Every fall a special breed of gardeners collect and save seeds from vegetables, fruits, herbs, and flowers for the next year. Some of the seeds they save have been around for centuries. In some cases, if it weren’t for the dedication of these growers and their ancestors we might have lost many older cultivars. These heirloom seeds provide a connection to our past and come in all shapes and sizes. Heirloom seeds carry with them memories and history and the older the heirloom, the richer the story they carry. But the value of heirloom seeds extends beyond their historic and cultural value. Heirloom seeds offer us a richness in genetic diversity highlighted by a wide range of colors, textures, shapes, and flavors. It is because of this genetic diversity that heirloom seeds are so vital.
The Definition of Heirloom Seed
What is the definition of an heirloom seed? There are 2 different schools of thought on what the definition of heirloom seed is. One is based solely on the age of the cultivar and the other based more on the seed as a true family heirloom.
The Age Of The Cultivar
Prior to the 1930’s commercial hybrid seeds were largely non-existent. All of the seed a farmer or gardener used was open pollinated, came from the previous year’s crop, and would grow true to type. After 1930 hybrids began to take hold and new varieties began to appear in the seed catalogs. Cultivars that have been around since before the 1930’s are considered heirlooms under this line of thinking.
Seed As An Heirloom
Some people believe that it doesn’t matter when the cultivar originated as much as it does that it has been grown and its seed collected and passed down to the next generation within a family for several generations. These heirloom seeds can include many of the newer varieties grown after 1940 including what were once hybrid seeds that have been stabilized by careful selection over many years.
Further Classification Of Heirloom Seeds
In her book "100 Heirloom Tomatoes for the American Garden," Carolyn Male divides the family of heirloom seeds into these classifications:
- Commercial Heirloom Seeds: created by seed companies prior to 1940
- Family Heirloom Seeds: selected and grown into a genetically stabilized form by farmers and gardeners
- Deliberately Created Heirloom Seeds: varieties created by deliberate cross-pollination
- Mystery Heirloom Seeds: varieties that are result of accidental cross-pollination
The reality is that the origin of some heirloom seeds is undocumented. Creative advertising could be just as responsible for some of our heirloom seeds as the careful selection over many generations. We simply have no way to know for sure where some heirloom seeds came from.
Does It Really Matter?
The dictionary defines an heirloom as “a valued possession passed down in a family through succeeding generations.” I’m all for using this definition as my guideline for what I consider to be heirloom seeds. But does it really matter where the original seed came from? Perhaps what matters is that growers cared enough to save the seed to be grown year after year or to be passed onto the next generation.
Why Grow Heirloom Seeds?
Heirloom seeds offer us the one thing that hybridized seed cannot: genetic diversity. Hybridized seed is largely under the control of only a few seed houses. Each year, growers who use hybrids must buy their seed from these suppliers or the smaller seed houses that carry their seed. With heirloom seeds, anyone who has an interest can grow and save seed for use the next year. And heirloom seeds can be adapted to particular regions with a bit of care and patience. This flexibility has given growers such a wide spectrum of unique flavors, colors, and textures to choose from. Not only are growers protecting the genetic diversity but they are also preserving history. Some heirloom seeds can be traced back in time more than a hundred years ago. Continuing the cycle of growing and saving seed continues the cycle and allows us to share a piece of history with family and friends.
Choosing Heirloom Seeds
Heirloom seeds are exceptional on more than one level. On one hand heirloom seeds carry with them unique and rich histories. On the other hand they can be somewhat difficult to grow if the grower isn’t aware of some of the basic guidelines.
In choosing an heirloom seed it helps if the grower takes into account the environment in which the lineage of the seed comes from. For example, seeds that come from climates with longer growing seasons may present a challenge to growers with shorter growing seasons. The traits exhibited by the plants grown from the seeds in a particular climate are likely to be particular to the climate. It is probable that the first generation of plants may not do well or produce less than adequate fruit. That being said, with careful selection and saving of seed from plants that produce the desired traits, a grower is likely to gain a seed that produces a form of the original but which has been adapted to the new climate. If possible, seek out sources of the seed that are similar to the growing conditions in which you live.
Where to Get Heirloom Seeds
You can acquire heirloom seeds from clubs that exchange seeds, from commercial seed houses, and from a neighbor or relative. Here are some resources for you to help you find heirloom seeds!
Maine Seed Saving Network
PO Box 126
Penobscot, ME 04476
(207) 326-0751
Northeast Seed Conservancy
Contact Bryan Connolly
connollybryan@hotmail.com
(860) 423-8305
Seeds of Diversity
Box 36, Station Q
Toronto, Ontario M4T 2C7
Canada
Seed Savers Exchange
3076 North Winn Road
Decorah, Iowa 52101
Southern Exposure Seed Exchange
P.O. Box 460
Mineral, VA 23117
540-894-9480
gardens@southernexposure.com
Southern Seed Legacy Project
105A Baldwin Hall
Department of Anthropology
University of Georgia
Athens, GA 30605
CORNS [Seed Exchange]
c/o Carl L. Barnes
R.R. 1, Box 32
Turpin, OK 73950-9714
Garden State Heirloom Seed Society
PO Box 15
Valley Road
Delaware, NJ 07833
Seed Companies
Appalachian Heirloom Seed Conservancy
Box 519
Richmond, KY 40476
KentuckySeeds@hotmail.com
Eastern Native Seed Conservancy
P.O. Box 451
Great Barringtonn MA 01230
(413) 229-8316
natseeds@aol.com
Harvest Moon Farms
HC12 Box 510
Tatum, NM 88267
(505) 398-6111
customerservice@felcopruners.net
High Mowing Seeds
76 Quarry Road
Wolcott, VT 05680
802-472-6174
orders@highmowingseeds.com
WoodPrairie Farm
WoodPrairie Farm
49 Kinney Road
Bridgewater, ME 04735
orders@woodprairie.com