FOOD HERITAGE

Growing heirloom fruits and vegies connects us with the past and broadens our options for the future. SOPHIE THOMSON explains why we should all do more to keep heirlooms alive

heirloom vs hybrid

There is growing interest and excitement about heirloom seeds, but what does this really mean? The term ‘heirloom’ is applied to varieties of vegetables and fruits that are produced over generations by open pollination. They deliver true-to-type seed that can be planted year after year to bear the same reliable crop. The timeline for heirloom seeds is rather loose; some say ‘heirloom vegetable’ usually describes varieties that predate World War II.

Dubbed by at least one seed company as ‘the gardener’s inheritance’, these are original strains of vegetables selected for a certain reason, usually for performance and for qualities such as flavour, yield, visual appeal and extended harvest. Many are suited to particular climatic conditions, such as short or long growing seasons, or wet or dry summers, and as such are ideal for gardeners in those particular areas.

Heirloom seeds are often passed down through generations, and are as treasured as any other inheritance, such as jewellery and other valuables. So your grandfather may have given you some seeds of his favourite pumpkin, which were given to him by his grandfather, who grew this variety as it was dependable, the best flavour and a good keeper. You can continue the tradition as you save more seeds and pass them on to your children and grandchildren, and these will still be true to type, just like they were for the generations before you.

Growing vegetables from seed is fun and remarkably cost-effective, even if you are buying the seeds for the first time. If you save your own, you will never have to buy that seed again for your garden, and you can share it with others.

Saving seeds from self-pollinating crops such as beans, peas, capsicum, lettuce, potato and tomato is easy. If you want to keep true-to-type seed of crops that are cross-pollinated by wind or insects, such as corn, broccoli, cabbage, pumpkin,

“Seeds are often passed down, and are as treasured as any other inheritance”

cucumber and watermelon, you can only grow the one variety in your garden or take other measures to isolate the flowers. If you don’t do this, the crop you want may pollinate with another variety (some vegetables are quite promiscuous!) and will no longer remain the same heirloom variety that was originally handed down.

The alternative to heirloom seeds is the F1 hybrids (first generation hybrids), which result from crossing two specific varieties chosen to develop required characteristics that are ideal for today's commercial marketplace. Certain crosses can exhibit improved vigour in the first generation, and this can also create resistance to pests and diseases.

Hybrids are also bred for factors that are relevant to the longevity of the

“The more varieties that are available, the greater the gene pool to breed from”

produce and how they survive handling before and after we buy it. Such factors include ripening at the same time for an easy harvest, the ability to be machine harvested, improved size, suitability for long distance transport and shelf life.

These seeds are expensive to produce, but their biggest drawback is that while they produce well in the first year, they can’t be grown reliably from the seed they produce. They either don’t deliver viable seeds, or the successive generations are unreliable and aren't true to type.

Have you ever heard how etiquette dictates you should never talk about sex, religion, politics or money at the proverbial dinner table? Well, we need to add heirloom vegetables to the mix, as these can be a polarising topic.

While advocates of modern hybrid seeds may say that they produce bigger harvests and fewer pest and disease problems (which is often the case), in my experience it is sometimes the heirlooms that outperform hybrids. So, rather than focusing on which is more or less pest- and disease-resistant and which delivers the better crop, let’s focus on the diversity of variety and the ability to save your own seed.

Growing heirloom varieties gives you far greater choice of each vegetable you want to grow, allowing you to select different shapes, sizes, colours, textures, appearances and flavours.

Consider the tomato. While there are a number of mass-produced commercial varieties, there are hundreds – actually thousands – of heirloom varieties grown worldwide (5500 at last count!). Each heirloom tomato variety is grown for a different reason and each is fabulous in its own right. It is the same story for beans, beetroot, pumpkins... the list goes on. If we don’t cherish these heirlooms, growing them and saving and sharing their seeds, they will be lost forever, and the diversity of choice will evaporate.

The more varieties that are available, the greater the gene pool to breed from and the more new varieties can be developed for use by future generations.

preserving our heritage

When saving seed from heirloom vegies or any open-pollinated vegetable in your garden, find your best-performing plant and save the seed from that plant. Not only does this preserve each variety’s genetic make-up, but also, by doing this year after year, you will select plants best suited for your garden’s conditions.

I recently saw the movie SEED: The Untold Story about heirloom seeds and food sovereignty. One fact that resonated with me was this: “In the last century, 94 per cent of our seed varieties have disappeared”. Seed-saving organisations around the world are working to reverse this loss and to preserve the diversity of varieties for future generations, and also for global and climatic challenges.

Growing your heirloom fruit and vegie varieties, and saving the seed to grow in your own garden and to share with others, is a great way to help preserve varieties for future generations. When an animal is threatened with extinction, we hope there is a worldwide outcry and work done to rebuild its numbers and habitat. The goal to save and preserve heirloom vegetables and fruits is the same: it's our attempt to keep these varieties from becoming extinct.