell.  They play an important role, linking our past to our future.