Heirloom seed

I have become obsessed with heirloom seeds. I’m actually even starting (this year) to save specific seed (corn and peppers for now) so as to make my seed what is termed “land race,” where a specific animal or vegetable over time becomes totally adapted to a specific place’s climate and land or soil. I’m beginning to land race my Stowell’s (sweet) corn, and within the next few years (I’ll have to clear some land I guess) will do it with a Southern dent-style of corn – probably Gourdseed but perhaps Hickory King or Boone County White. I’m also thinking of saving some of the seeds from my Cherokee Purple tomato plants for next year’s garden, but since I have other types of tomatoes growing near them and they might cross-pollinate, I may not.

Many seeds are heirloom anyway: even major companies like Burpee and Wal Mart sell some heirloom seeds (like yellow crookneck squash or Brandywine tomatoes). As long as it’s not a hybrid, or genetically modified (which yellow crookneck squash can be these days), it’s probably an heirloom variety. Heck, even some hybrids are nearly considered to be heirlooms nowadays (especially certain corn or tomato types), as they’ve been grown by some families for generations.